Exquis by Marie Ottavi – Olivier Saillard

Olivier Saillard is one of the major voices in contemporary fashion. A historian, creator, performer, and artist, he has chosen to explore clothing in multiple forms, always in a more poetic direction, examining the intimacy and emotion that a wardrobe or museum archives can contain.
After directing the fashion museum in Marseille and the Palais Galliera, he now works across several areas: leading the Fondation Azzedine Alaïa, serving as artistic director of J.M. Weston, writing, and producing performances.
One of these performances, titled Moda Povera, is a couture project that demonstrates that beauty can emerge from very little, exploring the infinite possibilities offered by so-called basic garments, particularly T-shirts and shirts. Another recent performance takes him into theatre and the edge of cinema. In Embodying Pasolini, he explores, alongside actress Tilda Swinton, the costume designs of Danilo Donati, created by the Farani workshops for Italian director Pier Paolo Pasolini. The intrinsic significance of clothing, its past, and the soul of those who have worn it remain at the heart of his research, as a step aside from fashion’s commercial system.

We will revisit his journey, his earliest sartorial fascinations, his inspirations, and the genesis of his projects. Together, we will explore his wardrobe, past and present, his habits and obsessions, the therapeutic virtues of fashion, and the memories it evokes.

Olivier Saillard responds to the invitation of artist Hélène Delprat, who was herself invited by author and art critic Catherine Millet, who had been asked by filmmaker Albert Serra to join Exquis. This series of conversations examines the connections between clothing and what it reveals about us and our habits, whether closely or from afar.

“Exquisite” is a series of encounters around fashion and clothing, based on the theory of six degrees of separation and the exquisite corpse. The rules of the Exquis game are simple and fun: the first guest sheds light on the topic from their perspective. It links clothing to cinema, contemporary art, literature, music, gastronomy, and architecture. At the end of the conversation, they introduce the second person, who will in turn enrich the topic with their own vision. And so on.

Thus, a multi-faceted conversation unfolds, evolving with each encounter. It surprises and builds connections, complements or diverges, ultimately illuminating the theme through six carefully chosen perspectives. A blend of different worldviews emerges in this exploration, guided by Marie Ottavi.