Hayley Menzies reveals the sketch to runway journey of Chalet Bohème

The architecture of a collection lives in fragments before it becomes whole. Hayley Menzies has peeled back the studio doors to reveal how Chalet Bohème came together: a mood board collage of archive photographs layered across weathered wooden surfaces, each image a whispered reference to the collection’s Alpine soul. Vintage ski portraits catch the eye alongside cinematic stills of women in furs, their gazes languid and their silhouettes unapologetically grand. These are the visual anchors that would later find their way into jacquard patterns, into the generous proportions of a collarless coat, into the bold geometry of knit panels.

The hand drawn figures that follow map the translation from inspiration to intention. Five silhouettes appear across cream paper in the first sketch iteration, each rendered with loose, confident lines and then painted in the colours that would eventually define the range: the burnt orange of après ski corridors, the lipstick pink of mountain resort indulgence, the mustard yellow that speaks to seventies bohemia. Beside them sit colour swatches and textile samples, the yellow and black tiger stripe knit and the geometric patterned weave that introduces depth and movement to otherwise minimal shapes.

The final iteration shows design refinement in its fullest expression. Croquis sketches now stand alongside actual fabric swatches pinned to the paper, their textures visible in the accumulated layers of the work. A faux fur stole, rendered in charcoal tones, anchors one composition. Embellished knit pieces sit beside tailored silhouettes in patterns that nod to traditional Alpine motifs while maintaining an undeniably contemporary edge. The collection emerges not as a single stroke of inspiration but as a measured conversation between heritage, craft and a very particular vision of what luxury looks like when it ventures to the mountains.

Imagery courtesy of Hayley Menzies (@hayleymenziesofficial).