HANNELORE KNUTS FOR PALLAS
Suit yourself—or let Hannelore Knuts do it for you. The Belgian model recently teamed up with privately-owned French atelier Pallas to create a line of female tuxedos for Fall 2013, offering a selection of sleek silhouettes inspired by the classic “le smoking.” Though Knuts has always loved fashion—“Clothes and my outfits were part of my shy identity and helped me express myself,” she explains—she didn’t know much about particular houses growing up. But when Daniel and Veronique Pallas approached her to collaborate with them on a new line, she jumped at the opportunity to work with the revered designers.
Famous for its “petite couture” tailoring, the French maison Pallas has been creating hand-finished pieces for top fashion houses including Balenciaga, Céline, and Thierry Mugler for fifty-two years. “Tuxedos are kind of their signature skill,” explains Knuts, so when they decided to create their own line, dress jackets, trousers, and other pieces inspired by them were the obvious choice. And Knuts, known for her androgynous style, was a perfect muse, consultant, and face for the brand. While she loves to wear mini skirts and high heels on occasion, Knuts embraces the different ways in which a woman can dress to look sexy in this day and age, including more-masculine suits and pants.
“To be honest, I never thought much of designing tuxedos,” Knuts admits. “But when they asked me, it made so much sense in a weird way. And when I met them we all knew it was a match made in heaven.” Besides modeling, Knuts has had some experience in the design world. She has learned from close friends and fashion gurus such as Azzedine Alaïa and Haider Ackermann, and tried her own hand at designing handbags for Delvaux and even a bike for Marniek Kint.
The tuxedo jacket offers hints of Knuts’ more personal affinities as well. “My true all-time historical period was the flapper girls,” she says. “Cutting their hair and hanging with the boys, but also wearing lipstick and expressing their feminine side, they were the first to dress more masculine while being 100% woman.” And for Knuts, tuxedos and other androgynous clothing accomplish a similar balance between feminine and masculine. “It is as if it is framing my femininity, and I feel safe in that frame to bring out the maximum of the woman that I have inside of me,” she says. She explains that the simplicity and flexibility of a classic tuxedo make the Hannelore for Pallas capsule collection wearable for any woman. Knuts, who will continue to work with Pallas on future collections, dons a tuxedo when her self-esteem needs a boost, or when she looks to “feel ready to take over the world.” And who wouldn’t want that? Time to follow suit.
Hannelore Knuts for Pallas will be available by appointment.
