‘[The BERNADETTE customer] is a strong woman with a sense of humour who loves colour.’

‘[The Winnie dress] is the biggest BERNADETTE icon. To see it in New York will be so special. The Winnie is a bit like the city of New York – it’s so monumental.’ BERNADETTE’s co-founders, Bernadette and Charlotte de Geyter, exude excitement as I speak to them over Zoom ahead of their flight to New York for their first trip back since the COVID pandemic began. They will be in the city to showcase the brand’s PF23 collection in an exclusive shoot for MATCHES, and host a dinner for editors and influencers based in the city. ‘We’ve missed it so much. Everything is fast-paced and everyone has a goal in mind,’ Charlotte explains. ‘The people are so nice, always. It’s very vibrant,’ Bernadette adds. Hailing from the much quieter city of Antwerp, trips to New York prove a source of inspiration for the pair. ‘Every time we go, we come back home with so much energy. We love living in Antwerp because you can really take your time and be creative, but it’s our comfort zone. We know it here so well.’

The label will be celebrating its five-year anniversary in November, having launched in 2018 with a tightly considered capsule of 10 silk slip dresses. Though the brand has evolved to encompass other product categories – including cottagecore-esque knitwear and ceramics – dresses remain the core of every collection. ‘[Originally], I think we didn’t find the right dress for an occasion… and said to each other: Maybe we have to start doing this,’ Bernadette muses. ‘We love the ease of a dress. We love that you don’t have to think about it too long. You just throw it on, take your bag and shoes, and off you go,’ Charlotte adds. Known for their romantic, feminine designs, BERNADETTE has pushed the boundaries of their aesthetic with the introduction of maximalist silhouettes, voluminous taffeta and oversized bows. ‘We felt like once we started designing bigger gowns in brighter colours, our customers really responded to it’.

‘Our biggest strength is that we are women of different ages. We know what’s practical, comfortable, what women want to show.’

Whilst Bernadette is a former buyer for Ralph Lauren, Charlotte studied fine art at Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts, going on to work at Simone Rocha in London, before the desire to do something of her own took hold. Accomplished as individuals, but stronger together, the pair realised they had something special to create. A shared love of fashion defined their relationship from the get-go, with Charlotte dipping into her mother’s archive of 1990s Ralph Lauren skirts and cardigans to play dress up as a child. In later years, the pair could be found perusing flea markets in Brussels for vintage nightdresses. Their unique bond allows them to navigate the complexities of running a business with unfiltered communication. ‘What’s most important, and what we cherish the most, is that we have 100% trust between us,’ says Bernadette. ‘We know each other so well, that we can really feel if one of us is stressing out or is a bit tired. We really know when to pick each other up and when to balance the other out,’ Charlotte notes. 

The PF23 collection stays true to the BERNADETTE brand DNA: the bucolic garden of Bernadette’s Provençal-inspired house in Antwerp blooming with peonies, violets and roses provided the first spark of inspiration, immortalised in the hyper-realistic florals of the Nathalie and Frida dresses. Playing to their individual strengths, Bernadette brings her exacting eye for colour to the intricate prints, hand-drawn by Charlotte. ‘This collection is all about garden utopia, so the prints are very layered this season – reflective of what you see in a garden,’ she explains. There’s also a romantic element to the designs, with handmade rosettes adorning the fluid Daffodil dress. ‘We really love that whole romantic, 1990s aesthetic as well. It’s something that goes back to our love of vintage nightgowns.’ For Bernadette, the inspiration is more cinematic. ‘I would say movies from Rita Hayworth’s time!’ The label has also introduced embroidery, as seen in the Harry dress: delicately embellished with sequins in a mimosa branch motif, lifted from the family’s idyllic countryside retreat near Barcelona. ‘It’s the first tree that blossoms after a long winter, so it’s the first glimpse of summer we see.’ This season also sees the brand experimenting with new form-fitting silhouettes and glimpses of skin, alongside reworked house icons such as the sculptural one-shouldered Winnie gown in a fresh grass-green hue, exclusive to MATCHES. ‘I always feel cool wearing green – you don’t feel too girly. It’s a lot of fun,’ Charlotte adds.

‘In some ways, BERNADETTE has a minimal take to it… We don’t like a lot of fuss and small details – we like big signature pieces and shapes.’

As always, this PF23 collection possesses the cross-generational appeal that defines the brand and reflects how the duo design through their female gaze. ‘My mum really looks at what women her age love to wear, and what is timeless, whilst I really like to challenge the customer,’ adds Charlotte. ‘We really look at what we want to show, and conceal, as women. For example, a shoulder is sexy. When you’re 20 years old you want to show off your shoulders but if you’re 50, you also show off these parts!’ Collections therefore include slinkier, shorter dresses, with Bernadette championing maxi silhouettes. ‘I like the Frida, maybe near a pool, with a big straw hat and a Campari. I also love the Nathalie dress – it’s a feel-good dress, I will dance in Central Park in the Nathalie’, Bernadette adds. ‘On a Friday night, after a long week of working, I love the black Kim dress but then on a Sunday, if I’ve had a good weekend, I would love to throw on the red Daffodil dress,’ Charlotte concludes. 

‘We really want to dress a lot of different types of women: we want to be able to dress a rock star but we also want to dress the queen.’

Returning to the streets of New York, we see Bernadette and Charlotte present their collection in motion; adding pared-back heels and geometric sunglasses to allow the dresses to take centre stage as they wine, dine and sightsee their way around the city. Wearing the backless Kim dress, Charlotte suggests a trip to The Guggenheim. ‘We love the building and how you can see all the different floors all at once – it’s so modern and sleek. Next, go to Sant Ambroeus on Madison Avenue for lunch or an afternoon tea. It has the most beautiful cakes in a traditional and chic Italian setting.’ Bernadette suggests concluding the day with dinner at Pastis for classic French cuisine with an American twist, wearing the elegant Harry dress. ‘It’s a dress you can wear to a dinner or a cocktail – it’s very timeless.’

IMAGES PRODUCED BY BERNADETTE AND SHOT BY YOUN JUNG KIM FOR MATCHES.