Jeanne Damas on Rouje's new 100% upcycled collection and the importance of sustainability in fashion

Jeanne Damas is the quintessential chic French woman. Between the tousled curtain bangs, enviably stylish wardrobe and perfectly understated make up routine, it's easy to see how she has amassed a following of over 1.5 million.

When Damas launched Rouje in 2016, the womenswear label came to embody her coveted sense of style, and while the label is, of course, a prime example of her own chic sensibilities, the brand has also always kept sustainability at the forefront. "Since the beginning we were very conscious about sustainability and it's a topic we push further systematically," Damas told Marie Claire. 

Proving that she does indeed stay true to her word, this month Rouje launched its first 100% upcycled collection, Re-Rouje. Created using fabric from Rouje's past collections, the brand delved into its own archives to utilise its leftover materials and turn the deadstock into something new. Rouje's objective? A zero waste range. 

"We always pay attention to keep the volume of the collections low, so that there is not a lot of extra stock," Jeanne explained when asked how Re-Rouje came to be. "When there is some fabric left at the end of the season we always look for a sensible way to use it."

"For example, we have often used some leftover fabric to create scrunchies or in 2022, every month, we designed a piece with upcycled fabrics for the benefit of a charity organisation called La Maison de Femmes in St Denis. While doing this, we got inspired to create a small collection with the familiar fabrics and give new life to the sleeping stock."

Rouje already creates the majority of its collections in Europe—"a lot in Italy, Portugal or Romania," Damas explained—and utilises eco-responsible materials, though Jeanne does recognise that there is always room for improvement.

"There is still a long way to go, but we are working to get better, season after season," Damas admits. "I have a team working on sustainability to push things further and we have dedicated a section on our website to this subject so we can be totally transparent with our clients."

The Re-Rouje collection is filled with all the staples and silhouettes customers have come to love from the brand. Printed dresses and cosy cardigans included. Yet, thanks to its sustainable genesis and upcycled materials, it is also the kind of range you can feel good about shopping. Keep scrolling to shop Jeanne Damas' Re-Rouje collection below.

Shop Rouje's 100% upcycled collection: