How Havre Studio Became The Secret Vintage Shopping Spot For Influencers & Celebs

When it comes to timeless tailored basics — think a boxy blazer or a pair of baggy trousers — one can never have enough of these wardrobe staples. Fashion trendsetters such as Hailey Bieber and Bella Hadid live by this rule as they both own a variety of suit separates. Likewise, even a maximalist dresser like Tracee Ellis Ross embraces the classic gray co-ords every now and then. But where do It tastemakers get their unique, almost too perfectly tailored designs from? Well, if you’ve browsed Instagram lately you’ll want to take note of emerging cool-girl label Havre Studio. The brand, founded by Madeleine Frandsen in 2019, offers one-of-a-kind pieces made from vintage menswear suits that are cut and tailored to fit its primarily female customer base.

Frandsen, who is originally from Copenhagen, started the label after moving to Mexico City with her boyfriend. She was a budget-conscious shopper, especially as a student at the time. (She was studying for her marketing and economics degree from Copenhagen Business School online.) As a result, Frandsen often found herself perusing the local tianguis in Mexico City — an open-air market where locals sell everything from fresh produce to used clothing. One day, it was here that she met and befriended a seamstress, Lupita, who helped Frandsen rework and refit the vintage men’s ensembles she’d found for herself.

“I would wear [my first reworked suits] when I visited Copenhagen, and my friends started asking me if they could [get one], too, so we’d make a couple for them as well,” Frandsen tells TZR. The more she made, the more she enjoyed the process of design. The growing demand from people within her social circle eventually led Frandsen to create the Havre Studio Instagram account — and the rest, as they say, is history.

Today, the brand offers a variety of reworked second-hand pieces like button-down shirts, corsets, and skirt suit sets in addition to oversized suits. As for the sizing, items currently run from 32 to 46 on the European size chart. Price wise, you can expect to pay anywhere from $125 for a pajama-style matching set to $399 for a two-piece pantsuit.

In the past two years, Havre Studio has created a noticeable buzz amongst influencers and celebrities, attracting the likes of Matilda Djerf, aka the ultimate Scandi girl. Then came a slew of endorsements from social media trendsetters like model Elsa Hosk, which felt like a breakout moment for Frandsen. “I sent her a DM when I started [Havre Studio], we had like 30 followers [at the time],” she says. “Elsa answered it about a year later [in 2020], and we’ve been in contact since then! I’ve always loved her style, so it was really cool to see her [wear] our pieces.” Hosk initially fell in love with Havre Studio’s two-tone blazers and has worn everything from its reworked skirt suit sets to constructed button-down shirts.

Soon after, the label landed on the radars of Hollywood’s fashion A-listers such as Bieber and Kendall Jenner, who frequently gives the brand a shoutout in her street style looks. The models have a soft sport for Havre Studio’s oversized blazers and suits. Jenner, for instance, wore a two-tone topper from Havre Studio in July 2021 while Bieber sported an equally roomy solid gray silhouette in May 2022. Additionally, Emily Ratajkowski wore a camel-colored suit from the label for her Superga campaign back in April 2022. The label’s reworked skirt suits, on the other hand, seem to be particularly popular amongst the influencer crowd. Beyond Instagram, actor Florence Pugh recently wore a beige and black set to attend a New York City screening of her latest movie The Wonder.

As Frandsen’s small business continues to gain more fans from around the world (it has 56k followers on Instagram so far), the founder has also set her sights on bigger projects for 2023 and beyond. One of her missions is to develop a more seamless system for upcycling vintage menswear pieces, so it’s easier to keep the products in stock as items sell out quick. In addition, Frandsen notes that it’s important to highlight her small team of five to her customers. “I know a lot of [the women] have been sewing for most of their lives, and I’d like to be able to showcase them more on our website and social media,” she says.

Now that you know where all the influencers and celebs get their perfect suiting separates from — the secret is out! — you probably want to get your hands on a Havre Studio piece too. Ahead, find an edit of TZR’s favorites, including the Hosk and Jenner-approved contrast suit jacket, which is also the label’s current best-selling item.