Portrait

Bathroom Talk with Emilie Crickx, founder of Rhodée

Meet the designer, artistic director and co-founder of the swimwear brand Rhodée: Emilie Crickx. 

Can you introduce yourself?

My name is Emilie, I live in Brussels. I'm 29 years old. I'm the co-founder of Rhodée, a swimwear brand I co-founded with my best friend Valentine Witmeur. And on the side, I also do styling and a bit of art direction for shoots and brands. Do I do anything extra? Oh yes, I work with my mom in a store near Brussels that sells several women's ready-to-wear brands.

What inspired you to create Rhodée?

We really wanted to create a brand together, Valentine and I. Creating a clothing brand was a project that had been close to my heart since I was a little girl. I knew I wanted to team up with Valentine, not only because she's my best friend, but also because we complement each other so well, we get on really well and we knew we'd hit it off. As Valentine already has her own brand of sweaters and ready-to-wear, we knew we didn't want to compete with each other. Swimwear came naturally. With Rhodée, we really wanted the swimsuit to be the key element of the outfit, a piece that you could put on in the morning and add a skirt or pants without needing to change during the day. The idea was to have strong, colourful pieces. We love colours and prints, but we felt that the swimwear world was lacking in prints and colours that were different from Liberty and stripes... We wanted to create our own prints, and we found a way to do it. 

How would you describe the brand's style?

The sustainable dimension was crucial to us because we didn't want to be just another polluter on the planet. It was inconceivable for us to launch a swimwear brand, which historically hasn't been the most responsible piece, without this eco-responsibility and respect for the environment but also for people. Our swimwear is made in Portugal from recycled plastic bottles.

They are made to last a long time in the wardrobe, both in terms of manufacture and style, because we wanted to create prints that are certainly strong, but which remain timeless. Another feature is that all our swimwear is super sheer. This was also important to us to meet the needs of all women and enable them to be comfortable in our swimwear. 

Talk to us about your newly designed house… It must feel like a wellness heaven

When we renovated the house, I made this request to the architects in the first brief. I work a lot and don't really go on vacation, so I need to feel good in my home, all year round, even when the weather's not so good.... So I asked the architects to design a house that would take us on vacation. It's very pink, very colourful, very warm and cosy in winter. It's miserable out here in Belgium, yet I feel right at home. And in summer, there's so much light coming in, there's really an incredible play of light. It's important because it allows me to feel at home and also to be able to spend time here peacefully and really enjoy my home with my son.

What is your vision of beauty? 

I have a fairly minimalist routine. I'm lucky enough to have skin that's not too complicated, so I keep things simple. I remove my makeup and apply a moisturiser... I do the bare minimum and try to use mainly organic or natural cosmetics. 

What are your skincare essentials?

For makeup removal, I love Oh My Cream Skincare Make-up Removing Oil. You gave it to me as a gift and I keep buying it. In fact, I'm a big fan of the whole Oh My Cream Skincare range! I have your Oh My Cream Skincare Plumping Oil, which I sometimes alternate with a facial oil from a makeup artist friend's Aloïse brand. I also enjoy the Oh My Cream Skincare Plumping Cream and Plumping Serum as a duo.

I also have the Super Natural Radiance Tinted Serum SPF30 from RMS Beauty, and I love the Talm Mega Plump when my skin is really on edge. 

For makeup, I love the Ilia Multi Stick. I find them super practical. The All of Me shade is the one I wear every day, and I have Cosmic Dancer as a highlighter. I also really like the Pai Skincare Impossible Glow as a touch of radiance. And for me, the Ilia Limitless Lash is really the best mascara out there. 

What's the best beauty tip you've ever been given?

 

Your founder Juliette Levy gave it to me! I met her at an event for the opening of the Oh My Cream boutiques in Brussels. After my pregnancy, dark spots appeared on my face, even though I always protect my face from the sun. She advised me to try out the products in the Patyka Hyperpigmentation Set to reduce the spots with an anti-spot serum and prevent them with an SPF. I have to admit that it worked, as my spots are less visible!

And back to you and Rhodée, what are your next projects for the coming year?

In February, we'll be launching our next collection with 4 new prints and a new bikini model that's been much in demand. We can't wait! We're also working on a collaboration with jewelry and nail polish brand Karoline Van Loom to offer 4 new exclusive swimsuit colors to match 4 of the brand's nail polishes. We'd also like to develop the brand in response to demand from our Parisian customers who'd like to try on the models... Big project for 2025. 

Emilie's favourites

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