On The Edge: 30s.(fashion)(Buyers guide)

Byline: MARIE-AM�%LIE SAUV�% Photographed by Patrick Demarchelier.

Sportif sequins? Oui! The nouveau little black dress? Absolument! For the Parisienne MARIE-AM%LIE SAUV%, it is her era of avant-garde labels and bold statement style.

Miu Miu, Balenciaga, Martin Margiela. . . . When you are in your 30s, you go to these designers because they are modern; they represent the avant-garde without being too crazy. Yes, their shows might be extreme, but when you look at their clothes in a store, you realize they do things that are strong and wearable. It is a time when you should be really experimenting with your style: You're still young enough to do it, yet old enough to feel secure in yourself and know what you can get away with. Also, when you get to your mid-30s, it is the moment when you want a little bit of fur or a piece of exquisite jewelry. It doesn't have to be mink or diamonds--it could be something fun like the Balenciaga Mongolian lamb jacket, or this graphic Giorgio Facchini jewelry from Fred Leighton. It is beautiful but not too serious; it has a look reminiscent of Ettore Sottsass and the Memphis School, which I love. Any younger, and jewels and furs might make you feel like you are dressing up in your mother's clothes. But by the time you turn 35, you start to think, Well, why not?

"I never wear anything that's overtly sexy. If I wore heels with this Martin Margiela dress, it would be too obvious. But with flats . . . it's sexy in a conceptual way"

CAPTION(S):

SWEET AND DOWNTOWN Raquel Zimmermann adopts a Sauve look: a boucle bomber and substantial patent leather ankle boots that toughen up a femme floral print. Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquiere jacket ($3,650) and floral-print dress ($4,175); Balenciaga, NYC. Tom Binns bracelet. Prada ...