insider

menswear spring/summer 2025

EACH SEASON, THE FÉDÉRATION PUBLISHES EXCLUSIVE EDITORIAL CONTENT
AND INTERVIEWS WITH LEADING FIGURES FROM THE FASHION INDUSTRY ON THE
PARIS FASHION WEEK® WEBSITE, FEATURED ON THE SECTION «INSIDER – MAGA-
ZINE.» THE AIM OF THESE PORTRAITS, WHICH ARE NATURALLY LINKED TO THE
HOUSES OF THE OFFICIAL CALENDAR, IS TO PROVIDE A DEEPER INSIGHT INTO THE
CREATIVE PROCESS OF EACH HOUSE AND TO SPOTLIGHT KEY PERSONALITIES.

All photo credits are listed page 144 01

04 Introductive paper Paris on the run
a feel for fashion

12 Lauren Sherman
14 Olivier Leone
16 Guy Trebay
24 Caroline Gaimari
30 Edward Buchanan
36 James Sleaford
40 Séga Kanouté
44 Stéphane Feugère

portraits

52 SPHERE Paris Fashion Week® Showroom

56 5 questions for Amélie Gastaut
62 Lauren Houssin & Guillaume Troncy
Bureau Future
68 Jean-Jacques Picart

focus

82 IFM inaugurates Paris Fashion Week®

90 Bianca Saunders Caribbean Portrait
94 Walter Van Beirendonck Has Seen the Future
98 Issey Miyake Homme Plissé a conversation with
102 Cultural Crossover at 3.PARADIS
106 Ami Spring-Summer 2025 Bright sun 122 Anna Wintour (Vogue)
108 A Night at the Circus with KidSuper 124 Ryota Iwai (Auralee)
112 Comme des Garçons Parade 126 Colm Dilane (KidSuper)
114 Dries Van Noten SS 2025 The spirit of light
118 Hermès AW2024/2025 128 photos credits

02 03
 PARIS ON THE RUN

Are we ready? This question kept rin-

ging across the national press in... 1924
when Paris was open to the gambling of
the world. That year, the 1924 Summer
Olympic Games, officially named the
Games of the VIII Olympiad, was the
seventh edition of the modern Olympic
Games. “The Olympic Games are not
world championships. They are beyond
that. We encircle them in a sort of athletic
religiosity to keep the idea alive,” said Ba-
ron Pierre de Coubertin, considered by
Le Petit Journal on television to be “the
President of the Republic of Sports.” A
century later, the capital is once again in
the running, with the men’s ready-to-wear
shows for Spring-Summer 2025 and the
Haute Couture Fall-Winter 2024-25
collections right around the corner.

04 05
THE CULTURAL MARATHON

For more than a year, the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode has been working
closely with the Ministry of Culture, the Préfecture de Police, the City of Paris, the Orga-
nising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Interministerial Dele-
gation for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Executive Committee’s first decision
was, at the request of the Préfecture de Police, to bump up the Haute Couture calendar
by one week, so that it could be completed before July 1, one month ahead of the Olympic
Games (from July 26 to August 11, 2024).

In the meantime, it’s time to get your sneakers on and take part in the capital’s cultural
marathon on the theme of sport and fashion (see box below). Until January 5, 2025, the Pa-
lais Galliera is unveiling La Mode en movement #2. Featuring more than 250 new works,
this follow-up exhibition explores the history of fashion from the 18th century to the pre-
sent day and tackles the cross-disciplinary theme of the body in motion. Meanwhile, the
BnF is holding an exhibition on the history of women’s sport in France since the end of
the 19th century, which entails a dialogue between athletes and art is being staged at the
Grand Palais. The Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris is also hosting an exhibition
on Art and Sport, while the Musée Marmottan is shedding light on Impressionist painters
and their passion for rugby, cycling and rowing. From Olympic medals to the emblematic
Louis Vuitton trunk, the list of exhibitions alone is vertiginous.

ATHLETIC STYLE IN ALL FORMS AND FASHION

At the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, 450 garments and accessories, photographs, sketches,
magazines, posters, paintings, sculptures and videos capture the evolution of sportswear
and its influence on contemporary fashion. Jean Patou, Jeanne Lanvin, Gabrielle Cha-
nel and Elsa Schiaparelli were among the pioneers who took an interest in the world of
sport during the inter-war period and transcribed this into their Haute Couture creations.
Fashion owes a number of great classics to sport: the Lacoste shirt (1933), and Gabrielle
Chanel’s use of jersey are pioneering examples. The very word ‘sportswear,’ which ap-
peared in the press as early as 1928, and then casual wear, popularised by Ralph Lauren,
Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, bear witness to this enduring, contemporary influence.
To perfect this unbridled desire for extreme movement, there have been countless colla-
borations (including with New Balance and Issey Miyake), as well as a surge in the ‘out-
door’ trend, particularly post-Covid. Graphically, there’s the return of the athletic bestiary,
from the XL version of the Lacoste crocodile to the Coq Sportif, with whom Stéphane
Ashpool, founder of the Pigalle Paris brand, who is collaborating for the French teams’
Olympic uniforms. In all, 150,000 items have been planned, including 85,000 for the com-
petition and 65,000 for the Olympic Village. This amounts to a wonderful tribute to the
creator, Émile Camuset, who founded the label in 1882 in Romilly-sur-Seine in the Aube
region of France. In his textile workshop, this sports enthusiast decided to make jersey
shirts for his cycling, football and rugby friends. Department stores are also taking part,
with «La Samaritaine se prend au jeu» (the Samaritaine gets caught up in the game). The
event provides an opportunity to “return the favour to the founders,” Ernest Cognacq and
Marie Louise Jay, who opened the first sports hall for shop employees (1930).

06 07
COCORICO

In Paris, some dates are milestones in their own right. Among them: Yves Saint Laurent’s show at the Stade de France for the opening of the football World Cup in 1998; the partnership
signed by Dior with Paris Saint Germain, a first of its kind for the fashion house (2021); and the announcement in 2023 of the partnership contract between LVMH and the Olympic Games.
In 2024, it was in a Louis Vuitton trunk that the Olympic Torch was revealed in Marseille, before passing into the hands of 10,000 carriers. In addition to the torch trunks, there are medal
trunks in the legendary Monogram canvas, which weigh 100 kilos and tripled in weight when filled with 489 radiant trophies. And so history begins to take flight. Berluti, the dressmaker
for the opening and closing ceremonies, has produced 1,500 outfits. A matter of style, a matter of brand. The final word? It undoubtedly goes to an artist, Philippe Decouflé, who is being
honoured at the CNCS in Moulins, in a colourful flashback to the 1992 Albertville Olympic Games. “I don’t like to do something artificial, I need beauty, I need to cry when I do something. I
want to be touched and touch people. With the Olympic Games Ceremonies, we were certainly changing scale and dimensions. But it was important to keep in mind this need for emotion
– even in a stadium.”

08 09
THROUGH A FEEL FOR FASHION, PARIS FASHION WEEK® INVITES YOU TO SEE
AND READ THE ANALYSES, OBSERVATIONS AND COMMENTS OF EXPERTS IN

a
THE SECTOR AND THE FASHION ECOSYSTEM. GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO
SEE AND THINK ABOUT THE ISSUES, CHALLENGES AND HORIZONS OF FASHION.

feel
for
fashion 10 11
Lauren Sherman

Amidst the obvious mainstream media outlets that cover fashion, Lauren Sherman’s
reporting for the buzzy platform, Puck, has become essential reading for industry
scoops and incisive insight. Immersed in fashion journalism for more than 15 years,
most recently as the Business of Fashion’s chief correspondent and before that as a
staff reporter at Forbes, she is both trusted for breaking news and trusted by people
who define the news. Other publications where her byline has appeared include the
Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. Based in Los Angeles where she lives
with her husband and son, Sherman has her digital finger on the pulse of news no
matter where it is happening. Her debut book, Selling Sexy: Victoria’s Secret and the
Unraveling of an American Icon, co-authored with Chantal Fernandez, will be publi-
shed in October.

13
Compared to previous out- At Puck, I’m speaking to people very What would you like or hope I’d love for them to worry less about what
lets, how does your platform much inside the industry, but also people to see more of from brands competitors are doing and more about
at Puck shape the way you very much outside it. Making insider or the industry more gene- figuring out what they have to say that is
report on fashion? knowledge a must-read to outsiders is rally? unique.
the most challenging, and rewarding,
part of my job.

Who or what will drive the Whether or not people shop.

greatest change in fashion
If I have something to say, either addi- When everyone is breaking this year?
tional reporting and/or analysis, then it’s the same stories, how do
worth it. you determine what is worth
covering?
Technology fosters new forms of In what ways do you think AI
creativity. might benefit fashion?

What excites you in fashion Fashion is as big a part of pop culture as

right now? music, food and fine art, Hollywood.

Clothes are not going away, even as our What is one reason to be
lives become more virtual. optimistic about the state of
fashion going forward?

I hope I can help people in the indus-

try take themselves less seriously, and
What impact might you hope
to have on fashion this year?
Can you suggest a fashion mantra for ‘24?
people outside of the industry take those
same people more seriously. Fashion is
«Do what you think is right!»
so controlling of its message that those
outside the industry often don’t get the
whole story, and therefore dismiss it as
fluff when it’s not.

14 This interview has been lightly edited 15

Olivier Leone

18 17
Can you suggest a fashion mantra for ‘24? «I’ll quote Madonna: Express yourself, don’t repress yourself.»

How have your projects in The creative industries, for better or Liberation! People are seeking freedom. Who or what will drive the
hospitality, fashion, and de- worse, are evolving at such a pace that Recent years have restrained many ta- greatest change in fashion
sign proven complementary? everything is becoming homogenised. I lents. I believe that those who don’t play this year?
feel that fashion hegemony is fading, gi- by the new standard rules will be the win-
ving way to a circle of diverse inspirations. ners.
Now, it can be anything. Nowadays, I find
myself more inspired by art and design
when I curate a project than by fashion
itself – though I do love making analogies
What is one reason to be The resurgence of the importance of
with brands, especially in hospitality. In
optimistic about the state of craftsmanship. When I see Loewe or
the end, creativity is a vehicle to deliver
fashion going forward? Bottega, I feel very connected to their
an emotion, something to say. I approach
global approach to luxury. It’s about
all projects with the same question: what
special techniques, enhancing crafts-
is the feeling we want people to express,
manship, raw talents, and pushing the
and what do I want to convey?
boundaries of creativity. People seem to
respond positively and understand this.
Recent events, like the Galliano show or
memes criticizing the state of fashion,
What excites me is also what scares me: What excites you in fashion also tell me that people are fed up with
the future is difficult to predict. Fashion is right now? micro-trends and that we may be retur-
becoming quite binary, split between fast ning to what fashion should always be:
fashion and luxury. I feel it’s a shame, as making us dream.
small designers seem to struggle. On the
other hand, many new talents are blos-
soming and taking over beautiful houses.
I’m eager to see Quira at Calvin Klein, for
I’m launching two new projects in Sep- What impact might you hope
instance.
tember, which are really important to me. to have on fashion this year?
It would be pretentious of me to forecast (Can be broad or specific)**
any impact I might have, but I will try to
be as genuine and authentic as I can be.
In what ways do you think AI AI is a tool, and like any tool, it needs to
might benefit fashion? be mastered and balanced. Hopefully, it
will enhance creativity if used carefully.
I already work with AI a lot. It helps my
team delve deeper into technical aspects
that we couldn’t explore before.

18 This interview has been lightly edited 19

Guy Trebay

Guy Trebay is a suave, tall gentleman who has chronicled culture through the
cross-currents of style, art and fashion since the 1970s, contributing to titles such
as The New Yorker, The Village Voice, Interview, Esquire and Artforum. He is among
the foremost voices on menswear as a reporter and critic for The New York Times,
a role he has held for the better part of two decades. His newly published book,
«Do Something,” takes readers back to New York City in the ‘70s where he captures
the demimonde that shaped his vision. It is also a personal story that recounts how
leaving his fraying family led to discovering Andy Warhol’s Factory and the diverse
sub-cultures who contributed to a period of unparalleled artistic output.

21
What excites you in fashion Because fashion is the first language of a What impact might you hope That would be pretentious to say. I prefer
right now? culture, it is one of the more reliable ways to have on fashion through to let others decide.
to gauge where we are and where we are your work?
going. That is what has always interested
me in fashion.

A resurgence of interest in traditional What is one reason to be

crafts and their practitioners, and a re- optimistic about the state of
newed understanding of luxury as si- fashion going forward?
gnifying not disposable new seasonal
junk, but quality objects that are “sustai-
Can you suggest a fashion mantra for ’24?
nable’’ for the simple reason that they
are designed well and made to last.
«You could do worse than to remember to
reduce, reuse and recycle.»

In what ways do you think AI I think we tend to forget there are

might benefit fashion? unknown human intelligences behind
the artificial kind and that they have mo-
tives, opaque and not only driven by pro-
fit, and that there is no way of knowing
what their true values are or whether
they align with ours until after they have
infiltrated our habits (including sexual, If I had the answer to that, I’d be out of Who or what will drive the
social and political) and by then it’s too a job. greatest change in fashion
late. They have colonized our lives. this year?

22 This interview has been lightly edited 23

Caroline Gaimari

Caroline Gaimari writes and directs innovative videos for fashion, luxury and travel
brands, working with Louis Vuitton, Dior, Miu Miu and Valentino among others. Pre-
viously the fashion director of Purple magazine and managing director of Purple Ins-
titute, she possesses an acute understanding of how to help brands communicate
directly with their audiences through new media. In this way, she has become a kind
of secret weapon as the content not only translates to high engagement, but is clever
and fun to watch. Gaimari also develops her own bingeable series on TikTok as a rela-
table raconteur contemplating the wondrous idiosyncrasies of life in Paris.

25
Beyond a more direct en- Instagram has been a great tool, but What excites you in fashion I’m genuinely fascinated by the way
gagement, how can TikTok it’s very much a digital extension of our right now? people discover brands in 2024 through
open up new opportunities real-world networks. TikTok is a win- user generated content. In the past, the
for brands? dow into the wide, varied unknown. If a average person couldn’t project themsel-
luxury brand talks about Jeff Koons on ves in a brand universe. Until now, we’ve
Instagram, that message is likely going mostly only been able to see how clothes
to reach an audience who doesn’t find look on young, sample-sized, perfectly
this information novel or interesting. On styled, well-lit people. Now, when a size
the contrary, it comes across as “basic” 12 woman is interested in, say, a pair of
because you’re speaking to an audience jeans from Reformation, she can search
of peers or those who want to consider TikTok for “reformation jeans midsize”
themselves as your peers. Also, this in- and see dozens of recent videos of real-
formation is likely sandwiched between life women wearing and reviewing them.
a high school friend’s divorce announce- This means that if a product is actually
ment and political POVs. fulfilling a need (or stoking a desire!) for
a certain segment of people, the brand is
On the contrary, TikTok is about discove- really just a handful of UGC videos from
ry within a user’s areas of interest. The a breakaway product hit. Conversely, if
goal of a brand page is to shepherd and a garment only looks good when it’s ex-
deliver little bonbons of information and pertly styled & modeled in e-commerce
entertainment. The game is to be so pro- imagery, the UGC videos will tell the true
lific at hand-packaging morsels of infor- story in bad lighting.
mation that the audience gathers at your
town square. So if you make rich content
about Jeff Koons, the TikTok algorithm
will put that content along the journey of
someone interested and receptive to art
stories. You are meeting people where
they are happy to be, rather than impo-
sing information on them.

I hope the greatest changes to our world Who or what will drive the
are not within the domain of fashion. greatest change in fashion
this year?

26 This interview has been lightly edited 27

In what ways do you think AI Stay with me: the trend I see is toward What impact might you hope I’m not focused on having a broad im-
might benefit fashion? human-made and human-curated. If you to have on fashion this year? pact. If I could have a positive impact on
ask AI right now for a list of the 10 best- the handful of people in my real life, and
made bags, AI will get you this informa- eventually also succeed at positively im-
tion by parsing lists from articles on we- pacting my hyper-local community, that
bsites that rank high on search. At first, it would be my greatest blessing.
feels helpful to not have to dig for a good
bag yourself. But in the end, the term
“best” is subjective, so the list you really
are looking for is one that solves your real
problem, which could be, “Which bag will
be a tribal signifier that I deserve a raise,”
or “Which bag is indestructible and dis-
creet?” The queries are more nuanced
than we think, and AI is not a therapist. I
also think AI corner-cutting will create a
starker contrast between garments and Can you suggest a fashion mantra for ’24?
artisan creation. There is a need for both,
and hopefully AI can reduce production «Heal your childhood trauma.»
& shipment waste by using data more
rapidly to predict what quantities of pure
garments are needed in what sizes in
what locations.

I think brands have put deep storytelling What would you like or hope
on the back burner, and that’s a shame to see more of from brands or
because good stories, told well, are the industry more generally? I think TikTok energy is the same as ’90s What is one reason to be
what’s keeping Americans on TikTok ‘zine energy. It’s prolific, it’s wild, it’s ho- optimistic about the state of
for an average of 55 minutes per day. memade. Aesthetically, it feels urgent fashion going forward?
Product marketing is at an all-time high, and raw and sloppy and that makes you
but good storytelling brings lifelong cus- love it. It’s the loud brand-agnostic ener-
tomers. gy we haven’t had in the past decade.

28 This interview has been lightly edited 29

Edward Buchanan

Edward Buchanan is among those multi-hyphenate industry figures whose creativity

and know-how manifest in many forms. An Ohio-born Parsons grad who calls Milan
home, his foray into fashion began nearly three decades ago as design director for
Bottega Veneta, which was expanding into ready-to-wear. More recently, brands such
as Off-White and Pucci have enlisted Buchanan as a consultant oriented towards
knitwear, such that he has coined the acronym KSAT (knitted situations and things).
As the Milan-based fashion director for Katie Grand’s The Perfect Magazine, Bu-
chanan is ever-present during fashion weeks and can be spotted conducting lively
post-show interviews. Yet his ongoing passions remain his knitwear brand, Sansovino
6, and his commitment to mentoring emerging BIPOC creatives while actioning for
greater inclusivity across the fashion landscape.

31
How does your work in edi- My work as an editor is fed by what I ex- The badasses who have the financial Who or what will drive the
torial and design shape your perience, what I see, and how I interpret capabilities to look down and reach out greatest change in fashion
instincts, your eye? and report that information; whereas as their hands to pull up those who have the this year?
a fashion designer, I am really honed in talent; but scarce resources would really
on the creative process and innovation help. I am more counting on those who
through what I physically create. They are not in the system but have a dream
both inform each other. and are focused on change.

Integrity and honesty. What excites you in fashion In what ways do you think AI I really can’t think of any advantages at
right now? might benefit fashion? this moment…

What is one reason to be I am always in awe of young indepen-

optimistic about the state of dents. It is a difficult moment for emer-
fashion going forward? ging designers and creatives, but I think
when you have to really figure it out wit-
hin your available resources, the results
are more inspiring.

More attention, organisation and funding What would you like or hope
for creatives from disadvantaged back- to see more of from brands or
grounds. the industry more generally?

What impact might you hope I hope that I can use my lived experience
to have on fashion this year? as a black designer working in this space
for over 25 years, in order to mentor, edu-
cate, and help others to see a positive re-
flection of themselves within the spaces
they want to occupy.

32 This interview has been lightly edited 33

Can you suggest a fashion mantra for ’24?

«Mmmmm I’m going to say WAKE UP FOR FREEDOM!

James Baldwin once said, ‘People are trapped in history and history is trapped in them’
That’s pretty correct and I’m hopeful that change is gonna come.»

34 This interview has been lightly edited 35

James Sleaford

A quiet Englishman living in Paris who doesn’t eat cheese, but loves pasta. This of-
fers a mere glimpse of the charismatic James Sleaford, freshly appointed as editor of
Icon France, the French edition of the Italian magazine directed by Andrea Tenerani).
With more than 20 years of experience in the Industry, he has worked at titles such
as i-D, British GQ and Arena and he was also the first fashion director at GQ France, a
position he held for 9 years. Outward looking by heart, he says that his best project is
always the one that has yet to come.

37
What excites you in fashion It’s a multi-faceted job and now we are Finding positivity in AI is difficult at pre- In what ways do you think AI
right now? all content creators. There are no li- sent as a lot of the conversations around might benefit fashion?
mits to what you can do: if you want to me see AI as the means to further weake-
become a fashion editor, or art direc- ning an already hard-hit journalistic sec-
tor-cum-photographer, then everything tor. Creative writers and copywriters have
is possible. Personally, I still find that it’s already seen their pay cut, but AI has
good to specialise in at least one thing; exasperated the situation even further,
but the way the industry has moved and as it allows certain companies wishing to
the new demands on editors are that we reduce their wage bill to create copy fas-
all now have to multitask. Its fast moving ter with less experienced writers. This,
and while digital is very much leading the however, is a race to the bottom, and is
way in how readers consume articles. stifling good journalism, while also sen-
But it’s still good to see that print is alive ding out negative signals for new people
and kicking and generating its own more wanting to enter the industry. That’s not
niche reader and following. to say all AI is bad, but it needs to be
adapted in a way that adds value to crea-
tivity and not take it away.

The fact that we are in a period of What is one reason to be

self-questioning – whether this involves optimistic about the state of
questions of greenwashing, sustainabi- fashion going forward? Who or what will drive the The macro economy is the place to start.
lity, over-production, or transparency in greatest change in fashion At present, with all the global frictions,
supply chains and slave labour – we now this year? wars and economic downturns, fashion
have institutions in place such as the as a luxury product has taken its own hit.
Fashion Round Table and the Business The e-commerce market seems to have
of Fashion, both reporting on and analy- suffered the most, as many of the desi-
sing the roots of these problems and hel- gner brands have gone in-house and the
ping to create laws to prevent them in the markets that they once relied upon have
future. There is still a long way to go, but all but dried up. But the social media
the more we scrutinise and investigate, channels are now providing the oppor-
the more sustainable fashion will beco- tunity for lots of new start-up designers
me, ultimately providing safer working to reach out to new younger audiences
environments with fairer pay. with less overhead cost. The result
makes fashion more sustainable again
and also more diverse in its offering.

What impact might you hope I am hoping with Icon France that we
to have on fashion through can create a young buzz around fashion
your work? through our print and digital platforms. I
aim to keep pushing our team of journa-
Can you suggest a fashion mantra for ’24?
lists, stylists and photographers to both
entertain and inform our diverse set of
«Be versatile and open to new ideas! And be
readers with quality, provocative and
thought provoking content that they will
prepared to learn new things!»
want to engage with.

38 This interview has been lightly edited 39

Séga Kanouté

Séga Kanouté is the creative director of Niaramy Studio, which produces unisex clo-
thing in loose yet striking silhouettes that attest to a discerning eye and eco-conscious
approach. His work as a journalist in print and on radio and television explores cros-
sover ideas between fashion and culture. Based in Paris, he has cultivated an alluring
presence through his Instagram, which shifts between expressive portraits signalling
his personal style and artistic, organic visuals.

41
What excites you in fashion It’s very related to my interests. I would I prefer to be pragmatic rather than opti- What is one reason to be
right now? say that I am motivated by all the inde- mistic. I just see that fashion is becoming optimistic about the state of
pendent actors who manage to create more and more cynical and very reluc- fashion going forward?
an entire creative and business ecosys- tant to criticise itself. Except for inde-
tem around themselves with the sole pendents or confidential brands, I would
support of their community. For a long say that business has taken precedence
time, everything was very vertical and over real societal commitments. Very
very standardised in tastes and trends. concrete example: the artistic directors
Today a creative person can prosper of the main luxury groups are mostly
outside of the “classic” circuits and/or white men. I don’t question their talent at
without the support of an entire indus- all; but it’s still a strange signal. From this
try. I am thinking of personalities like example, I think that, since Paul Poiret,
Thomas Robert et Chahine Bettat (Gaijin we have had plenty of time to question
Paris); Nicholas Daley, Youssouf Fofana who directs the creative imagination and
(Maison Château Rouge); Jan-Jan Van who is continually excluded at many le-
Essche, Louis Rubi (LR3); Kitesy Martin; vels…
Audrey Mballa (photographer); Auriane
Blandin-Gall (Cèucle), Henri Lamine
Diagne (photographer); Maxime Kastler
and Théo Jata (Ancients Studio). All of us
In what ways do you think AI I’m divided. I have always considered
– myself to some degree and the many
might benefit fashion? that AI should serve creative people and,
creatives that I forgot – all succeed, not
more broadly, human intelligence. This
without difficulty, by imposing our vision
can be useful for identifying, classifying,
and continuing to move forward. From an
agglomerating, correcting images and
industrial point of view, it has taken time,
many other uses. But the AI has
​​ cold lo-
but I observe a certain awareness of eco-
gic. Like humans, it’s not free from bias.
logical issues. If we all agree that we no
AI smooths people’s tastes and already
longer need to have so many garments
questions the level of ethics and artists’
in production, there has been progress
rights. For now, it’s a new toy. How long
on the issues of manufacturing and re-
will it amuse us? My fear is that intellec-
cycling, even if there is still a lot of work.
tual and creative assistance will make
people «lazy» intellectually and crea-
tively. So to be continued…

I don’t claim to have a considerable im- What impact might you hope
pact on the industry. I am neither a myth to have on fashion this year?
nor a legend: I am just one of the players
in this game that is fashion. Really, I’m
having fun, and I’m authentic in my ap-
proach. I continue to learn, I try to be true
to my beliefs, I continue to appreciate
Can you suggest a fashion mantra for ’24?
people for who they are and what they
do. I don’t set any limits for myself. Guess
«The good guys and girls will triumph
what? All this is free. in the end.»

42 This interview has been lightly edited 43

Stéphane Feugère

Stéphane Feugère is part of the exclusive circle of celebrity photographers bridging

the fashion and entertainment industry. After a decade at Vogue Paris alongside
Carine Roitfeld, and as Karl Lagerfeld’s personal photographer until his passing, he
collaborates with the biggest luxury brands worldwide, relying on his empathy and
ability to make celebrities feel confident in front of his lens at their events or fashion
shows. Based in Paris, he is the photo chronicler of Numéro France, regularly works
for WWD, and is a longstanding contributor to the purple.fr website.

44 45
What excites you in fashion Fashion, a constantly evolving industry, It is undeniable that artificial intelligence In what ways do you think AI
right now and what is one is now adapting to a more conscious is currently very trendy, but it is crucial to might benefit fashion?
reason to be optimistic consumer. While this awareness began consider it as a tool rather than an end
about the state of fashion before the pandemic, the health crisis in itself. Its use in the retail sector can
going forward? has intensified a reflection on our rela- certainly bring benefits to brands. Once
tionship with clothing and fashion. The capable of monitoring the stocks of each
trend towards consuming less but better store as well as product sales, it could
is clearly emerging, with a particular fo- suggest adjusting the supply based on
cus on fast fashion, embodied by giants sales history. Moreover, it could recom-
like H&M or Zara. Yet even renowned mend similar products that could appeal
brands must rethink their strategy by of- to customers from different cultures
fering high-quality pieces rather than just and with varied tastes, whether in Mi-
flashy branding. lan, Tokyo, or elsewhere. In the realm of
creation, AI could also play a significant
Basics are thus becoming essentials, re- role by collaborating with designers and
flecting a profound shift in consumer ex- trend offices. On one hand, it could com-
pectations, now more inclined to invest pile information to help refine future col-
in durable and well-designed products lections, taking into account the specifi-
rather than just a brand label. This is a cities of different global markets and their
real challenge for fashion companies in distinct cultures, while integrating brand
the years to come – and an exciting one to products and their best-selling items
follow in an era where street culture has in a more targeted manner. However, it
also made its mark on recognised brands is important to remember that, despite
in the fashion industry. Consequently, a all its capabilities, it is still humans and
younger audience is more likely to want their creativity that will make the final de-
to buy clothing they can wear every day. cision. I remain sceptical about the idea
Their approach to recycling and their that AI could make decisions in place of
commitment to environmental preser- humans. While it can propose scenarios
vation are also closely scrutinised. The and suggestions, it is always up to hu-
considerable profits generated by these mans to choose among these options.
major houses should not overshadow Ultimately, artificial intelligence remains
their responsibility to the planet. Young a tool, not an end in itself, intended to
people, particularly sensitive to these support and enhance human creative
issues, expect concrete actions. Thus, processes rather than replace them.
obtaining eco-labels and committing fi-
nancially to environmental associations
or foundations have become imperatives
for these brands. Environmental awar-
eness has become a major criterion in
consumer choice, and brands must res-
pond to remain relevant in an ever-chan-
ging world.

46 This interview has been lightly edited 47

Who or what will drive the
greatest change in fashion
I believe that wars can have a global
impact on fashion. They accelerate the
Can you suggest a fashion mantra for ‘24?
this year? withdrawal of certain countries into
themselves and undermine the morale
of people in general. Consequently, we
are witnessing a decline in global sales
in the industry since the beginning of the
conflict in Ukraine, which poses a signifi-
cant threat to the entire planet in terms of
nuclear danger. Similarly, the Israeli-Pa-
lestinian conflict, which is also ongoing,
further exacerbates societal divides. Ad-
ditionally, key markets in the fashion in-
dustry, such as China, have also slightly
withdrawn into themselves. China’s de-
sire to annex Taiwan further complicates
this situation and may inadvertently align
it with Russia. Therefore, I believe that the
end of the war in Ukraine and a ceasefire
between Israel and Palestine could be a
major catalyst for change in fashion. Al-
though many innovations have emerged
during wars, designers’ creativity will
be better able to flourish in a climate of
global peace, and sales will rebound as
people become more confident in the
future.

«Consume less, but consume better and with

greater awareness!»

48 This interview has been lightly edited 49

THROUGH A SERIES OF PORTRAITS, DISCOVER INSPIRING JOURNEYS, WORDS
AND VISIONS.

por- -traits
50 51
SPHERE
PARIS FASHION WEEK®
SHOWROOM
DREAMS ON THE SEINE

52 53
SPHERE
PARIS FASHION WEEK®
SHOWROOM
DREAMS ON THE SEINE

52 53
SPHERE
PARIS FASHION WEEK®
SHOWROOM
DREAMS ON THE SEINE

52 53
« A dove dances over from Paradis
to our world shining with glee

people everywhere smile

because they all enjoy being free »

« MANIFESTO », 3.PARADIS.

3.PARADIS enters the Official Calendar of Paris Fashion Week® this

season. Keep dreaming, despite everything. To find within ourselves
the keys to affirming our style. This is undoubtedly the motto of the
designers exhibiting at SPHERE Paris Fashion Week® Showroom,
as the Fédération benefits from the ongoing support of DEFI and
l’Oréal Paris, official partners. This season’s Menswear session takes
place at the Palais de Tokyo from Wednesday, June 19th to Sunday, “Existing, defending ourselves. The challenge is there, and it’s up
the 23rd. Six brands – 3.PARADIS, Bianca Saunders, C.R.E.O.L.E, to the venue to set the standard”, says Arthur Robert, creator of
OUEST PARIS and Rolf Ekroth – are in the spotlight, with two of them OUEST PARIS. “SPHERE is important, it’s a validation. It means
joining the showroom this season: 3.PARADIS and Bianca Saunders. being acknowledged as a recognised brand on the Paris scene. It’s
London-born Bianca Saunders, winner of the ANDAM Prize in 2021, a stamp of approval. The showroom has enabled some great names
and who joined the Official Calendar a year later, is carrying on her to emerge. It’s an honour… I wanted a twist, as if we wanted to drop
research centred on her Jamaican heritage. Drawing on the influence everything and go surfing in California. I took all the inspirations from
of a de-gendered aesthetic, her influences became clearer, giving the beginning, the photographs by Karlheinz Weinberger and Gus Van
pride of place to a more unstructured silhouette, combining the rigour Sant, and concentrated them.” A good half of the collection is denim,
of tailoring with baggy ease. C.R.E.O.L.E has a similar take on unisex, with shapes inspired by workwear and the West, only in washed, pas-
workwear and queer identity, while Vincent Frederic Colombo, born tel, Californian tones. A jacket fitted like a suit of armour or a corset,
in Paris, draws on his Guadeloupean heritage for his “creolity.” Jeanne with very wide, surf-style baggy trousers. It’s as if all the pieces came
Friot didn’t hesitate to name her collection ‘Idols.’ “I started looking out of the ocean. “At the heart of the brand are my origins, and the
at the personalities and idols who gave me strength, who are my re- bridge between the Basque coast and California. There’s something
ference points,” she said. From Sagan to Bowie to Kurt Cobain, from quite magnetic about it, even if you can’t say that America is an ideal.
Grace Jones to Debbie Harry – and with Joan of Arc at its centre – here It’s somewhere between endless summer and queer culture. I started
they are at the heart of a collection that combines gender-neutrality thinking about West during the pandemic: it was very frustrating and
and radicalism, with brilliance. The night expresses itself with a more very fertile at the same time. It’s good to hold on to this imaginary wor-
positive message lit up with lurex and sequins: “I need to share the ld. Denim is a uniform. You can live in it all day long, it’s very functional,
dream again at a complicated time.” but I like there to be a little something that makes you dream.”

54 55
5 QUESTIONS
FOR AMÉLIE GASTAUT

Curator of the exhibition, «The Birth of Department Stores» «Department stores invented modern commerce and established the consumer
at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs that runs through October 13, 2024. culture that would lead France into a new economic and social order.»

56 57
 What were you aiming to tell through this exhibition?

The aim of this exhibition was not to look back at the individual sto-
ries of department stores, but rather to understand how the histori-
cal, political, economic and social context of the Second Empire, and
the structural reforms introduced by Napoleon III, were conducive, if
not necessary, to the emergence of this new type of commerce. From
there, we can understand how department stores invented modern
commerce and established the consumer culture that would usher
France into a new economic and social order. The first part of the exhi-
bition is therefore a historical recontextualisation, looking back at the
major structural reforms intended by Napoleon III – including Hauss-
mann’s modern urban planning, the development of the railways, the
growth of industry, the establishment of a modern banking system –
all of which had a direct impact on the birth and development of de-
partment stores. We also look back at the emergence of this new so-
cial elite, the bourgeoisie, the driving force behind economic growth,
which shared with the emperor the benefits of emerging liberalism.
This was a social class to which the department stores’ owners be-
longed, but which was also their primary target. The second part of
the exhibition looks at the commercial revolutions such as the demo-
cratisation of fashion, the invention of sales, children as a new target,
mail-order sales. Introduced by these visionary entrepreneurs, they
laid the foundations of modern commerce using innovative sales and
advertising techniques.

58 59
What did you discover while working on this exhibition? How did they prefigure and mark the Parisienne figure?

That department stores were no longer seen simply as places to do With their mass-produced ready-to-wear dresses in a variety of sizes,
business, but as places where people could spend the day, strolling department stores laid the foundations for what was to become ready-
through the aisles, meeting in the tea rooms, reading the newspaper, to-wear, helping to gradually democratise fashion. From then on, de-
attending children’s concerts, fashion shows, and more. The cus- partment stores played a key role in spreading and influencing fashion.
tomer was no longer seen simply as a shopper, but as a visitor, and As a result, they contributed to the construction of the figure of the
entry was free, with no obligation to buy, which was something new. Parisienne: the embodiment of the elegant, independent woman and
One of the great ideas of department stores is that the act of buying the ambassador of fashion. Illustrated posters, which reached their
should be driven not by necessity but by desire. This desire for pos- golden age in the 1870s, also contributed to the construction of the
session worked so well that a quasi-social phenomenon emerged: image of the Parisian woman, who became the object of fantasy.
kleptomania. From the 1870s onwards, statistics from the Prefecture
of Police recorded an increase in shoplifting, most of which took place In addition to fashion, design, posters, and toys, there is a section
in department stores. In 1885, it was the 5th most common cause of devoted to art studios. Can you tell us about this activity?
arrest in Paris. As proven by the police reports kept in a file on “depart-
ment store thieves’ at the archives of the Préfecture de Police, sho- The art studios in department stores were creative and innovative
plifters were not needy but bourgeois. This desire for possession was in promoting modern decorative arts. Following in the footsteps of
provoked, among other things, by the spectacle of the merchandise the “ensembliers,” the decorative artists who designed furniture en-
and by the new possibility of being able to physically feel the articles. sembles, four Parisian department stores set up art studios. Prin-
temps was a pioneer in 1912, when its director, Pierre Laguionie, and
A number of psychiatrists took an interest in this social phenomenon, the founder of the Salon des artistes décorateurs, René Guilleré, ope-
and one of them, Dr Alexandre Lacassagne, argued that “these are ned the Primavera design studio.
social stimulants that could be called crime appetisers.”
This initiative was widely emulated. In 1921, Galeries Lafayette entrus-
The second thing I learnt was that, by revolutionising the retail trade, ted Maurice Dufrène with the La Maîtrise studio. The following year,
department stores were already foreshadowing modern marketing Le Bon Marché launched the Pomone workshop, run by Paul Follot.
techniques: fast fashion; rapid stock clearance with the invention of Finally, in 1923, Les Grands Magasins du Louvre created the Studium,
sales and the introduction of an annual sales calendar; children as a headed by Étienne Kohlmann. Department stores’ art studios were to
new target; and finally, mail order. prove creative and innovative in promoting so-called modern decora-
tive arts. The creation of the ateliers d’art des grands magasins was
motivated by a generation of designers keen to renew the place of
the decorative arts and celebrate the taste for beauty in everyday life
through the mass production of furniture and objets d’art.

60 61
LAUREN
HOUSSIN
MANAGING
DIRECTOR
OF
BUREAU
FUTURE,
&
GUILLAUME
TRONCY,
CO-CEO
OF
BUREAU
BETAK
AND
BUREAU
FUTURE

62 63
TALENT, PRODUCTION, AND IMAGINATION SINCE 2016 What makes the agency unique?

«What was originally known as «digital» content has increasingly become cam- Its origins and its deep ties to fashion shows. Bureau Future was born out of Bureau
paign material, both image and product». Betak, with a fashion point of view and culture. The ability to capture a fashion show
and a fashion image requires very specific skills. The light, the beauty of the models, the
Paris, New York, Los Angeles, Milan... Around 15 in-house staff, and more than 60 interpretation of the looks and accessories, together with the atmosphere that contri-
projects planned for 2024. Founded by Alexandre de Betak in 2016, the Bureau Fu- butes to the storytelling and the image of the fashion houses. All these elements are
ture communications agency spans Europe, Asia and the United States, employing combined to create a digital fashion object. We are one of the few agencies dedicated
a large number of freelancers around the world. The “digital creative agency” has to this content segment, and able to manage a project in-house from conceptualisation
established itself as the standard-setter in a highly competitive sector, an organic through to post-production.
development model that has managed to preserve its identity. “The goal was to
expand the audience for fashion shows to a global audience in real time, reaching Its strengths?
beyond the physical guests. Since its inception, Bureau Future has also been a
response to the booming use of social networks, as brands have become their The ability to adapt, to move from one house to another while maintaining a deep unders-
own media and there is a tremendous need for constant and intelligent content tanding of each customer’s identity and requirements. We’re able to do this thanks to our
creation,” say Guillaume Troncy and Lauren Houssin of Bureau Betak and Bureau highly versatile in-house team, but also thanks to the people we call on for specific ex-
Future, now a partner of the FHCM. Troncy, a graduate of Kedge Business School pertise, whether it’s talent or a technical service provider. For example, we won’t choose
with an MBA, is also a partner in Bureau Betak and Bureau Future, which he joined the same cinematographer or editor for an Acne Studios or an Alaïa project. Every player
in 2013. Houssin graduated in Media & Communications from the London School involved in a production is essential to its success. This means that we have to keep a
of Economics in 2012 and began her career in journalism, working for the New constant eye on the market. We always try to remain a driving force, while being ready to
York Times, CNN and Libération. She joined Bureau Future in 2017, shortly after it change direction when the brief evolves or changes.
was set up by Alexandre de Betak, and became its director in 2020.
What do you consider to be the major changes in terms of demand and achieve-
ments?

Content that was originally ‘digital’ has increasingly become campaign material, both
image and product. Bureau Future is now handling more and more projects outside the
catwalk, including several digital campaigns, notably for Tom Ford and Carolina Herrera,
and recently videos showcasing savoir-faire for Louboutin, Fendi and Berluti. We hope
to keep diversifying the nature of our projects and why not do more lifestyle and beauty
content.

64 65
How is Bureau Future involved in the fashion shows for the FHCM? What talents do you call on?

We’re working on coverage of a selection of emerging fashion houses, such as Duran Art buying plays an integral part in our culture. We meet a lot of photographers, film-ma-
Lantink, Ester Manas, Vaquera and Zomer, in collaboration with the Fédération’s editorial kers, digital artists, etc. on a daily basis, and we feel it’s very important to curate talent and
committee. This week we’ll be on the catwalks of Auralee, KidSuper and Yuima Nakazato. promote a mix of expressions. Each project requires a different approach to the selection
We’re trying to take a fresh, new approach to highlighting new talents, covering the fit- of collaborations.
tings, backstage, catwalk and an interview with each designer. A format halfway between
reportage and editorial, which is part of Bureau Future’s DNA. We work with established artists such as Norbert Schoerner and Oliver Hadlee Pearch,
but also with emerging talents. For the Jacquemus show in Valensole, we selected four
In what way is Bureau Future adaptable and ahead of the curve in terms of innovation art students from the region and organised a partnership with Dazed magazine to show-
and digital evolution? case their work (link here). One of the drawings even ended up on the double page of
Holiday magazine (see here)!
Our adaptability lies above all in optimising the high point of a fashion show by multi-
plying the number of collaborations with talents, the number of so-called satellite acti- Many of the talents we worked with when they weren’t yet represented are now signed
vities and therefore the opportunities for content creation. Photographers and directors up by big agencies or production companies, including Jordan Hemingway, Massimilia-
coexist on adjacent sets and contribute to a global vision, rather than working on sepa- no Bomba and Pablo di Prima.
rate tracks. In this context of a 360-degree communications strategy, quantity and quality
are not mutually exclusive, and we are adapting to developments in digital, notably by We also produce a lot of things in-house, our creative team being made up of real Swiss
developing the live experience in order to reach more and more online audiences. For Army knives who know how to handle image capture, retouching, editing, 3D, sound, and
some brands, the pre-show has become almost as important as the show. VIPs and in- so on. This allows us to remain flexible in the creative management of projects.
fluencers are often dressed in the same collection as the show, generating a lot of traffic
and excitement before the show itself. We are also diversifying the streaming platforms, Which projects are you most proud of?
from TikTok to Red, WeChat, Weibo, KakaoTV but also more standard channels such as
Youtube and Instagram. Depending on the platforms and the target audience, we some- There are a number of projects we’re proud of, including some great collaborations with
times reconsider the angles to be favoured, the looks to be emphasised, the rhythm, the Jacquemus and Gucci, with whom we pushed the boundaries of feasibility and explored
music, etc. We have also done several 360 live shows and experimented with VR for the alternative formats, particularly during the post-lockdown period, when we needed to
Chinese platform T Mall. The aim remains to create an experience that is as immersive rethink our ways of working and give priority to filming and livestreaming.
and inclusive as possible.
The video of the last Maison Margiela show under the Pont Alexandre III in January was
Do you use Artificial Intelligence? also a success. We worked very closely with the director of photography on the lighting
and with the set designer on the placement of our cameras on the runway. John Galliano
It’s a subject we’re obviously following closely. We’re experimenting with different crea- was also extremely involved in all the preparations for filming this show, which was a
tive AI-based tools, but we haven’t yet integrated it into our image creation processes as unique experience.
such. The main idea is to be ever more creative and singular, while remaining aware of its
challenges and limits. But above all we’re most inspired by the challenges ahead.

What are your big plans for 2024?

Our biggest Fashion Week since our creation, coming up in September, with over 20
shows between New York, Milan and Paris!

66 This interview has been lightly edited 67

JEAN-JACQUES
PICART:
«FASHION
IS
THE
EXPRESSION
OF
THE
SPIRIT
OF Capturing the spirit of the times, the zeitgeist, isn’t an intellectual pursuit. It’s about instinct, the

THE irrational, that requires the ability to let oneself be carried, antennae up, by the currents that flow
through an era and shape it. Jean-Jacques Picart, publicist turned consultant if one must classify

TIMES.» him, exudes a creative flair and a sensitivity that captures the essence of the current moment wit-
hout conscious effort, led by what he calls his «taste for people.»

68 69
 «I never really intended to ven-
ture into fashion.»

What interests him most is

people, to meet them and make
Born in Phnom-Penh, Picart left them blossom. After working as
what was then Indochina at the an assistant until 1972, Picart
age of 11 for Nice, where he set up his own press office, en-
grew up with his Vietnamese Freshly arrived in Paris in 1966, couraged by his first contacts.
maternal grandmother. His he joined a press relations His first client was Guy Paulin,
«Asian legacy» left a deep mark school. On the school benches, «a wonderful couturier that
on his «intellectual and emotio- he stomped his feet. «I was in- people have forgotten,» who
nal approach.» When he joined terested in the job, but people worked for Dorothée Bis and
«At 10 years old, when people his mother in Dakar to graduate chatted too much for me to fol- then Chloé from 1984 to 1986.
asked me what I wanted to be- from high school, he was 17 low the classes,» he recalls. He A designer with a casual style,
come, I always answered ‘doc- and had no idea of what he didn’t feel at his place there, tender and unpretentious, like
tor, obstetrician, pediatrician.’» wanted to become. «I was good the migratory bird having laid the soft colours he used. «In
A startling answer, in part be- at philosophy but very bad at its claws among «the young fashion, when you’re ahead,
cause it contains three profes- science, so I wouldn’t be a doc- girls from the 16th arrondisse- it’s as if you’re behind. People
sions in one, but also because tor,» he admits with a smile. In ment.» After six months of tur- don’t buy and then forget that
it crystallises the entire career Dakar’s Médina district, he ning in his cage, he asked the you were the first to do it,» Pi-
of a man who «likes to make consulted a professional orien- management to validate his cart asserts. «It was Guy Paulin
people give birth to themsel- tation centre. «They probably diploma through professional who introduced me to Thierry
ves.» In keeping with the Socra- thought I wasn’t too stupid and experiences. «I besieged the Mugler in 1975.» Mugler had
tic tradition of maieutics, which sensitive and advised me to office of the internship direc- just returned from New York
consisted of asking people a opt for decorating or press re- tor,» he says. Stubborn and de- «where he was with Claude
series of questions to enable lations,» a profession that was termined, he completed «ele- Montana. They were selling
them to reveal themselves, Pi- still in its infancy. «You’ll be able ven internships in two years, a papier-mâché jewellery for a li-
cart «feels the hidden side of to sell anything,» they told him; record at the time! « From little ving, both completely unknown
people.» «which is true.» he adds quietly. strokes came a great network. at the time.»

70 71
«I need a publicist,» Mugler in-
sisted over the phone. Before
hanging up, Picart asked him, From the outset and throughout
«How will I recognise you?» his career, Picart refused to
far from suspecting that Mu- work for a brand unless he
gler would «turn up at La Cou- Thierry Mugler, bolstered by was «authorised to join the
pole dressed as D’Artagnan.» Picart, presented his first col- studio and the company’s
«I couldn’t understand a word lections alongside Claude strategic committee, to see if
he was saying. He was in his Montana and Anne-Marie Ber- what comes out of the studio
own world, in such a bubble,» reta in a shared tent, for lack of is consistent with the CEO’s
recalls Picart, who ended up funds, in front of the Palais des strategy.» Cacharel, Emanuel
telling him that they couldn’t Congrès. «We weren’t in the Of- Ungaro, Hermès, Jean-Charles
work together, simply because ficial Calendar and journalists de Castelbajac, Kenzo, Chloé,
he didn’t understand a word. complained that we were pre- «Integrity remains the key to our Daniel Hechter, La Redoute,
«That’s why it’s good. People senting on Sundays,» recalls Pi- profession.» New Man, Levi’s, Helmut Lang,
tell me you do your job well cart. At the time, ready-to-wear Ferragamo, Jil Sander, Jean Pa-
and I’ll do mine well.» Mugler design was still an embryo, pro- «Backstage, I’d say ‘have you tou: Picart multiplied projects
concluded. Their collaboration pelled by the creation of Saint seen your look? Are you sure? and meetings. «I didn’t have a
lasted several years, advancing Laurent Rive Gauche in 1966. In 40 seconds, what you’ve plan. When a brand appealed
Mugler towards the pantheon Fashion was gradually beco- done will belong to the others.’ I to me, I wanted to work on it. So
of global fashion as a crafts- ming institutionalised, with wanted them to be able to fully much so that I was criticised,
man of the spectacular. Picart the creation of the Chambre take on the criticism and the ap- ‘You like everything!’» Picart un-
remembers Mugler above all as Syndicale du Prêt-à-Porter des plause.» Picart sees sincerity as derstands designers because
a «creative logorrhoea,» an ar- Couturiers et des Créateurs de a mark of respect. «I’ve always he himself works on instinct
tist who «planned an unrealistic Mode (which later became the told my clients the truth. Desi- and understands managers be-
number of pieces for a season, Chambre Syndicale de la Mode gners are afraid of dishonest cause he remains grounded in
a whirlwind of ideas, and a man Féminine) and the Chambre criticism. It’s very unpleasant reality. One foot in, one foot out,
who was very respectful of Syndicale de la Mode Mascu- for them not to be sure that to fully assume his role as «a re-
others, a rare quality in our pro- line in 1973. Fashion Week took their work is being sincerely re- gulator, a harmoniser, like a cop
fession.» shape. viewed.» at a crossroads,» he quips.

72 73
 «Christian Lacroix owes his «Bernard Arnault is on a ladder.
success to his exceptional He has a panoramic, global
The Hermès years began. talent as an artist.» view that we don’t have.»
Alongside Jean-Louis Dumas,
who headed the House from «I met Christian Lacroix via his Bernard Arnault, who became
1978 to 2006, and Pascale girlfriend, Françoise, who wor- Chairman of LVMH in January
Mussard, founder of petit h ked for me. She showed me 1989, had been Chairman and
and President of Villa Noailles his drawings,» tells Picart, with CEO of Financière Agache S.A
since 2015, they reshaped the no emphasis on the fact that and Christian Dior S.A. since
House’s strategy. «Pascale is chance had placed on his path 1984. Picart met him in 1986.
wonderful. We worked together, an artist who would go on to «Bernard Arnault was looking
she inside and I outside.» One become one of the most presti- for a stylist to place at Dior as
day, while Picart was with Du- gious names in Haute Couture. Marc Bohan’s right-hand man.»
mas in his office – «In the days Chance? More like his irrepres- Picart, who was working for
when CEOs worked above sible attraction to «people with Patou with Lacroix at the time,
the boutique» – they were told above-average brains.» Chris- replied that «it’s better to be
that Jackie Kennedy had just tian Lacroix began his career first in a small House than se-
arrived. «She told us that the at Guy Paulin and Hermès be- cond in a big one. « Together,
same morning they had taken fore joining Patou in November they orchestrated the launch
her breakfast while reading 1981, under the guidance of of the Christian Lacroix House
«I’ve saturated the market.» ELLE and that she had seen the Picart. The firm, which joined within the LVMH group in 1987.
‘jeans and scarf’ campaign.» If the LVMH stable in 2015, has «I was a partner. It was the only
In 1980, despite his outstan- that doesn’t sound revolutiona- nurtured some exceptional ta- time in my life that I wasn’t in-
ding success, he closed his ry to you, you may realise that lents, including Marc Bohan dependent,» says Picart, who
press office. «Some brands told at the time, pairing a silk scarf from 1954 to 1958, Karl La- remembers Arnault’s question:
me they wanted to work with with a pair of jeans was a fine gerfeld from 1958 to 1963 and «Our friend Christian gives us
me, but I was already working way to thumb one’s nose at Jean-Paul Gaultier, who joined his talent. I’ll take care of the
for their competitor.» Lucid, the classic conventions, and a mar- the studio in 1972 under Michel financing. What about you?»,
man who had grown up in diffe- velous entry for the House into Goma, until 1974. Lacroix left to which Picart replied: «I give
rent parts of the world listened modernity. «Dumas introduced Patou in 1987, a week after his you my freedom.» He remained
carefully to what the times were me to her as one of the authors last fashion show, marking the there until 1993. In the years
telling him and complied rea- of the campaign,» he recalls, end of Haute Couture for the that followed, Picart continued
dily. He then went into consul- straightening in his seat. Yet Pi- house. He was backed up by to «advise Arnault» and flitted
ting, «a stupid word, but as I cart, feisty and reluctant to sett- Jean-Jacques Picart in charge around houses, for different
couldn’t say ‘sincere advice’, so le in one place for too long, left of the image, to pave his own projects between «Kenzo, Louis
I kept consulting.» Hermès in 1983. way. Vuitton, Pucci» among others.

74 75
 One day, when Picart was back
in Paris after being away for
health reasons, he received two
bouquets of flowers. «One was
splendid, taking up the whole
table, and the other about the
size of a small glass of wa-
ter, filled with forget-me-nots,
with a long, handwritten note.
The first was sent by Bernard
Arnault, the second by Pierre
Picart also introduced us to Bergé.» Picart invited Lacroix to
Hedi Slimane. In 1989, Picart his home and showed him the
went to the presentation of a two bouquets. «We signed with
collection designed by José the beautiful, great bouquet
Lévy, which he found «much when we would have liked to
better than the previous ones.» sign with the forget-me-nots.»
Lévy introduced him to a friend «Pierre Bergé taught me that
«who helped him with the sty- what’s chic is to do less. When
ling, Hedi Slimane.» Slimane you want to invite someone to a From luxury giants to mass-mar-
collaborated with Picart from restaurant, don’t go to the most ket goods, Picart has taken a
1992 to 1995. In 1996, Pierre «Let me tell you about the ele- beautiful place, choose your leaf out of Uniqlo’s book. «I felt
Bergé called Picart to tell him gance of Pierre Bergé’s tiny for- second best.» Pierre Bergé has that one of their campaigns
«that he was going to hire the get-me-nots.» dedicated his life to revealing strayed from what they are all
boy.» «I replied that I was over- the beautiful, with passion and about. It’s a product, and you
joyed for him.» When Slimane «I miss Pierre Bergé terribly. commitment. He chaired the have to make that clear.» He
left Saint Laurent, Picart picked Much more than I thought I Arcat Sida association, then steered them towards colla-
up the phone: «I called Arnault would,» confesses Picart, who in 1994, with Line Renaud, borations, «not with designers
to tell him that Slimane was on recalls «an official attitude and created the Ensemble contre but with women.» He forged
the market.» And he made his a less official one. A kindness le SIDA association, which la- links between the Japanese
debut at Dior Homme in July tinged with cruelty.» «Christian ter became Sidaction. In 2008, giant and Inès de la Fressange,
2000. He then returned to Saint Lacroix told me that it moved it was from the hands of Pierre whose collaboration lasted 10
Laurent from 2012 to 2016, be- him to see me impressed in Bergé that Picart was awar- years, from 2014 to 2024, and
fore joining Celine in February front of Pierre Bergé,» Picart re- ded Chevalier des Arts et des Carine Roitfeld, who signed two
2018. calls, lowering his voice. Lettres. exclusive collections in 2016.

76 77
«One thing I’m most aware of
is that fate has been very kind
to me. I’ve had an improbable
career given where I come
from. I’ve tried to honor this pri-
vileged destiny. I didn’t waste
it.»

«I was born in the soil, out of

my mother’s rice fields and my
father’s beet fields,» says Pi-
cart, whose journey in fashion
has always been driven by his
love for the creativity of the ge-
niuses he encountered along
the way. In 2017, he retired «out
of clarity and logic.» «I remain
in love with fashion, but today
my antennas aren’t as sharp,»
he smiles. Picart still closely
follows the industry’s develop-
ments. «I particularly enjoy the
work of Anthony Vaccarello
and Alexandre Mattiussi. Their
success is based as much on
the quality of the clothing as Christian Lacroix, Thierry Mu-
on their communication, on the gler, Claude Montana, Hedi Sli-
image.» Looking ahead, Picart mane, Helmut Lang, Riccardo
foresees «an undeniable return Tisci, Éric Bergère, Guillaume
to the concept of clothing. I Henry: the list of prestigious
sense we’ll see more intimate, names who have benefited
selective presentations, while from his phenomenal intuition
never neglecting what the in- goes on. With an extraordina-
ternet and Instagram demand. ry flair, a Vanité Flair in sum,
There needs to be a dual ap- a sharp sense of expression,
proach to communication, « he and a keen eye that scrutinises
predicts, adding that «there’s with attention, Jean-Jacques
a world of difference between Picart invented a profession by
what fashion insiders perceive constantly reinventing himself.
from the collections and what He balanced the imagination
customers see. Ultimately, of creatives with the reality of
fashion is about the meeting of strategists, always attuned to
a hanger and a credit card.» the spirit of the times.

78 This interview has been lightly edited 79

THE CREATIVE PROCESS, THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COLLECTION, THE STYLISM...
FOCUS GIVES A VOICE TO THE DESIGNERS AND KEY CREATIVE INDVIDUALS OF
PARIS FASHION WEEK®.

focus 80 81
IFM inaugurates Paris Fashion Week®

PARIS FASHION WEEK® MENSWEAR FALL-WINTER 2024/2025

KICKS OFF THIS MONDAY 18 JUNE AT 3.30PM AT THE INSTITUT
FRANÇAIS DE LA MODE. FOR SEVERAL MONTHS NOW, THE STU-
DENTS OF THE BACHELOR OF ARTS IN FASHION DESIGN HAVE
BEEN CONCEIVING AND CONSTRUCTING THEIR GRADUATION
COLLECTION, AS THE OUTCOME OF A HIGHLY CHALLENGING
AND VISIONARY TRAINING PROGRAMME.

82 83
 CO-DIRECTED BY THE ACCOMPLISHED CREATIVE DUO OF HER-
VÉ YVRENOGEAU AND THIERRY RONDENET, THE BACHELOR OF
ARTS IN FASHION DESIGN HAS GROWN INTO A HIVE OF MUL-
TI-FACETED TALENT THAT INTERACTS AND GROWS FROM EACH
OTHER. «IT’S A SHIP! THE SCHOOL WELCOMES AROUND 1,200
STUDENTS,» EXPLAINS YVRENOGEAU AS HE STROLLS THROUGH
THE GLASS-WALLED CLASSROOMS, IDEAL FOR EXCHANGES
AND COLLABORATION. «IT’S NOT A FASHION SECTION IN AN ART
SCHOOL, BUT A FASHION SCHOOL THAT INCLUDES ALL THE PRO-
FESSIONS IN THE SECTOR,» ADDS RONDENET. THE BACHELOR OF
ARTS IS A THREE-YEAR PROGRAMME CONFERRING THE HIGHEST
LEVEL OF ACADEMIC RECOGNITION IN FRANCE ON THE LICENCE
DEGREE. «THIS RECOGNITION IS IMPORTANT, FIRSTLY BECAUSE IT
IS THE ONLY PRIVATE ESTABLISHMENT IN THE SECTOR TO HAVE
OBTAINED IT, AND SECONDLY BECAUSE IT GIVES STUDENTS AC-
CESS TO GRANTS», THEY POINT OUT. «TODAY, 25% OF OUR STU-
DENTS RECEIVE GRANTS. WE WANT TO INCREASE IT TO 30%.» THE
SOCIAL AND CULTURAL MIX IS STRIKING, AS THE BACKGROUNDS
ARE SO VARIED. AT THE END OF THE PROGRAMME, STUDENTS
ARE AWARDED A FASHION DESIGNER DIPLOMA («DESIGNER
CONCEPTEUR DE MODE» IN FRENCH) AND ARE QUALIFIED TO
JOIN STUDIOS OR BUILD THEIR OWN PROJECTS.

84 85
« FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE STUDENTS ARE FACING THEMSELVES.»

OF THE 73 GRADUATING STUDENTS, 31 WERE SELECTED TO

PRESENT THEIR COLLECTIONS AT PARIS FASHION WEEK®. SIX
SILHOUETTES EACH TO EXPRESS THEIR CREATIVE VISION. THE
SELECTION TOOK PLACE ON 24 MAY. «WE ORGANISED A PA-
RADE. IT WAS ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE STUDENTS TO
PRESENT THEIR WORK TO THEIR FAMILIES», THEY EXPLAIN. «THE NOTION OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IS EMBEDDED IN
«IT WAS FASHION WEEK STYLE, WITH NO EXPLANATION AND THEIR BRAINS.»
NO BRIEF: IT WAS UP TO THE CREATIONS TO CONVINCE.» THE
STUDENTS WERE SELECTED BY A JURY MADE UP OF INDUSTRY «INSPIRATION DOESN’T SPRING FROM THEIR HEADS. IT COMES
PROFESSIONALS, INCLUDING «A PHOTOGRAPHER, THREE DESI- FROM WHAT THEY EXPERIENCE, THE EXHIBITIONS THEY SEE
GNERS, A HEADHUNTER, AND ALSO THE TEACHERS WHO HAD AND THE HISTORY THEY STUDY. THAT’S HOW YOU BUILD A CREA-
FOLLOWED THEM,» SAYS YVRENOGEAU, «WHICH IS NORMAL», TIVE CHARACTER,» CONFIDES YVRENOGEAU. THE STUDENTS,
ADDS RONDENET. «NOT BEING SELECTED FOR FASHION WEEK WHO ARE FULLY AWARE OF THE IMPERATIVES OF THE SECTOR,
IN NO WAY AFFECTS THEIR GRADUATION,» THEY INSIST. IN THE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY THIS YEAR TO TAKE PART IN A «ZERO
COMING WEEKS, «ALL THE STUDENTS WILL TAKE AN ORAL EXAM WASTE» WORKSHOP, «AN APPROACH THAT IS REFLECTED IN THE
TO VALIDATE THEIR DIPLOMA.» THIS WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FASHION SHOW,» HE CONTINUES, REFERRING TO THE EXAMPLE
TO EXPLAIN THEIR COLLECTION IN DETAIL, «TO JUSTIFY THEIR OF A STUDENT WHO CAME UP WITH THE IDEA OF «MAKING HER
CHOICES AND THEIR APPROACH.» PIECES ONLY FROM OBJECTS THAT SHE HAD BEEN OFFERED
FROM THE LE BON COIN WEBSITE.» OTHER STUDENTS ARE FO-
THE STUDENTS, PLUNGED INTO THE DEEP END, HAVE TO SUM- CUSING ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AS A WAY OF GETTING TO
MON UP ALL THE KNOWLEDGE THEY HAVE ACQUIRED OVER GRIPS WITH THIS TOOL AND EXPLORING ITS LIMITATIONS AND
THE LAST THREE YEARS. «THEY ARE FACING THEMSELVES FOR CONTRADICTIONS. «A LOT OF THE STUDENTS ARE WORKING ON
THE FIRST TIME. EVERYTHING COMES FROM THEM: THE CAS- THE CONCEPT OF ILLUSION, AS A WAY OF THINKING ABOUT DI-
TING OF THE MODELS, THE FABRICS, THE THEMES.» OF COURSE, GITAL TECHNOLOGY, WHICH TRANSFORMS REALITY,» EXPLAINS
THEY ARE COACHED, «BUT IT’S UP TO THEM TO MAKE THEIR RONDENET. «CLOTHING HAS BECOME DEMATERIALISED. FOR
OWN CREATIVE CHOICES. THE IDEA IS TO GUIDE THEM TOWAR- THEM, IT’S NOW COMPLETELY INTEGRATED TO BUY A GAR-
DS COHERENT DECISIONS, TO QUESTION THEIR RESEARCH AND MENT WITHOUT TOUCHING THE MATERIAL.» THE CO-DIRECTORS
INSPIRATIONS,» EXPLAIN THE CO-DIRECTORS, ADDING THAT LISTEN FULLY TO THE STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS, AND THE PRO-
«FROM THE FIRST YEAR AND FOR EACH PROJECT, THE RESEARCH GRAMME IS HONED TO KEEP PACE WITH AN EVER-CHANGING
PHASE IS ESSENTIAL.» SECTOR.

86 87
 «OUR AIM IS FOR STUDENTS TO FULFIL THEIR POTENTIAL IN A
FIELD THAT SUITS THEM BEST.»

YVRENOGEAU AND RONDENET HAVE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER

FOR 30 YEARS. THEY STARTED OUT IN THE INDUSTRY AS DESI-
GNERS - WINNERS OF THE GRAND PRIX AT THE HYÈRES FESTIVAL
IN 1994 - AND WENT ON TO WORK WITH SOME OF THE MOST FA-
MOUS NAMES IN THE INDUSTRY, INCLUDING MAISON MARGIELA,
BALENCIAGA, JEAN PAUL GAULTIER, ACNE STUDIOS AND LOUIS
VUITTON, AMONG OTHERS. BEFORE TAKING OVER THE REINS OF
THE IFM’S BACHELOR OF ARTS PROGRAMME, THEY LECTURED
AT LA CAMBRE FOR 15 YEARS, PASSING ON THEIR EXPERTISE TO
A COHORT OF TALENTED STUDENTS INCLUDING MATTHIEU BLA-
ZY, JULIEN DOSSENA, ANTHONY VACCARELLO, MARINE SERRE
AND NICOLAS DI FELICE. «WE USED TO TEACH EVERYONE IN
THE SAME WAY, SO IT’S NOT REALLY POSSIBLE TO KNOW HOW
THEIR CAREERS WILL DEVELOP. THESE ARE LIFE TRAJECTORIES,»
SAYS YVRENOGEAU. «THERE WAS A SENSE OF CREATIVE COM-
MITMENT, THAT IT WAS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THEIR LIVES,»
ADDS RONDENET, WHO CONCLUDES, «WE ALSO TRAINED A LOT
OF PEOPLE WHO JOINED THE STUDIOS, WHO ARE INVISIBLE BUT
WHOSE WORK IS REMARKABLE. THERE IS NO HIERARCHY. THE
AIM IS FOR STUDENTS TO FLOURISH IN WHAT SUITS THEM. IT’S A
«THE MOST IMPORTANT RECOGNITION IS THAT OF PEERS, OF MULTIFACETED SECTOR.»
CREATIVES.»
FOUNDED IN 1927 TO ENCOURAGE TALENT AND PRESERVE
THE IFM’S LATEST MASTER OF ARTS FASHION SHOW WAS HELD CRAFTSMANSHIP, THE ÉCOLE DE LA CHAMBRE SYNDICALE DE LA
ON MONDAY 26 FEBRUARY 2024 AND WAS ATTENDED BY AN EX- COUTURE PARISIENNE MERGED WITH THE INSTITUT FRANÇAIS
CEPTIONAL AUDIENCE, INCLUDING THE FIRST LADY OF FRANCE, DE LA MODE IN 2019, AND THE NEW CAMPUS - 9,000M2 - WAS
THE MINISTER OF CULTURE, CEOS OF MAJOR FASHION HOUSES, INAUGURATED IN 2021. «THE AIM OF THIS SCHOOL IS TO BREAK
ARTISTIC DIRECTORS AND OTHER INFLUENTIAL FIGURES IN THE DOWN THE IMAGE OF A SECTOR RESERVED FOR A VERY SMALL
ECOSYSTEM. THIS MAJOR POLITICAL, INSTITUTIONAL AND PRO- NUMBER OF PEOPLE,» STATED BRUNO LE MAIRE, THE FRENCH
FESSIONAL RECOGNITION CONFIRMS THE GROWING ATTENTION MINISTER FOR THE ECONOMY AND FINANCE AT THE TIME. FUL-
PAID TO EMERGING TALENT. «IT ADDS VALUE TO THE SCHOOL. LY EMBRACING THE INTERNATIONAL SCENE AND CONSTANTLY
BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT RECOGNITION COMES FROM OUR EVOLVING IN LINE WITH THE SECTOR’S INNOVATIONS AND TUR-
PEERS, FROM CREATIVE PEOPLE», THEY CONFIDE. «THE CREA- NING POINTS, THE IFM IS NOW THE FASHION SCHOOL OF THE
TIVE SCENE IS INVITED AND COMES.» WORLD’S FASHION CAPITAL.

88 89
Bianca Saunders Caribbean Portrait
FOR SPRING-SUMMER 2025, BIANCA SINCE HER DEBUT IN 2017, SAUNDERS HAS
SAUNDERS WANTED TO CONJURE THE STUDIED CONTEMPORARY MASCULINITY,
THRILLING FEELING OF DESTINATION USING TAILORING TO INVESTIGATE ITS PA-
TRAVEL. SHE RECALLED A JAMAICAN RE- RAMETERS. SHE CREATES A SENSE OF TI-
SORT IN THE 1940S. THE BRITISH DESI- MELESSNESS AROUND HER GARMENTS BY
GNER WAS INSPIRED BY PHOTOGRAPHER BREAKING DOWN EXPECTATIONS. SHE IN-
BRADLEY SMITH’S STYLISED DEPICTIONS FUSES GARMENTS WITH SUBTLE, AMUSING
OF THE HOTEL’S EMPLOYEES. OF COURSE, TWISTS THAT TOY WITH ONE’S PERCEPTION
WITH HER SIGNATURE FLOURISHES, SHE OF FAMILIARITY. THIS SEASON, SHE CONTI-
SCRUTINISED UNIFORM DRESSING BY NUES TO DEVELOP HALLMARKS OF HER
TWISTING SEAMS IN TROUSERS, SLIM- LABEL – DENIM, TAILORING, AND DRAPING
MING TAILORED SILHOUETTES, AND – WHILE INTRODUCING A MORE ROBUST
PLAYING WITH TEXTURE AND PRINT TO ASSORTMENT OF ACCESSORIES WITH
CHALLENGE CONVENTIONAL OUTFITS. SMALL BAGS AND SHOES. AS THE LIST OF
OTHER REFERENCES TO THE CARIBBEAN HONOURS FOR HER BRANDS GROWS –
ISLAND INCLUDE A SEQUIN TWINSET THAT MOST RECENTLY, SHE WAS RECENTLY THE
RESEMBLES THE UNPOLLUTED, SHIMME- RECIPIENT OF THE VOGUE/GQ DESIGNER
RING NIGHT SKY; A BOLD SCREENPRINT FASHION FUND – SAUNDERS IS READY TO
OF FRESH FRUIT RECALLING THE SUBTLE TAKE HER LABEL TO THE NEXT STAGE. “IT’S
LUXURIES OF HIGH-END ACCOMMODA- EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED IT TO BE”, SAID
TION; AND KITSCHY TOTES INSPIRED BY THE BRITISH DESIGNER, ON A CALL FROM
GIFT SHOP FINDS. HER LONDON STUDIO.

90 91
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE US TO KNOW ABOUT THIS COLLECTION? WHAT IS NEXT FOR YOUR LABEL?

I HAVEN’T BEEN TO JAMAICA SINCE 2017, SO I WANTED TO RE- EVERY YEAR IS DIFFERENT FOR US; IT ALWAYS FEELS LIKE A
VISIT THE THINGS THAT MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE A TOURIST. I WAS MASSIVE REFRESH. BUT EVERY TIME PEOPLE WANT TO WEAR
RESEARCHING MARTIN PARR WHEN I CAME ACROSS AN AMERI- SOMETHING DIFFERENT, THE BRAND SITS WITHIN THAT BE-
CAN PHOTOGRAPHER, BRADLEY SMITH, WHO PHOTOGRAPHED CAUSE IT’S NOT TREND-BASED. IT HAS A TIMELESS QUALITY
THESE IMAGES OF WORKERS AT A JAMAICAN RESORT IN THE THAT PEOPLE CAN CONNECT TO. WE WANT TO INTERACT MORE
1940S. I WAS INTERESTED IN HOW STYLISED THE IMAGES WERE WITH OUR CUSTOMERS, SO WE HAVE SOME PHYSICAL EVENTS
SO I USED SOME OF THE OUTFITS FOR INSPIRATION. THERE’S PLANNED FOR THE REST OF THIS YEAR. I DON’T WANT TO SAY
ALWAYS A PLAY WITH FAMILIARITY AND A HINT OF AMUSEMENT EXACTLY WHAT SOME THINGS WILL LOOK LIKE, BUT IT WILL BE
THAT COMES THROUGH IN MY WORK, SO I KEPT THAT AS A OUTSIDE OF JUST BEING CLOTHES.
THREAD THROUGHOUT THE COLLECTION.

HOW IMPORTANT IS RESEARCH TO YOU WHEN DESIGNING A COLLECTION?

RESEARCH IS VERY IMPORTANT IN MY WORK. IT’S SOMETHING

THAT NEVER STOPS. SOMETIMES, I MIGHT COME ACROSS SO-
METHING I LIKE FROM TWO SEASONS AGO THAT I WOULD LIKE
TO INCORPORATE INTO A NEW SEASON. THIS SEASON, I WASN’T
GOING TO DO ANYTHING NEW AND HAVE SMALL CHANGES, BUT
WE ENDED UP DOING QUITE A LOT OF NEW DEVELOPMENTS
WHEN I CAME ACROSS CERTAIN THINGS.

WHAT LEARNINGS DID YOU TAKE FROM YOUR FIRST SHOW IN PARIS TO
THIS SEASON?

PARIS HAS GIVEN ME HIGH EXPECTATIONS IN TERMS OF HOW I

WANT THE BRAND TO BE INTRODUCED. I PUT A LOT OF PRESSURE
ON MYSELF TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS EXECUTED
WELL AND EVERY SEASON LOOKS LIKE IT’S BEEN A CONSTANT
IMPROVEMENT. AS A MENSWEAR BRAND SHOWING ALONG-
SIDE OTHER MENSWEAR DESIGNERS, IT STRENGTHENS HOW
THE BRAND IS SEEN. IT’S A BIG MOMENT FOR A LONDON-BASED
BRAND TO GET TO SHOW IN OTHER COUNTRIES, AND TO DO A
SHOW, IN GENERAL, IS A BIG BLESSING. WE WANT TO PUT OUR
BEST FOOT FORWARD AND MAKE SURE PEOPLE KNOW IT’S A
SHOW WORTH SEEING.

92 This interview has been lightly edited 93

Walter Van Beirendonck has seen the future

WITH HIS FLAIR FOR THEATRICS AND KITSCHINESS, VAN BEIREN-

DONCK STUDIED THE CONTRADICTIONS THAT EXIST IN OUR WOR-
LD. FIRST, HE TURNED HIS LENS TOWARDS THE CIRCUS – SPECIFI-
CALLY, CLOWNS AND THE JUXTAPOSITION BETWEEN HAPPY AND
SAD THAT UNDERSCORES THEIR CHARACTER. IT MANIFESTED
THROUGH THE COLLECTION IN THE FORM OF RIFFS ON CLOWN
COSTUMES WITH THREE-DIMENSIONAL POLKA DOTS EMBROI-
DERED ON TAILORING AND HATS FROM STEPHEN JONES. THE
SILHOUETTE TOOK ON A CLOWNISH SHAPE WITH A CONTRAST
BETWEEN TIGHTNESS AND OUTSIZE PROPORTIONS. ELSEWHERE,
VAN BEIRENDONCK RUMINATES ON OTHER CONTRADICTIONS:
TRADITION POSED A COUNTERPOINT TO MODERNITY WITH GAR-
MENTS INSPIRED BY DUTCH FOLKLORE STYLED WITH G-STAR
RAW DENIM SHORTS (A NEW COLLABORATION FOR SPRING-SUM-
MER); A STEREOTYPICAL PLAY ON GENDER NORMS MANIFESTED
ITSELF IN THE COLOURS WITH LIGHT BLUE SET AGAINST PINK.
A SERIES OF PLAYFUL PRINTS OF TOYS REVEAL SOMETHING
SLIGHTLY MORE MACABRE: THEY ARE MADE FROM CHAINSAWS
IT IS A COMPLICATED POSITION BEING A FASHION DESIGNER AND GUNS. WITHIN HIS STUDY OF CONTRADICTING ELEMENTS,
AT ONE OF THE MOST POLITICALLY FRAUGHT MOMENTS IN HE ARRIVED AT HIS OWN: FASHION THAT REFLECTS THE HARSH
HISTORY. WITH WAR AND POLITICAL CONFLICT RAGING THE REALITY OF THE TIMES WE LIVE IN, AND FASHION THAT ACTS AS
WORLD OVER, THE FASHION INDUSTRY STILL ASSEMBLES MUL- A SALVE TO THE DOOM AND GLOOM.
TIPLE TIMES A YEAR TO PEDDLE A DREAM TO ITS PROSPECTIVE
CLIENTS. THE BELGIAN DESIGNER WALTER VAN BEIRENDONCK ON A CALL FROM HIS STUDIO IN ANTWERP, VAN BEIRENDONCK
CONTEMPLATED HIS ROLE BY REFLECTING UPON CONTEMPO- SAID: “I LIKE TO REFLECT THE WORLD THAT WE LIVE IN WITH MY
RARY SOCIETY AND THE CONTRASTS IT PRESENTS. HOWEVER, HE COLLECTIONS. ON ONE HAND, IT’S SPONTANEOUS AND, ON THE
PONDERED, CAN HUMANS FOCUS ON HAPPINESS AND BEAUTY OTHER, IT’S ABOUT RESEARCH. AS A DESIGNER, I’M COMBINING
WHEN AN OVERWHELMING SADNESS AND PERIL EXIST NEARBY? FACT AND FEELING.”

94 95
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE US TO KNOW ABOUT THIS COLLECTION? DO YOU THINK FASHION CAN CHANGE THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT THE IS-
SUES THAT WE FACE TODAY?
I WAS REFLECTING ON OUR CONTEMPORARY WORLD. I WAS
THINKING WITH A SLOGAN [IN MIND]: THE WORLD EXPLODES WHEN YOU HAVE A VOICE, YOU CAN COMMUNICATE MESSAGES
AND I’M DREAMING. THE WORLD EXPLODES AND I’M DANCING. ABOUT PEACE, IT’S GOOD THAT YOU DO IT. MANY ARTISTS CAN
THE WORLD EXPLODES AND I’M HAPPY. IT’S THAT CONTRAST DO THIS AND IT’S THE SAME FOR FASHION. I LIKE TO USE SLO-
BETWEEN WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW, ALL THE GANS IN MY CLOTHING TO ADD AN EDGE. ULTIMATELY, SOME
TERRIBLE THINGS THAT WE EXPERIENCE, AND THEN THE FACT PEOPLE WILL GET IT AND SOME PEOPLE WON’T.
THAT YOU STILL HAVE TO LIVE UP TO EXPECTATIONS, THAT YOU
SHOULD TRY TO BE HAPPY AND ENJOY YOURS. IT’S A CONTRA-
DICTION. IN FASHION, YOU ARE WORKING ON SOMETHING THAT
IS RATHER SUPERFICIAL WHEN EVERYTHING THAT IS HAPPENING
IS SO DOMINANT.

I DECIDED TO CALL IT ‘I HAVE SEEN THE FUTURE’ TO UNDERLINE

THE SPIRIT OF THE COLLECTION. HERE, I AM CHALLENGING MY-
SELF TO COME UP WITH NEW IDEAS FOR THE FUTURE, NOT ONLY
IN DESIGN BUT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE GARMENTS; GET-
TING AWAY FROM TRADITIONAL STITCHING AND MOVING INTO
NEW TECHNOLOGIES.

HOW IMPORTANT IS A STARTING POINT WHEN DESIGNING ONE OF YOUR

COLLECTIONS?

RESEARCH IS AN IMPORTANT TOOL FOR ME BECAUSE I’M

CONSTANTLY CHALLENGING MYSELF TO COME UP WITH SO-
METHING NEW EVERY SEASON. IT’S WHAT THE CLIENTS EXPECT
ALSO; THEY WANT TO SEE A NEW IDEA BROUGHT FORWARD. I
WORK RATHER INTENSIVELY ON RESEARCH FOR SEVERAL WEEKS,
MAKING RESEARCH BOOKS, AND TRYING TO FIND NEW WAYS OF
LOOKING AT AN IDEA, A GARMENT, AND THE APPROACH OF THE
COLLECTION.

TO WHAT EXTENT IS INSTINCT PART OF YOUR WORK?

FOR ME, IT’S IMPORTANT TO FOLLOW MY GUT AND DO WHAT

I THINK IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. I’M COMPLETELY INDE-
PENDENT, WHICH GIVES ME THE FREEDOM TO WORK IN A WAY
THAT I LIKE. NOBODY IS TELLING ME TO DO ANYTHING AGAIN
BECAUSE IT SOLD WELL. IT’S THIS FRESH STARTING POINT THAT
I ENJOY. I DON’T TEND TO LOOK BACK ON PREVIOUS SEASONS;
IT’S NOT IMPORTANT AT ALL. THIS SEASON, IT WAS IMPORTANT
TO REACT TO EVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING ON IN THE WOR-
LD WITH AN OVERSIZED FEELING AND GO BACK TO SOMETHING
SMALLER. WHAT I AM DOING IS GUT INSTINCT COMBINED WITH
RESEARCH.

96 This interview has been lightly edited 97

Issey Miyake homme plissé

THE CELESTIAL VOYAGE

“UP, UP, AND AWAY.” THE SPRING-SUMMER 2025 SHOW TOOK

SHAPE ON THIS INJUNCTION, WITH A PROMISE OF FLIGHT AND
MOVEMENT. IN THE COURTYARD OF THE MOBILIER NATIO-
NAL, ADMIRABLY STAGED BY VINCENT DE BELLEVAL, THE SIL-
HOUETTES STOOD OUT, READY FOR ANY DESTINATION. FROM
A TECHNIQUE – THE ART OF PLEATING PERFECTED BY ISSEY
MIYAKE, WHICH BECAME THE PLEATS PLEASE LINE IN 1993 – ALL
THESE WINDY COSTUMES, FEATHERWEIGHT COATS AND ATMOS-
PHERIC SHIRTS SEEM TO HAVE SPRUNG FORTH, GIVING AN IM-
MEDIATE SENSE OF TRAVEL.

BEYOND THE PERFORMANCE AND INNOVATION, THE MOST

STRIKING ASPECT IS THE GRACE AND DELICACY OF A HERITAGE:
WITHOUT WEIGHING ANYTHING DOWN, THE WHOLE SPIRIT OF
THE DESIGNER IS PRESENT, MASTERFULLY EMBODIED BY THESE
SHAPES THAT ARE AT ONCE CONCRETE AND IMMATERIAL, FUNC- THESE CELESTIAL ORIGAMIS CELEBRATE FIDELITY TO A STYLE,
TIONAL, AND POETIC. AS THE STRIPED PANELS FLUTTERED IN A VISION, WHILE PROJECTING IT IN A CONTEMPORARY WAY INTO
THE LIGHT, THE MODELS EMERGED, CLOTHED IN ENSEMBLES OUR OWN TIME. A COAT HANGS OVER THE SHOULDERS WITH
WHOSE PRINTS RECALLED SKY VIEWS, IMAGINARY CARTOGRA- BRACES; BELTS ARE DRAWSTRINGS; AND YOU GET THE FEE-
PHY AND SPONGE-STAMPED FRESCO WALLS. NEITHER QUITE LING THAT A SPINNAKER CANVAS IS GIVING MOMENTUM TO A
A PONCHO NOR QUITE A CAPE, THE GARMENT KEPT THE ARMS SAILBOAT – ON THE OPEN SEA, IN THE CITY, ON THE EDGE OF
FREE, WITH A SUBTLE CONTRAST BETWEEN THE POLYCHROME A HEATWAVE AND A FORECAST STORM. SUDDENLY, THE SHOW
GRIDS AND THE LINES OF THE PLEATS, THE LIGHTNESS OF THE COMES TO AN END, AND THE SUN RETURNS, INVITING ITSELF AL-
MATERIALS, BY TURNS SENSUAL AND CRUNCHY LIKE PAPER; THE MOST SUPERNATURALLY INTO THIS SINGULARLY AERIAL CELE-
FLUORESCENTS AND PASTELS SPANNING A DILUTED FADE OF BRATION. “I ALWAYS LOOK TO THE FUTURE, NEVER TO THE PAST.
PARMA, MANGO AND WATERCOLOUR JADES. HANDKERCHIEF I’M DEEPLY CONVINCED THAT HAPPINESS AND JOY LIE IN A POSI-
POCKETS, SHIRT JACKETS, ACCORDION PLEATS, TIE-DYE IN THE TIVE OUTLOOK”, ISSEY MIYAKE ASSERTED. A MESSAGE OF LIFE, A
MIST, BEAUTY IS THERE, AND ABOVE ALL, AGILE. CONFIDENCE CLEARLY CONVEYED.

98 99
100 101
Cultural Crossover at 3.PARADIS

EMERIC TCHATCHOUA’S SPRING-SUMMER 2025 COL- HE EXPLORED THE CONTRAST BETWEEN ARTISANAL
LECTION FOR HIS LABEL 3.PARADIS WAS THE PRODUCT TEXTURES PRESENT IN CAMEROONIAN HANDCRAFTS,
OF A SIX-WEEK SOJOURN THAT TOOK HIM FROM HIS AN- HANDWOVEN FABRICS, AND TECHNOLOGICAL-
CESTORS’ VILLAGE IN CAMEROON TO THE CANADIAN LY-DRIVEN FABRICATIONS AND 3-D PRINTING. THERE
COUNTRYSIDE, WHERE HE SPENT HIS ADOLESCENCE, IS A BLEND OF PATTERNS FOUND IN CAMEROONIAN
AND THE FRENCH CAPITAL, WHERE HE WAS BORN TEXTILES WITH REFERENCES TO EUROPEAN AND AME-
AND NOW LIVES AND WORKS. THE THREE LOCATIONS RICAN VOLUMES AND FABRICS. AMONG THE NODS TO
EACH COME WITH A LOADED HISTORY WRAPPED UP IN TRADITIONAL DRESS, BAGGY AMERICANISED VOLUMES
PROVENANCE AND IDENTITY AND, WITHOUT FAVOU- AND BOXY WORKWEAR, TCHATCHOUA ALSO LISTED
RING ONE OVER THE OTHER, THE DESIGNER WANTED HIP-HOP AND JAZZ IN HIS ARSENAL OF CULTURAL
TO UNCOVER HOW HIS OWN IDENTITY IS ENTANGLED TOUCHSTONES. ALONGSIDE HIS PLAY ON TRADITION
WITH ALL THREE. THE RESULTING COLLECTION, SPAN- AND MODERNITY, THE DESIGNER LOOKED AHEAD WITH
NING REFERENCES FROM CANADIAN WORKWEAR TO A FUTURISTIC 3-D FABRICATION THAT CHANGES CO-
FRENCH FASHION AND ARTISANAL CAMEROONIAN LOUR IN DIFFERENT LIGHTING. WITH SOPHISTICATION
CRAFTS, FORMS ITS OWN UNIQUE CULTURAL MELTING AND EASE, THE DESIGNER CAREFULLY TIES TOGETHER
POT. MINDFUL OF CULTURAL CLASHES, HE EMPHA- AN ECLECTIC SPREAD OF REFERENCES.
SISED THE WORK AS A CULTURAL CROSSOVER IN A
POSTCOLONIAL WORLD.

“THERE ARE MANY REFERENCES IN MY CLOTHES

WHICH MIX DIFFERENT WORLDS AND CULTURES. IT’S
ABOUT CREATING A NEW IDENTITY AND REFLECTING
WHO I AM”, SAID TCHATCHOUA, ON A VIDEO CALL.

102 103
WHAT WAS THE STARTING POINT FOR THIS COLLECTION? WHAT IMPACT WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR BRAND TO HAVE?

I REALISED THAT I’M A MIX OF DIFFERENT CULTURES. I WAS IT MIGHT SOUND CLICHÉ, BUT I’M HERE TO INSPIRE PEOPLE. MY
BORN IN PARIS, WHERE I WAS RAISED UNTIL I WAS 13. THEN I MO- STORY IS THE STORY OF A YOUNG BOY WHO WAS TRIGGERED BY
VED TO CANADA, WHERE I SPENT ALMOST 18 YEARS OF MY LIFE. THE CULTURE, BY BOOKS, AND BY PEOPLE WHO CHANGED MY
I’M VERY CLOSE TO MY PARENTS’ COUNTRY, WHICH IS ALSO MY LIFE – AND THINGS CHANGED FOR ME. I WANT TO HAVE THE
COUNTRY, CAMEROON. I WAS DRAWN TO THIS IDEA OF BUILDING SAME EFFECT ON PEOPLE SO THAT I CAN SAVE THEM FROM
A NEW IDENTITY BASED ON AN AMALGAMATION OF DIFFERENT THEMSELVES. I WANT PEOPLE TO BE INSPIRED BY THIS, NOT JUST
IDENTITIES. I WANTED TO LOOK AT HOW YOU BUILD A NEW IDEN- BECAUSE I’M DOING FASHION BUT BECAUSE THE MESSAGE, THE
TITY AND CULTURE FROM THAT MIX. WITH GLOBALISATION AND COLLECTION, AND WHAT I REPRESENT, MAKE THEM FEEL THEY
THE INTERNET, THIS MIXTURE IS SO MUCH MORE COMMON. CAN FIND THEIR TRUE SELVES TOO BECAUSE I’M DOING IT. 3.PA-
RADIS IS ABOUT UNIVERSALISM, PEACE, AND FREEDOM. I HOPE
I STARTED WORKING ON THIS COLLECTION BACK IN DECEMBER IT CAN HELP MAKE TOMORROW A BETTER PLACE.
OR JANUARY. I TRAVELED TO CAMEROON FOR TWO WEEKS, I
TRAVELED TO CANADA FOR TWO WEEKS, AND I TRAVELED BACK
TO FRANCE TO RESEARCH FOR TWO WEEKS. IN CAMEROON, I
WANTED TO OBSERVE THE PEOPLE AND THE CULTURE, HOW
THEY INTERACTED AND WHAT THEY WORE. I WENT TO OLD ARTI-
SANAL SHOPS THAT SOLD LOCAL CRAFTS, AND I VISITED MY AN-
CESTORS’ VILLAGE. IN CANADA, I SPENT TIME WITH MY FRIENDS
TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE WAY THAT WE GREW UP AND
WHAT THE CULTURE WAS LIKE BACK THEN. IN PARIS, I VISIT GAL-
LERIES ALL THE TIME, I SEE MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS. IT MADE
ME REALISE THAT THE IDEA OF MULTICULTURALISM IS NOT AS
ADVANCED HERE AS IT IS IN CANADA. THERE, SOMEONE COULD
SAY THEY’RE ITALIAN. THERE’S NO QUESTION THAT THEY’RE
ALSO CANADIAN. IT’S NOT THE SAME IN FRANCE. IT PUSHED ME
TO MAKE A COLLECTION WHERE PEOPLE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND
THAT YOU CANNOT ONLY BE ONE THING ANYMORE, YOU CAN BE
MANY.

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE SHOWING ON THE OFFICIAL CALENDAR FOR THE

FIRST TIME?

I’M VERY GRATEFUL [TO BE SHOWING ON THE OFFICIAL CALEN-

DAR]. IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE BECAUSE I’VE BEEN WORKING
HARD ON THIS FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS. WHAT WE’RE DOING IS
DIFFERENT FROM OTHER THINGS THAT I SEE [IN THE INDUSTRY]
SO IT’S GREAT TO BE GIVEN A VOICE AND A BIGGER PLATFORM
TO THE BRAND. IT’S AMAZING, I’M REALLY HAPPY.

104 This interview has been lightly edited 105

Ami Spring-Summer 2025 bright the sun

AT 288 BOULEVARD SAINT GERMAIN, BUT NOTHING IS UNIFORMLY WASP,

THE SETTING IS A DISUSED BANK THE SEDUCTION IS REVEALED IN THE
DESTINED TO BECOME A HOTEL. NO PLAY OF SHADOWS ON THE SKIN,
DECOR, JUST A SLIGHTLY POWDE- THESE OPENINGS, THESE SLITS, THIS
RED LIGHT. IT’S A COLLECTION TO LINE IN FREEDOM. AND THE SHIP
BE ADMIRED, TO BE EXPERIENCED SAILS ON, LIKE THE LIVE SEQUEL TO
LIKE A DREAMY AFTERNOON IN PA- THE FILM DIRECTED BY DOMINIQUE
RIS, BETWEEN TWO SHORES, WHERE MICELI. ALEXANDRE MATHIUSSI, ES-
A GENTLE BREEZE CARESSES THE TABLISHED AS THE LITTLE PRINCE
STONES OF LUTETIA, AN AFTERNOON OF THIS NEW EASY CHIC À LA FRAN-
OF TERRACES AND LONGINGS FOR ÇAISE, IN THE WAKE OF HERMÈS AND
ELSEWHERE; A WEEKEND IN ROME OR CELINE.
A BEAUTIFUL ESCAPE TO WESTPORT? LAURENCE BENAÏM
THIS WAS PERHAPS THE MOST TEN-
DER OF ALL THE AMI SHOWS, WITH
PLEATED PETTICOATS AND WHITE
SHIRTS, A CINEMATHEQUE OF SKIN-
DEEP MOMENTS, A WHITE VILLA, A
PALETTE OF LEFT BANK SPICES, TEE
SHIRT JACKETS, AN OLIVE GREEN
FROCK COAT WORN WITH BARE FEET,
OVERSIZED CHECKS AND STRICT PRO-
PORTIONS, RED INSTEAD OF LIPSTICK.
A CONTROLLED NONCHALANCE,
FRESH BUTTER BIB SHIRTS, SLIPPER
LOAFERS AND A CONFIDENT GAIT
BY VITTORIA CERETTI, AUDREY MAR-
NEY, MONA TOUGAARD, AYMELINE
VALADE, MALICK BODIAN, CLÉMENT
CHABERNAUD, JEANNE CADIEU AND
LEON DAME, WHO PASS EACH OTHER
LIKE CABIN NEIGHBOURS, ON BOARD
A CROSSING ON THE DECK OF AN IMA-
GINARY, BUT VERY SOLIDLY ARMED
SHIP, IN THE BED OF THE WIND, FROM
THE SEINE TO THE EAST RIVER.

106 107
A night at circus with KidSuper
THERE IS NOTHING COLM DILLANE CAN’T PULL DRAWING INSPIRATION FROM THE COSTUMES OF
OFF. A STOP-MOTION PUPPET SHOW. AN AUCTION. CIRQUE DU SOLEIL AND ALEXANDER CALDER’S
A STAND-UP COMEDY SHOW. A PLAY. YOU NAME IT ‘CIRQUE CALDER’ SCULPTURE, AN ARTISTIC RENDE-
AND THE AMERICAN DESIGNER HAS EXPERIMENTED RING OF A CIRCUS PERFORMANCE, DILLANE’S CAST
WITH IT AS A FORMAT FOR HIS KIDSUPER FASHION OF CONTORTIONISTS, LION TAMERS, SWORD EA-
SHOWS. FOR SPRING-SUMMER 2025, HIS LABEL IMA- TERS, AND MORE, ARE SYMBOLIC OF THE KIDSUPER
GINED ITS RENDITION OF A CIRCUS. IN COLLABORA- WORLD: AN ECLECTIC MIX BURSTING AT THE SEAMS
TION WITH CIRQUE DU SOLEIL, THE WORLD’S FORE- WITH A SENSE OF UNIQUE PERSONALITY. DENOUN-
MOST CIRCUS PRODUCER, HE ONCE AGAIN PUSHED CING THE SEDATE WAYS OF AN INDUSTRY AWASH
THE BOUNDARIES OF FASHION AS ENTERTAINMENT WITH QUIET LUXURY, HE EMBRACES MAXIMALISM
AND HOW ONE CAN STAGE A FASHION SHOW. SUS- WITH GUMPTION. LEATHER JACKETS ARE HAND-
PENDED BY STRINGS, THE SHOW BEGAN WITH PRO- PAINTED; FABRICS ARE PATCHWORKED TOGETHER
FESSIONAL ACROBATS BEFORE MODELS MOVED HAPHAZARDLY; ACROBAT BODYSUITS, RIFFING ON
ALONG THE CATWALK LIKE PUPPETS BELONGING TO JEAN PAUL GAULTIER’S ICONIC ITERATIONS, ERR ON
HIS MADCAP WORLD. THE SIDE OF THE DELIBERATE WHILE STAYING TRUE
TO THE BRAND’S RAMBUNCTIOUS SPIRIT. ACROSS
THE COLLECTION, DILLANE INTRODUCES 14 NEW
FOOTWEAR STYLES, INCLUDING SOME IN COLLABO-
RATION WITH PUMA, FURTHERING HIS COMMITMENT
TO INDIVIDUALITY.

“I FIND THAT THE KIDSUPER WORLD IS SOMEWHAT

OF A CIRCUS AND I FEEL LIKE A CIRCUS MASTER”,
SAID DILLANE, FROM A STUDIO IN PARIS.

108 109
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE US TO KNOW ABOUT THE COLLECTION? HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERISE YOUR GROWTH AS A DESIGNER?

I USE FASHION WEEK AS A TROJAN HORSE OF BIGGER IDEAS. I WHEN YOU START YOUR BRAND, THERE ARE LIMITATIONS TO
HOPE THAT THE PROJECTS THAT I DO AT FASHION WEEK GROW WHAT YOU CAN MAKE BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU KNOW AND WHAT
INTO OTHER THINGS OR ACT AS SEEDS FOR MORE IDEAS. THIS YOU HAVE ACCESS TO. NOW, WE’RE GROWING TO A PLACE
SEASON, IT’S A COLLABORATION WITH CIRQUE DU SOLEIL. I WHERE THERE’S NOT MUCH I CAN’T MAKE – IT’S MORE ABOUT
ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO BRING THE WHAT I WANT TO MAKE AND IT’S PRETTY FUN. A LOT OF MY
TWO WORLDS TOGETHER. FOR THIS ONE, WE HAVE THE CIRQUE EARLIER STUFF WAS DICTATED BY WHAT I HAD ACCESS TO AND
DU SOLEIL TEAM OPENING THE SHOW AS PUPPETS AND CLO- PEOPLE DIDN’T UNDERSTAND IT. THEY THOUGHT THAT I WASN’T
SING THE SHOW AS PUPPETS. WHILE I WAS THERE AT CIRQUE MAKING SOMETHING HIGH QUALITY BECAUSE I DIDN’T WANT
DU SOLEIL’S HEADQUARTERS IN MONTRÉAL, CANADA, I WAS TO. BUT IT’S NOT THAT EASY TO HAVE AN ATELIER IN ITALY. WE’RE
THINKING THAT MAYBE THIS COULD GROW INTO SOMETHING WORKING WITH COOL FACTORIES TO MAKE OUR CLOTHES; WE
BIGGER AND I COULD BE THE CREATIVE DIRECTOR FOR A CIRCUS HAVE 15 ORIGINAL SHOES WHICH IS CRAZY FOR A RUNWAY.
SHOW.
DO YOU FEEL ANY PRESSURE AS YOUR BRAND ATTRACTS MORE ATTEN-
WHEN YOU HAVE A BIG IDEA LIKE THIS, IT ALWAYS GIVES YOU A LOT TION WITH ITS VIRAL RUNWAY SHOWS?
OF INSPIRATION. THE COLLECTIONS THEMSELVES CAN BE QUITE
STRAIGHTFORWARD DEPENDING ON THE SEASON OR WHAT’S THERE’S PRESSURE TO KEEP OUTDOING MYSELF WITH MY IDEAS.
CULTURALLY RELEVANT RIGHT NOW. WITH SPECIFIC CONCEPTS, CLOTHING FOR ME ISN’T THE MOST DIFFICULT ASPECT OF A
I’M ALWAYS INSPIRED BY CERTAIN COLOURS, CUTS, ARTWORK, FASHION SHOW BECAUSE I ALWAYS HAVE THESE CRAZY IDEAS
AND STYLING. IT’S IMPORTANT TO HAVE BIG IDEAS AND TRY TO THAT I WANT TO TRY OUT. IF IT WAS JUST CLOTHING, I THINK IT
FIT THEM INTO THE CLOTHING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. I WAS WOULD BE EASIER. I DESIGN THE CLOTHES; I DO THE MUSIC; I
INSPIRED BY THE CIRCUS, CIRQUE DU SOLEIL, AND ARTISTS LIKE CAST THE MODELS; AND I CHOREOGRAPH THE SHOW. EVE-
CALDER, AND OTHERS, WHO HAVE MADE SERIES AROUND THE RYONE’S EXPECTING ME TO HAVE THESE BIG MOMENTS. HOWE-
CIRCUS WITH THEMED SCULPTURES AND DRAWINGS. VER, I THINK IT LEANS INTO WHAT I’M BEST AT: THESE MOMENTS.
THEY FAIL SOMETIMES, BUT THE RISK IS PART OF WHAT I ENJOY.
DO YOU THINK THE THEME REFLECTS THE WORLD WE LIVE IN IN ANY WAY?

I DON’T KNOW IF I’M TRYING TO BE ON THE NOSE ABOUT THE

WORLD WE’RE LIVING IN BEING LIKE A CIRCUS. I FIND THAT THE
KIDSUPER WORLD IS SOMEWHAT OF A CIRCUS AND I FEEL LIKE
A CIRCUS MASTER. I TRY TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN AND SHOW
THAT THINGS THAT MIGHTN’T SEEM POSSIBLE ARE POSSIBLE.
EVEN THE FIRST SHOW THAT I DID IN PARIS, BEFORE I WAS ON
THE OFFICIAL SCHEDULE, WAS AT THE CIRQUE D’HIVER, SO THE
CIRCUS HAS BEEN PART OF THE KIDSUPER STORY FOR A WHILE.
WE’LL SEE HOW IT CONTINUES.

110 This interview has been lightly edited 111

Comme des Garçons parade

TWO DAYS AGO, WALTER VON BEIRENDONCK DECLARED: «THE WORLD IS EXPLODING AND I’M DREAMING.» PLAYING ON SIDEREAL ECHOES, REI
KAWAKUBO TAKES THE BOLD STEP OF EXPLORING THE ABYSS, THE STARS AND ACID COLOURS. TO THE TUNE OF PARADE, BY JEAN COCTEAU AND
SOUNDTRACKED BY ERIK SATIE, SHE STAGED HER CHARACTERS AS IF THEY HAVE EMERGED FROM THE BACKSTAGE OF A CARNIVAL THEATRE,
WHERE EVERY APPEARANCE MIRRORS THE ACROBATS, THE AMERICAN MANAGER, AND THE CHINESE ILLUSIONIST OF THE SHOW THAT CAUSED A
SCANDAL IN 1917. HERE, HIS DANDIES IN JEWELLED BONNETS (REMINISCENT OF HER SNEAKERS ON SALE AT DOVER STREET MARKET), ROAM THE
PAVEMENT IN NIGHT-AND-DAY ACROBAT MODE. WITH GIANT COLLARS, FLANNEL FOLDED AND TUCKED INTO LATERAL CANNELLONI, DECONS-
TRUCTIONS AND ALVEOLI, THE DESIGNER SAID BACKSTAGE THAT SHE WAS «LOOKING FOR THE LIGHT.»

IN 1917, THE AIM WAS TO OPPOSE THE VIOLENCE OF THE WORLD WITH POETRY. IN THE PROGRAMME WRITTEN FOR DIAGHILEV - THE MASTER OF
THE RUSSIAN BALLETS - GUILLAUME APOLLINAIRE DESCRIBED THE SHOW AS «SUR-REALIST». THE TONE IS SET, AND THE BEAT PULSES TO THE
RHYTHM OF THE GLITTERING FRILLS, THE ORANGE LAMÉ CHECKS AND POLKA DOTS, AND THEN THE SHOCKING PINK THAT ONCE AGAIN PROPELS
US INTO A WHOLE OTHER WORLD, THAT OF ELSA SCHIAPARELLI’S LE CIRQUE COLLECTION, PRESENTED IN FEBRUARY 1938. IT’S A BEAUTIFUL HO-
MAGE IN WHICH THE DESIGNER DOESN’T LOSE A SHRED OF HER PERSONALITY. AS IF PEELED, SCRAPS OF FABRIC SPROUT FROM THE COSTUMES,
WHILE OTHERS, IN A TROMPE L’ŒIL GAME, APPEAR RE-COVERED IN BLACK TULLE; THE LOOSE, BILLOWY SHIRTS CONTRAST WITH THE GRAPHIC
SILHOUETTES, THE HEART OF A MASTERFULLY EXECUTED CHESSBOARD.

112 113
Dries Van Noten SS2025 the spirit of light

OVER 1,000 GUESTS MET ON RUE DES USINES BABOCK, IN LA COURNEUVE. IN A VAST WAREHOUSE FILLED WITH WAITERS SERVING CUPS AND AP-
PETIZERS, A PROJECTION OF IMAGES REVEALED PREPARATIONS IN ANTWERP AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES FOOTAGE OF THE FASHION SHOWS. THE
FIRST SHOW WAS HELD IN PARIS IN 1991, AND THE ONE ON JUNE 22, 2024 WOULD MARK THE END OF AN ERA. WASN’T IT THE 129TH? THE BLACK
CURTAIN OPENED AT 9:30 PM IN A FRENZY OF ACTIVITY, WITH A SET DESIGNED BY ONE OF OUR MOST LOYAL DEVOTEES, ETIENNE RUSSO (VILLA
EUGÉNIE), WHO HAD BEEN PRESENT RIGHT FROM THE START: THOUSANDS OF SHEETS OF SILVER FOIL READY TO FLY OUT FROM UNDER THE MO-
DELS’ FEET… TO THOSE WHO IMAGINED A RETROSPECTIVE, DRIES VAN NOTEN PROVIDED A MOMENT OF LIGHT, ESCHEWING ALL THE TRAPPINGS
OF SELF-PARODY IN FAVOUR OF HIS SECRET PLAY OF SHADOW AND BRIGHTNESS, BOTH VIVID AND SUBDUED. WITH A GUIDING PRINCIPLE, THE
LINE ASSOCIATES CLASSICAL TAILORING WITH TECHNICAL MATERIALS: PUTTY, BLACK AND INK WITH ACID YELLOWS AND APRICOT PEACHES, SIL-
HOUETTES THAT ARE AT ONCE CONSTRUCTED AND LIQUID, FUTURISTIC AND ARTISANAL, YET SO CONTEMPORARY.

114 115
 RESEARCH NEVER COMPROMISES THE POETIC DIMENSION: THESE HYBRID
BLENDS OF WOOL AND DIVING FABRICS, THIS CRUMPLED POLYAMIDE EVOKING
GLASS, ARE LIGHT IN MOTION, A FLUID UNDULATING BETWEEN GOLD AND SILVER.
LET’S LEAVE THE FINAL WORDS TO THE MAESTRO WITH THE AIR OF AN ETERNAL
STUDENT, LIKE THE RENEWED PROMISE OF LIFE: “THIS IS MY 129TH SHOW; LIKE
THE PREVIOUS ONES, IT LOOKS AHEAD. TONIGHT IS MANY THINGS, BUT IT IS NOT
A GRAND FINALE. I THINK ABOUT HOW MARCELO MASTROIANNI ONCE SPOKE OF
A PARADOXICAL “NOSTALGIA DEL FUTURO,” BEYOND THE LOST PARADISES IMA-
GINED BY PROUST, AND HOW WE CONTINUE TO PURSUE OUR DREAMS KNOWING
THAT, AT SOME POINT, WE CAN LOOK BACK ON THEM WITH LOVE. I LOVE MY JOB, I
LOVE DOING FASHION SHOWS, AND SHARING FASHION WITH PEOPLE. CREATING
IS ABOUT LEAVING SOMETHING THAT LIVES ON. MY SENSE OF THIS MOMENT IS
HOW IT IS NOT ONLY MINE, BUT OURS, ALWAYS.”

WITH HIM, CLOTHING, WHETHER LAYERED IN LARGE TRANSLUCENT WINDBREA-

KERS OR COCOON COATS, IS NOT BURDENED BY ANYTHING OTHER THAN A PAS-
SION FOR INNOVATION WITHIN TRADITION. HENCE HIS USE OF SUMINAGASHI, A
TRADITIONAL JAPANESE MARBLING TECHNIQUE STRETCHING BACK 1,000 YEARS,
WHICH INVOLVES DEPOSITING INK ON WATER, WHICH IS THEN TRANSFERRED
AND ABSORBED BY THE FABRIC. IN THIS COLLECTION, HE TAKES UP THE THEME
OF «HANABI» (FIRE FLOWER), GIVING HIS HIGHLY GRAPHIC FLOWERS THE AIR OF
FIREWORKS AGAINST A WOVEN SKY. EACH PIECE IS UNIQUE, WITH NATURAL IM-
PERFECTIONS.
116 117
Hermès FW 2024/2025

«PARADOX AS A LINE OF FORCE.” THE HERMÈS SPRING-SUMMER

SHOW PROGRAMME SETS THE TONE. IN THE MINIMALIST CLA-
RITY OF THE PALAIS D’IÉNA, ARCHITECT AUGUSTE PERRET’S MAS-
TERPIECE, LINES AND MATERIALS RESPOND TO EACH OTHER IN
WHAT VÉRONIQUE NICHANIAN CALLS A «PLAY OF SHAPES AND
COUNTER-SHAPES, CUTS AND CUT-OUTS.” THE GRAPHIC SPIRIT
IS THERE, ENVELOPED IN «SHARP VOLUMES» THAT GIVE THESE
PEA COATS, WATER-REPELLENT CASHMERE JACKETS AND CO-
COON COATS THE FEELING THAT LUXURY IS A MANIFESTO: PRO-
TECTION WITHOUT WEIGHT. EXTENDING TRADITION THROUGH
INNOVATION, THE DETAIL THAT STANDS OUT, WHETHER A
SLANTED «SADDLE POCKET» OR A SHIRT WITH A «SURPRISE
PLEAT.” IN A SKILFUL FADE-IN OF KHAKIS, BASALT, PETROLEUM
ANISE, HEATHER, CROCUS PUMPKIN, SILEX, BROWN AND PEAT,
BLACK IS EXPRESSED IN A SUBTLE PALETTE OF OTHER TONES.

DOUBLE-BREASTED COATS, REVERSIBLE TEDDY PARKAS

AND HIGH-COLLARED ZIP-UP SWEATSHIRTS SEEM TO FLOW
SEAMLESSLY FROM THE OUTSIDE IN TO THE INSIDE OUT, WITH
CHAMELEON-LIKE EASE. THE ‘FLANNEL DEER’ SHOWS JUST HOW
MUCH SKIN IS WOVEN LIKE FABRIC HERE, AND HOW THE FABRIC
— PRINCE OF WALES WOOL, COMPACT COTTON POPLIN — BECO-
MES ONE WITH EACH SILHOUETTE IN THE NAME OF COMFORT,
TRAVEL AND THE CROSS-OVER BETWEEN THE OFFICE AND THE
COUNTRYSIDE. IN BOTH RIGOUR AND SUPPLENESS, THE USEFUL
AND THE BEAUTIFUL MERGE. WHEN NIGHT FALLS, IT IMPOSES
NO PROTOCOL; AND THE NARROW TROUSERS WORN WITH NEO-
CAPS SOFTEN THE VERY IDEA OF INVITATION, RADICALLY BREA-
KING DOWN ANYTHING THAT REMOTELY BETRAYS MOVEMENT IN
THE NAME OF OBLIGATION. A PRODIGIOUS LESSON IN ALLURE.

118 119
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BUREAU FUTURE, PARIS FASHION WEEK® SHOWS THE INS
AND OUTS THROUGH DESIGNER INTERVIEWS.

a
conver- -sation
with 120 121
a conversation with An exclusive conversation with Anna Wintour for Paris Fashion Week®.

Anna Wintour

«Vogue world is a celebration in Paris of the very best

of French fashion. We always believe that fashion
is part of a much bigger moment and it reflects the
culture that we live in. We want to celebrate 100
years of French fashion and all the inredible creativity
and extraordinary people that make up the marvelous
French fashion community.»

122 123
a conversation with An exclusive conversation with Ryota Iwai, artistic director of Auralee, for Paris Fashion
Week®.

auralee

«Showing at the Paris Fashion Week®, allows us to

show our intentions and the Auralee world and mood,
when we don’t necessarily have to words to describe it.»

124 125
a conversation with An exclusive conversation with Colm Dillane, artistic director of Kidsuper for Paris
Fashion Week®.

kidsuper

«I don’t know how other people design but sometimes

for me, I come up with the show concept, then I de-
sign the collection rather then have the collection ins-
pire the show concept.»

126 127
photos © credits

Front cover

©Iulia Matei
©Airei SS25
©Jack Herzog - KidSuper SS25
©Courrèges SS25
©Acne Studios SS25
©Meta Campagnia Collective SS25

Page 03 Page 62
©Claire Guillon @Bureau Future

Page 04 ;05;07;08;09 Page 68;69

©Meta Campagnia Collective SS25 ©Iulia Matei

Page 12 Page 79 Page 106;107

©Jeff Henrikson ©Iulia Matei ©Ami SS25 show

Page 20 Pages 82;83;84;88 Page 108;109

©Elena Seibert ©IFM Bachelor SS 25 ©KidSuper

Page 30 Page 90;91;93 Page 112;113

©Francesca Babbi ©Bianca Saunders SS25 ©Comme des Garçons SS25

Page 40 Page 94 Pages 114;115 Back cover

©Audrey Mballa ©Waletr Van Beirendonck ©Dries Van Noten Show
©Iulia Matei
Page 52;53 Page 100;101 Pages 116 ©Burc Akyol
©Ouest Paris ©Issey Miyake SS25 show ©Dries Van Noten SS25 ©Issey Miyake show
©Meta Campagnia Collective SS25
Page 57;58 Pages 102;103 Page 119 ©Meta Campagnia Collective SS25
©Luc Boegly ©3.Paradis SS25 ©Bruno Staub ©Hermès SS25

128 129