Confronted with problems in fabric
deliveries and supplier closures during France's coronavirus
lockdown, fashion designer Alexis Mabille had to improvise to
salvage his next collection, turning to materials he had to
hand.
Like peers unveiling their creations at Paris's Haute
Couture showcase this week - an online-only format - Mabille
began confectioning his looks before restrictions on movement in
much of Europe were lifted.
That derailed everything from the availability of
made-to-order embroideries to the process of casting models who
usually fly around the world for fittings, but provided
couturiers with novel forms of inspiration too.
"I worked in the opposite direction - instead of working on
the design, the material and the colour, I started from the
colour of the fabric and then the collection," Mabille told
Reuters, adding that he had sought to project a "bright view on
things" with dresses that ranged from vivid purple to yellow and
shimmering animal-style prints.
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Welcome Behind the scene of my virtual show.
A post shared by Alexis Mabille Officiel(@alexismabille) on Jul 8, 2020 at 1:00am PDT
Haute Couture Week features one-of-a-kind outfits stitched
by hand, presented by a select club of designers.
Even for the biggest brands with huge means, however,
Europe-wide lockdowns proved a challenge.
Maria Grazia Chiuri, who designs womenswear for Christian
Dior, owned by the LVMH conglomerate, coordinated her
collection from Rome via video calls with seamstresses and
production teams working at home.
The label also faced some lost or delayed deliveries as it
tried to bring its concept for a collection presented on
mini-mannequins together - and Chiuri said she had had to
readjust to life without office staff.
"I used my daughter a lot," she joked.
Dior's teams of taylors and seamstresses - all wearing face
masks - came together in early July to put the final touches on
looks in the brand's atelier in Paris.
LINGERING UNCERTAINTY
For some designers, the uncertainty is far from over, even
as coronavirus lockdowns ease and Paris prepares to host fashion
shows again from September.
Couture labels, which sell a small number of outfits to the
uber-rich, are unsure when their clients will be able to travel
again or what demand will be as the pandemic rattles economies
the world over.
"We must propose to the buyers a balance, meaning a good
price, good quality and exceptional product and expertise," said
designer Stephane Rolland.
Designing had proved an escape from the stresses of
lockdown, Rolland added, a sentiment shared by many peers,
including Chiuri.
"At one point, I decided to listen to the news for only one
hour a day because the risk was that I would spend a lot of time
in front of the TV," Chiuri said.
"For the other people of the atelier, to work, to have a
project to make together was helpful."
Julien Fournie, a French couturier who spent lockdown
largely centered on his Paris atelier, said he was even relieved
to have a moment to create a collection without distractions.
"For the past decade, I was like a hamster who didn't stop
running," Fournie said, ahead of unveiling his looks, which
include flowing silk gowns with kimono-style sleeves.
"I no longer had the time to enjoy my team, not even to see
a dress being set up or take time to choose an embroidery or to
design a print."