ILLUMINATING THE CITY OF LIGHT
Masterful construction, innovative concepts and luxurious Swarovski crystal contributed to three enlightening and impassioned collections at Paris Haute Couture Week for AW17. Revolutionary compositions and dramatic contours challenged the use of crystal integration at such prodigious houses including Schiaparelli, Ronald Van der Kemp and Alexandre Vauthier culminating in an assortment of modernized wearable art.
RONALD VAN DER KEMP
As an invited member by The Chambre Syndicale, Ronald Van der Kemp introduced his first ever Couture show in Paris with Swarovski embellished piece exhibited at the Vogue Fashion Festival. Presented at the famed, Maison Darré, the Dutch designer’s show was full of energy and pop—from the pumping music to the bold looks paraded by each of the models. With a rainbow of color, texture, pattern, and silhouette, each design that graced the runway was a fresh.
Most notably, Van der Kemp embraced the theme of conscious luxury by sourcing 1,500 upcycled Swarovski crystals for this collection. Integrating a myriad of colors—from siam and gold to alabaster—the designer created a beguiling gown with intricate beading and crystal detailing.
ALEXANDRE VAUTHIER
For Alexandre Vauthier, the Haute Couture veteran marked 11 seasons of collaboration with Swarovski. Of his powerful and brilliant designs, seven looks featured crystal embroidery incorporating more than 300,000 crystals in vibrant, gem-like tones. Angular silhouettes and romantic ruffles were vampy with an 80’s edge, mixing contemporary accents with inspired details from the excess-era.heu
Although each piece was high drama, the craftsmanship Vauthier is known for shown brilliantly on the catwalk. A number of looks included intricate embroidery from Maison Lesage, which wove Swarovski crystals delicately throughout waves of luxe fabrics.
Stealing the spotlight was model Bella Hadid, wearing a plunging wrap dress made of stunning Swarovski crystals. With statement shoulder pads and black accessories, the va-va-voom look illuminated the Grand Palais.
SCHIAPARELLI
Swarovski doubled down at Schiaparelli’s Place Vendôme showing with the introduction of the Crystal² dress, a ground-breaking garment featuring Swarovski’s Crystal Fine Mesh gratuitously embroidered with extra crystal for a mesmerizing 3D effect.
Schiaparelli design director Bertrand Guyon looked to Swiss artist Sophie Taeuber-Arp’s geometrical works for inspiration, hand-cutting Swarovski Crystal Fine Mesh into patches to create the Crystal² dress’ structure and silhouette. Taking an inventive turn, Guyon embroidered multi-colored pavé crystals into clusters of graphic shapes, forming a rectangular composition challenging the standard dimensions of a garment. With white, yellow and pink shades of gold, the 3D crystal formations put on a prismatic show while walking the Schiaparelli runway, absorbing and casting light through 4.7 million dazzling facets.
The look was captured on international superstar Celine Dion by Vogue Magazine shortly after the show.
This collaboration reestablishes Swarovski’s relationship with the 90-year-old fashion house, following a partnership in the mid-1930s with founder Elsa Schiaparelli, one of the first designers to incorporate Swarovski’s crystals into her collections. For 2017, this modern-day interpretation pays reverence to each company’s creative vision and Haute Couture’s savoir-faire, affirming that Swarovski crystal is as functional as it is decorative.
With each new Haute Couture season, Swarovski recognizes its rich history in elevated craftsmanship memorializing partnerships with fashion luminaries like Christian Dior and Chanel. Developing present-day talent continues to honor the brand’s commitment to supporting the greatest minds in the industry, striving to nurture and enrich the art and design world.
