un moment avec Lee
Paris, France
Technology is not what one thinks of regarding Haute Couture, on the contrary it evokes a bespoke tradition of handcrafted luxury. Julien Fournié is clearly not one to follow all the rules. Working closely with FashionLab, a technology incubator, he developed his Summer 2012 collection using their 3-D printing technology. The theme, First Ecstasy, was about Sunkist color, prints of hibiscus and full open lips dripping with something thirst quenching, and everything super tight and super short. With technology on his side, he delivered a future driven collection that looks forward, influenced by times to come, not the past.
This new way of working not only allowed him the flexibility to see first hand how different fabric combinations would render in a certain style, but also to enter specific measurements to ensure the size and fit. That being said, there was quite a bit of tugging down of hemlines that were riding up dangerously, having already started dangerously high. The futuristic shapes were anatomical in their graphic references to the body underneath. Trimmed in zippers, the skintight and also the more spacious garments had a hard tooth edge in the finishing that played into the look of the show.
But not everything was about being short and tiny. Music visualization projected on the screen at the end of the runway, and grid like appliqué of glossy white beads resembled the digitized display measuring vibration intensity of the music. Shredded plastic arranged in explosive compositions had tips died purple or pink, and a yellow ruffle framed a model’s face like an eruption of hibiscus all around her. All these things originated from that place of Fournie’s inspiration and contagiously brought the whole house down with feelings of Original Ecstasy.
- Lee Anderson, Parisian Correspondent
Designer: Julien Fournie
What we’ve said: Haute Couture 2012
Photos provided by the designer.
