Couture designer melds tradition and technology

Back in January, Paris was once again the global hub of haute couture, providing the backdrop for the summer’s couture collections. It’s an art form out of reach for most budgets. But, at its best, it can carry powerful messages about artistic and economic freedom. At Julien Fournié and Alexandre Vauthier, it’s all about turning a dream into reality through the client and their couturier working together. Meanwhile, at Franco-Turkish fashion house Dice Kayek, founder Ece Ege explains how couture helps women in the industry stand on their own two feet.

In an online message to mark the start of Paris Fashion Week, British supermodel Naomi Campbell ushered in a new age of digital fashion, while also embracing the goals of the Black Lives Matter movement. In these extraordinary times due to Covid-19, runway fashion shows are banned, with designers instead releasing videos on social media to showcase their collections, directed by an array of impressive names. We take a look at how this form of French soft power is moving with the times.

French fashion house Chanel chose an intimate family-like atmosphere for its Spring-Summer 2021 Haute Couture show, with models strutting under flower arches at a socially-distanced presentation with a few famous faces.

Haute couture at its best is a dazzling array of possibilities. It's also increasingly an artform being expressed through the medium of film, with in-person fashion shows still off-bounds thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic. Japanese designer Yuima Nakazato has embraced new techniques both inspired and showcased by model-turned-activist Lauren Wasser, who lost both her legs to toxic shock syndrome. Meanwhile, Italy's Sofia Crociani finds inspiration in cognitive experiments from the 1950s and '60s that tracked the effect of LSD on spiders.

Thread, the primary building block for any piece of clothing, is increasingly inspiring a number of fashion labels. At Dior, Maria-Grazia Chiuri experiments with a new tweed made from cashmere, while Indian designer Vaishali Shadangule creates her own fabrics from scratch as part of her homage to the power of nature. And Parisian designer Clara Daguin explores the intersection between science and mysticism through her beguiling use of fibre optic threads.

Next winter's haute couture offerings are as concerned with protecting our oceans as they are about showcasing the best of ancestral savoir-faire. Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad rubs shoulders with Kerby Jean-Raymond, the first Black American to be invited to present his collection in Paris. Plus, the likes of Christophe Josse and Chanel celebrate the artistic accomplishments of their artisans, while Iris van Herpen embarks on a thrilling collaboration with Domitille Kiger, the French freeflying world champion!

From Grace Kelly's granddaughter Charlotte Casiraghi bucking catwalk trends on a horse, to Valentino's relatable curvy and mature models in sublime garments and tributes to the king of couture Thierry Mugler, fashion specialist Jennifer Ben Brahim speaks to Eve Jackson about Paris's Haute Couture Week.

January's summer 2022 Couture Fashion Week showcased the latest sartorial offerings from 17 labels, just over half the number included in the official calendar due to ongoing Covid restrictions. Dior's Maria-Grazia Chiuri offered an ode to embroidery at Paris's Rodin museum, Jean Paul Gaultier handed the reigns of his empire over to Belgian designer Glenn Martens, while Alexandre Vauthier embraced the Roaring Twenties as an homage to our collective resilience in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. FRANCE 24 takes you to the catwalks.

Haute couture is about innovation and exquisite tailoring, but it's also about ideas. Franco-Cameroonian designer Imane Ayissi, the first Black designer honoured with the title of "couturier" by France's Federation of Haute Couture and Fashion, offers a collection that fuses Western and African influences. Meanwhile, Japan's Yuima Nakazato interrogates the limits of our abilities of perception with his "Liminal" collection. And after a two-year absence, Lebanese couturier Elie Saab is overjoyed to be back in Paris. FRANCE 24 takes you to the catwalks at Paris Fashion Week.

Some 300 million pairs of socks are sold in France every year. Although most are made in China, some small French firms are carving out a market with their "made in France" offerings. One of them is Broussaud. For three generations, this family-run business based in the Limousin region has been constantly innovating, with increasingly complex designs. FRANCE 24 went to find out the secret of its success.

Chanel creative director Virginie Viard opted for a low-key rendition of haute couture for the French fashion house's fall-winter runway show on Tuesday, sending out a mix of long, full-skirted dresses and tweed ensembles with slightly relaxed fits.

This year's ready-to-wear winter collections are all about love and seduction: the delicate balance between what's shown and what isn't. Vaquera has found inspiration in the iconic black latex jumpsuit worn by Maggie Cheung in the 1996 film "Irma Vep" directed by Olivier Assayas. Victor Weinsanto, meanwhile, showcases an extravagant corset-and-cape look for "Emily in Paris" star Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu. Finally, the Love Brings Love exhibition offers a moving homage to late iconic designer Alber Elbaz.