The setting — the Folies Bergère theater — served as a fitting stage for this uplifting, contemporary ode to artisanal craftsmanship dusted with shine and sparkle.
“I love Paris, it’s been my aim since the beginning to make people discover my city and all its treasures,” said designer Christelle Kocher. “This place has been forgotten; it’s a really old theater with an amazing history. Josephine Baker used to perform here, and Charlie Chaplin….” Kocher said she sought to bring some “poetry, beautiful emotion and preciousness” to the place.
Mission accomplished. Kocher’s models descended the grand staircase of the theater’s foyer, their crystal-embellished street-meets-“couture à porter” ensembles twinkling, even from a distance. The designer built on her legacy for blending the casual energy of streetwear with couture craftsmanship, tumbling together her signature high-waisted track pants and oversize polo shirt silhouettes with handiwork-intensive items such as ruched blousons studded with crystals; wool and cashmere patchwork knits with French lace accents, and an organza parka with multicolored feathers trapped inside, creating the puff.
The rich, anything-goes palette flitted from tan to hot pink, red, turquoise and lilac with a lot of the silhouettes built on tonal arrangements, fishnets and hair included.
Heart-stoppers included a scarlet jacket in strips of astrakhan that resembled thick corduroy,
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