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| Stéphane Rolland's muse Nieves Álvarez in charcoal silk gazar with braided leather encrusted with crystals. Photograph: Elli Ioannou for DAM |
From the serene vastness of desert landscapes to Berber cultural influences, the inspirations for French couturier Stéphane Rolland's Spring/Summer 2024 collection captivates the senses with a rich tapestry of textures, colours, and silhouettes. The collaboration this season with emerging talent from French fashion schools also added another layer of depth and continuity to his work in haute couture. Story by Jeanne-Marie Cilento. Research by Antonio Visconti. Photography by Elli Ioannou and Andrea Heinsohn
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Stephane Rolland takes a bow with Ibrahim Maalouf muse Nieves Álvarez. Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn |
THE Art Deco Salle Pleyel, the 1927 concert hall in Paris' 8th arrondissement, is a dramatic space to hold a fashion show. Walking into the columned entrance rotunda filled with guests attending the collection, there is an air of excitement and anticipation.
Stairs lead up to a cavernous, dark auditorium called the Great Hall, with staff wearing earpieces, helping people find their seats.
A long, broad runway stretches out from the stage in the midst of the audience, like a path of golden sand. A phalanx of photographers is at the back of the theatre, all jockeying for a good position.
A hum of conversation rises as the theatre fills up, with some guests wearing Stéphane Rolland creations from head-to-toe. As the audience settles, the lights are dimmed and the couturier himself comes on stage to introduce the 20 students from French fashion schools who will present their work before his own haute couture show.
The show is an immersive experience with sound and visuals including a film of undulating dunes and vast skies mixed with the call of eagles, whistling winds and evocative music
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Cape-sleeved gown in terracotta silk jersey. Photograph: Elli Ioannou |
Stéphane Rolland's work with French fashion schools ESMOD and the Institut Francais de la Mode is exciting and inspiring for the students. By showcasing fashion conceived by them, alongside his own creations, the French couturier emphasizes the importance of transmitting knowledge and experience.
The master classes and mentorship provided to these budding designers reflect Rolland's commitment to nurturing new talent and ensuring that the artistry of haute couture continues.
As renowned artists have done in the past, the couturier's offer to stage the work of these aspiring designers, allows their creativity to shine alongside his. As music fills the concert hall, models walk out wearing the students' designs. Many of the student ensembles look accomplished with some standout pieces that would be at home on any Paris couture runway.
La Salle Pleyel is also a fittingly historic backdrop for Stéphane Rolland's own creations which combine fine artisanship with futuristic design. The audience is given an immersive experience with sound and visuals including a projected film of soft sands, undulating dunes and vast skies mixed with the calls of eagles, whistling winds and music.
Stephane Rolland's collaboration with French fashion schools emphasizes the importance of transmitting knowledge to the next generation of couturiers
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Saroul jumpsuit with cape sleeves in white silk gazar, worn with a bronze, diamond and topaz pendant. Photograph: Elli Ioannou |
Rolland's designs with their free-flowing fluidity and glimmering fabrics work well with the atmospheric desert background. His work demonstrates his masterly fusion of tradition and innovation. One of the key pieces is a sand-hued, satin crepe gown adorned with black braids.
There is a delicate dance of textures, colors, and inspirations drawn from the desert terrain.
The essence of Rolland's vision lies in his concept of fullness and volume which creates a cocoon of protection. These commodious dresses are mixed with long, shimmering sheathes that sparkle and catch the light, hugging the body.
Each of the designs is imbued with a sense of protection and revelation, as if the wearer is surrounded by comforting layers of fabric that both simultaneously conceal and reveal. Overall, the color palette mirrors the hues of dawn, from warm ochres to delicate pinks, creams and whites, creating a congenial tonal picture.
The collection unfolds like a journey through shifting landscapes, from a terracotta-hued cashmere burnous that evokes the warmth of desert sunsets to an oversized hooded tunic in rosewood gazar that capture the feeling of a blowing, desert wind.
Rolland's designs with their free-flowing fluidity and glimmering fabrics demonstrate his masterly fusion of tradition and innovation
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Sensuous satin crepe worn with a braided leather hood and a striking diamond and emerald jewel. Photograph: Elli Ioannou
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The designer has an East meets West ethos in his designs that he keeps in fine balance, as evidenced by the intricate melding of cultural influences in all of the garments.
The use of materials like gossamer satin, buffed steel, and lustrous gazar add depth and texture, while gold and silver pieces show Rolland's sure hand when integrating dramatic jewellery into his designs.
One of the standout gowns is an asymmetrical caramel silk creation with a big, hooded top like a Berber nomad.
Silk gazar is one of the favourite fabrics used by Rolland in all of his collections, as it is able to hold its shape due to the double yarns woven together to create a strong yet lightweight, glistening textile. Originally, gazar was developed by couturier Cristóbal Balenciaga who often used the fabric in his 1960s collections.
Sculptural jewellery is another signature of the French couturier's work and is crafted with meticulous attention to detail. Adorned with chiseled stones and gold calligraphy, the pieces show the skills of Rolland's chosen silversmiths and add an element of extravagance to each gown. The accessories all add glamour and modernity to the looks. Many of Rolland's designs for garments and jewels show the influence of contemporary architecture on his work, a subject he is passionate about.
Silk gazar is one of the couturier's favourite fabrics as it holds its shape due to the woven double yarns which create a strong yet lightweight, glistening textile
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Blue organza robe embroidered with a gold
totem design. Photograph: Elli Ioannou |
As the sun sets and dusk descends in the projected film on the stage in the Salle Pleyel, the collection takes on a deeper, more introspective tone.
Rich Tuareg blue hues dominate the runway, symbolizing twilight in the desert. The intricate embroidery and sparkling embellishments are luxurious, while tribal-inspired motifs create a sense of connection to ancient traditions.
The models wearing a scintillating Majorelle blue walk out for the finale, some gowns finished with gold totemic designs, the diaphanous feel enhanced by silk organza and jersey. When they turn back along the golden runway, Rolland's longtime muse Nieves Álvarez appears on the stage in the striking Medea dress which has a hood in charcoal silk gazar embellished with crystal-encrusted leather.
As Alvarez returns to the wings, the stage darkens and smoke rises from the runway. The famous French-Lebanese trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf appears on stage and plays a very evocative piece of music as a girl in a spectacular cape appears. The rippling, capacious cape dress is created from bark-brown gazar with billowing, raffia fringes embroidered with crystals.
The flowing gowns adorned with exquisite jewelry, transport the audience to a world where art and fashion merge, offering moments of magic that linger
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Ibrahim Maalouf plays the trumpet at the finale. Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn |
Maalouf walks around the model playing his trumpet as a spotlight highlights them, smoke rising up like a sandstorm from the runway. Then the stage is once more engulfed by darkness before lights come up as all the models appear, glittering and glimmering in a long row of deep blues, gold and silver.
One by one they walk down the centre of the catwalk that extends into the audience, as the sun sets behind them in the film. The models line each side of the wide runway, like waiting sentinels.
Stéphane Rolland and Ibrahim Maalouf arrive on the stage and walk along the catwalk until they meet Nieves Álvarez where he stops and gallantly kisses her hand. The applause is enthusiastic as the audience appreciate both the designer's work and the beautiful production of the haute couture show.
The new collection is a journey of discovery, a celebration of creativity, and a testament to the skill and imagination imbued in the best of haute couture.
As each model gracefully traverses the runway, draped in flowing gowns and adorned with exquisite jewelry, the audience is transported to a world where art and fashion merge. The show offered captivating, contemporary designs but also moments of magic and inspiration that linger long after the finale at the Salle Pleyel.
Scroll down to see more highlights from Stpehane Rolland's SS24 Paris Haute Couture Collection
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| Stéphane Rolland Paris Haute Couture La Salle Pleyel Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou |
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Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel,
Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou |
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Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel,
Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou |
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Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel,
Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou |
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Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel,
Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou |
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Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel,
Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn |
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Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel,
Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou |
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Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel,
Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou |
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| Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn |
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Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel,
Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn |
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Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel,
Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou |
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Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel,
Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou |
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Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel,
Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn |
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Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel,
Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn |
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Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel,
Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn |
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Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel,
Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou |
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Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel,
Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou |
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Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel,
Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn |
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Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel,
Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou |
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Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel,
Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou |
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Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel,
Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou |
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Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel,
Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou |
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Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel,
Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou |
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Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel,
Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou |
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Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel,
Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou |
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Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel,
Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou |
