Paris Haute Couture: Fallow Yet Fertile ~ Imane Ayissi’s Couture Garden of Renewal Blooms

Brilliant colour and natural materials were key to Imane Ayissi's new collection in Paris. Photograph (above) and cover picture by Andrea Heinsohn for DAM.

Looking back to Paris Haute Couture Week, Imane Ayissi’s Autumn-Winter 2025/2026 collection emerged as one of the standout runway moments. Titled Ikorrok, after the Ewondo word for a fallow garden, the show combined sculptural silhouettes and vivid color with a thematic focus on nature’s cycles of renewal. Bringing together African craft traditions and Parisian couture techniques, the collection was both visually striking and conceptually grounded, reinforcing the designer's growing reputation for reshaping the language of haute couture. Story by Jeanne-Marie Cilento. Photography by Andrea Heinsohn and Jay Zoo. 

A brilliant fuchsia and raffia

flowers made this gown a 

highlight of the collection. 

Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn 

INSIDE the Haussmann salons of the elegant Maison de l'Artisanat, located between the Eiffel Tower and the Champs-Elysees in Paris, beneath cascades of light refracted by a monumental chandelier, Imane Ayissi unveiled his new couture collection with a vision based as much on philosophy as fabric. The designer created his own manifesto about regeneration: of the land, of fashion, and of cultural narratives.

“My couture is made to dress women, but a collection is also a way of telling stories, of expressing my vision,” the designer said. “This season, I wanted to talk about nature, and the way contemporary humanity mistreats it. That’s why this collection is called Ikorrok. It sums up the new relationship we should all be entering into with nature today.”

In an industry known for excess, Ayissi presented a collection that sought to realign couture with responsibility. Materials were chosen not merely for their beauty but for their ability to one day return to the earth. 

French sheep’s wool felt formed the base of jackets and gowns, their rough-edged seams reminding the audience of natural textures rather than manufactured polish. These were embroidered with porcelain flowers, semi-precious stones, and Japanese urushi lacquer, developed in collaboration with visual artist Aline Putot-Toupry, bringing the tactile richness of craft into conversation with sustainability.

"A collection is also a way of telling stories, of expressing my vision. This season, I wanted to talk about nature, and the way contemporary humanity mistreats it"

 Leaves and flowers in fabric

made this sculptural dress. 

Photograph: Jay Zoo

This blend of couture technique with ecological consideration gave the show a quiet radicalism. Couture, after all, has long been associated with luxury’s permanence. Ayissi suggested instead, that impermanence, and the cycle of regeneration, could be equally aspirational.

If the philosophy was cerebral, the clothes themselves were anything but austere. Ayissi is a master of color and silhouette, and Ikorrok unfolded like a living garden, teeming with vitality. Silks, hand-dyed cottons, raffia, and felt appeared in hues as bright as tropical flora: vermillion, fuchsia, emerald, and cobalt. The designs mixed the sharp and architectural with the soft and draped, echoing the organic tension between geometry and growth.

"This collection is also a stylistic exercise in the different ways fashion can evoke nature, both flora and fauna," Ayissi ecplained."Visually, with prints, brocades, embroidery, appliqués and ornamentation, such as the beading of small animals, a technique inspired by traditional Yoruba culture. But also in a more abstract way, by creating garments that are “gentle” on nature, entirely bio-degradable for example, like these garments in French sheep's wool felt.''

Flowers were the most consistent motif, explored with both subtlety and theatricality. One of the show’s most memorable looks transformed the model’s torso into an explosion of vermillion petals, sculpted outward in a dynamic silhouette that blurred the line between garment and sculpture. Elsewhere, delicate white porcelain blooms dotted a tailored pink jacket, balancing softness with structure.

If the philosophy was cerebral, the clothes themselves were anything but austere. Ayissi is a master of color and silhouette, and the collection unfolded like a living garden, teeming with vitality 

A tie-died jumpsuit with 

beaded details that move

with the wearer. 

Photograph: Jay Zoo 

Ayissi also evoked fauna through intricate beadwork. Thousands of multicolored beads cascaded down garments in vertical lines, like swarms of insects caught mid-flight, served as ornamental buttons and closures. 

In one striking ensemble, a tie-dyed jumpsuit with a defined waist shimmered with beaded fringes, the glistening details in constant motion under the lights (see at left). 

Part of the show’s strength lay in its contrasts. Ayissi paired structured jackets with fluid drapery and oversized felt discs as earrings with refined silk slips, creating a dialogue between restraint and exuberance. Gloves, elbow-length and rendered in a kaleidoscope of colors, completed many looks, reinforcing his flair for styling that feels both unexpected and deliberate. 

This play of opposites extended beyond form and into cultural dialogue. Ayissi, born in Cameroon and long based in Paris, has consistently worked to weave African craft traditions into the language of haute couture. Raffia, a material he has made central to his practice, reappeared this season, elevated through his meticulous handling. 

Ayissi, born in Cameroon and long based in Paris, has consistently worked to weave African craft traditions into the language of haute couture.

A dramatic, asymmetrical design 

in orange with raffia fringes. 

Photograph: Jay Zoo 

In Ikorrok, the rustic was never left raw, but instead was sublimated into garments of refinement. This approach underscored Ayissi’s conviction that African textiles and techniques deserve not only preservation but a central place in the canon of high fashion.

What emerged from this collection was not simply an ode to nature but a layered meditation on heritage and modernity. The garments felt alive with cultural memory, Yoruba beading, the Ewondo language, raffia traditions, yet were resolved through the lens of Parisian couture technique. 

The tension between these elements created a powerful synergy, reminding the audience that couture is at its best when it is not static but evolving, absorbing influences, and reshaping traditions.

The show was not without its moments of theatrical flourish with large, floral constructions and embellished gowns. The clarity of Ayissi’s vision was apparent in his strongest pieces, where sharp tailoring was softened by delicate ornament or where natural textures were elevated to elegance, which felt both fresh and intentional.

The garments felt alive with cultural memory, Yoruba beading, the Ewondo language, raffia traditions, yet were resolved through the lens of Parisian couture technique

A richly tie-died design warm colours.

Photograph: Jay Zoo

In naming the collection after a fallow garden, Ayissi invited his audience to rethink not only fashion’s relationship with nature but also its relationship with time.

 Fallow ground is not wasted ground; it is ground in waiting, a place of renewal. His collection suggested that couture, too, can pause from its cycles of spectacle and reinvention to reflect, regenerate, and grow in a different way. 

Once again, Ayissi made a compelling case for the presence of African craft in the heart of Paris couture, not as a novelty but as a vital force reshaping the language of luxury. The new collection was a reminder that beauty and responsibility, heritage and innovation, can sit side by side. In the sunlit salons, as the last model left the runway, it was difficult not to feel that Ayissi had done more than present a collection. He had planted a seed for a new fashion direction.

Scroll down to see more highlights from Imane Ayissi's AW25/26 collection in Paris

Imane Ayissi, Ikorrok, Autumn -Winter 2025/2026. Paris Haute Couture. Photograph: Jay Zoo 

Imane Ayissi, Ikorrok, Autumn -Winter 2025/2026, Paris Haute Couture. Photograph: Jay Zoo

Imane Ayissi, Ikorrok, Autumn -Winter 2025/2026,  Paris Haute Couture. Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn

Imane Ayissi, Ikorrok, Autumn -Winter 2025/2026, Paris Haute Couture. Photograph: Jay Zoo

Imane Ayissi, Ikorrok, Autumn-Winter 2025/2026, Paris Haute Couture. Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn 

Imane Ayissi, Ikorrok, Autumn-Winter 2025/2026. Paris Haute Couture. Photograph Jay Zoo

Imane Ayissi, Ikorrok, Autumn-Winter 2025/2026. Paris Haute Couture. Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn

Imane Ayissi,Ikorrok, Autumn-Winter 2025/2026, Paris Haute Couture. Photograph Jay Zoo

Imane Ayissi,Ikorrok, Autumn-Winter 2025/2026, Paris Haute Couture. Photograph Andrea Heinsohn

Imane Ayissi,Ikorrok, Autumn-Winter 2025/2026, Paris Haute Couture. Photograph Jay Zoo

Imane Ayissi,Ikorrok, Autumn-Winter 2025/2026, Paris Haute Couture. Photograph Andrea Heinsohn

Imane Ayissi,Ikorrok, Autumn-Winter 2025/2026, Paris Haute Couture. Photograph Jay Zoo

Imane Ayissi,Ikorrok, Autumn-Winter 2025/2026, Paris Haute Couture. Photograph Andrea Heinsohn

Imane Ayissi,Ikorrok, Autumn-Winter 2025/2026, Paris Haute Couture. Photograph Andrea Heinsohn

Imane Ayissi,Ikorrok, Autumn-Winter 2025/2026, Paris Haute Couture. Photograph Jay Zoo

Imane Ayissi,Ikorrok, Autumn-Winter 2025/2026, Paris Haute Couture. Photograph Jay Zoo

Imane Ayissi,Ikorrok, Autumn-Winter 2025/2026, Paris Haute Couture. Photograph Jay Zoo

Imane Ayissi,Ikorrok, Autumn-Winter 2025/2026, Paris Haute Couture. Photograph Andrea Heinsohn

Imane Ayissi,Ikorrok, Autumn-Winter 2025/2026, Paris Haute Couture. Photograph Andrea Heinsohn

Imane Ayissi,Ikorrok, Autumn-Winter 2025/2026, Paris Haute Couture. Photograph Andrea Heinsohn

Gen Z Supports Sustainability and Fuels Ultra-Fast Fashion ~ How Does that Work?

Gen Z's shopping habits often fail to align with their values: they covet very affordable brand-new clothing yet they are aware of the environmental problems caused by ultra-fast fashion. 

By Marian Makkar and Amanda Spry, RMIT University

Generation Z has been called “the sustainability generation”.

Born between 1997 and 2013, 58% of this consumer cohort seek to buy products that are sourced sustainably. Australian Gen Zs say they are willing to pay more for brands that have a positive impact on society.

Yet, at the same time, we have witnessed the meteoric rise of ultra-fast fashion from online, direct-to-consumer retailers such as Shein, Temu and Boohoo. Shein alone generated US$32.5 billion (A$48.3 billion) in revenue in 2024 – a 43% increase from 2022.

There are complexities surrounding Gen Z’s shopping habits and how these often fail to align with their values.

On one hand, they covet a brand-new clothing item that is markedly more affordable when purchased from an ultra-fast fashion brand. On the other hand, they are aware of the environmental harms.

What explains this cognitive dissonance?

Caring about the environment …

Different from their predecessors, Gen Z has grown up with climate change as an urgent issue. Being chronically online means these concerns are not limited to their local environment.

Recent research revealed a pattern of stronger emotions of fear, guilt and outrage about the impacts of climate change among younger people, compared with older groups. These emotions could well be a driver of their activism and engagement with climate change.

They expect companies – those they buy from and work for – to prioritise sustainability in their business practices.

However, Gen Z crave more engaging ways to receive sustainability-related content. This is a worthy consideration for key players in the fashion industry.

… vs the temptation of fast fashion

Gen Z consumers are plugged into social media trends that appear with every scroll and swipe on TikTok and Instagram. Social media have spiked cultural trends that accelerate fast fashion.

Influencers promote “reps” (slang for replicas) and “dupes” (duplicates): cheaper, imitation versions of high-end fashion items. This is a way to democratise luxury by normalising “superfake” products and making luxury more accessible to a broader audience.

Social media tactics such as “hauls” and get-ready-with-me (“GRWM”) videos entice Gen Zs to get stuck on the treadmill of overconsumption. The idea is for content creators to show off massive amounts of new, trendy clothing. This in turn fuels the desire for consumers to continuously buy what they are seeing online – in bulk.

Fast fashion giants such as Zara and H&M have based their business models on translating what is on catwalks into cheap clothing, produced in mass quantities. Now, ultra-fast fashion brands such as Shein speed up the production cycle, the trend churn and consequently the volume.

Having seven trending items, over two high-quality outfits, makes more sense to Gen Z consumers in the digital age.

The cost-of-living crisis plays a part too. A recent survey of Australian Gen Zs revealed at least 77% are experiencing money concerns.

The biggest demographic to pull back on spending due to economic stress are 18–26-year-olds. Young people typically earn the lowest wages and enjoy less job security. These financial constraints are challenging to Gen Zs seeking to consume more sustainably.

Fast fashion becomes a cheap option for them to stay trendy without breaking the bank.

The ‘attitude–behaviour gap’

Gen Z are Shein shoppers, haul lovers, micro-trend followers, and repeat outfit shamers. This stands starkly against their eco-conscious values.

While this seems hypocritical, it is what is referred to as the attitude–behaviour gap – the incongruence between what people say and what they actually do. This is a phenomenon noted across multiple generations.

The attitude–behaviour gap has been widely documented in social psychology and ethical consumerism studies. These underscore that consumer intentions are not reliable predictors of behaviour.

Even ethically minded consumers do not always walk their talk. But we can’t expect individual consumers to be entirely responsible for things like the carbon footprint of fast fashion, or the exploitation of workers in factories.

The clothing industry lacks transparency in business practice and Gen Z consumers often lack information about the products they are buying.

The responsibility to shop sustainably should not fall solely on consumers, but on governments, policymakers and corporations to be more ethical.

Unsurprisingly, 88% of Gen Z shoppers do not trust companies’ sustainability claims.

What does this mean for the sustainability movement?

Despite climate change being a major stressor for Gen Z, the attitude–behaviour gap continues to exist when it comes to hunting for a new outfit.

Being bombarded with persuasive tactics from brands and influencers, the ease of access to new items at the click of a button, and the allure of affordable pricing amid a cost-of-living crisis makes it very difficult for even the most committed Gen Z consumer to buy ethically.

The fashion industry is one of the biggest dangers to the environment in terms of its carbon and raw material footprint, and truckloads of clothing ending up in landfills.

While most young people know and respect Greta Thunberg’s environmental mission, she is not the one they are watching on TikTok or liking on Instagram.

It is time to re-engage with social media content creators in different ways that educate consumers, promote responsible behaviour and advocate for changed regulations and business practices. This might include tried-and-true tactics such as influencer endorsements and haul videos that are refocused on more sustainable options – like online second-hand retailers.

The emergence of “underconsumption core” on TikTok in recent months, as well as “deinfluencing”, where influencers call on their followers to buy less, is promising.

While sustainable clothing has a “bad rap” for being expensive, fast fashion brands are trying to adapt by offering options such as H&M Conscious. Any fashion offering must be convenient, accessible and trendy to capture Gen Z’s attention and wallet.

Marian Makkar, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, RMIT University and Amanda Spry, Senior Lecturer of Marketing, RMIT University

Turning the Page in Paris: The Boy Who Jumped the Moon and Landed in the Louvre, KidSuper’s Storybook Fable Comes to Life

KidSuper's show at the Louvre was greeted with rapturous applause by a star-studded front row of musicians and athletes. Photograph (above) by Jay Zoo for DAM

In Paris, Colm Dillane didn’t just present a fashion show at the Louvre he launched a storybook. For his Spring/Summer 2026 KidSuper collection, The Boy Who Jumped the Moon, the designer transformed the historic Musée des Arts Décoratifs into a surreal stage of towering books with turning pages. The American designer blended storytelling, childhood fantasy, and fine tailoring into Paris Fashion Week's most imaginative production, a celebration of risk, wonder, and the art of dreaming big, writes Jeanne-Marie Cilento. Photography by Jay Zoo

The towering storybook on the stage of

the SS26 Kidsuper show at the Louvre.

UNDER the vaulted nave of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, tucked inside the majestic Louvre, Colm Dillane presented his most ambitious KidSuper collection to date, a theatrical and wildly imaginative production titled The Boy Who Jumped the Moon. 

With the verve of a Broadway show and the intimacy of a bedtime story, Dillane’s Spring/Summer 2026 runway blurred the lines between fashion, narrative, and dreamscape. It was a show not simply to be watched, but experienced. Dillane, the Brooklyn-based creative force behind KidSuper, fuses his youthful irreverence with thoughtful artistry. This collection marks a significant moment in KidSuper’s evolution. From its origins as a small label specializing in hand-printed T-shirts, the brand has matured into a multidisciplinary creative powerhouse. The new show exemplifies how Dillane blends art, fashion, music, and sport into a cohesive vision.

This season’s runway was held beneath those soaring ceilings of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, itself a repository of decorative arts and culture, in the Pavillon de Marsan at the northwestern wing of the Louvre Palace. Once part of the Tuileries and reconstructed after the Paris Commune, the venue added layers of cultural resonance to the show’s themes of reinvention and aspiration. The historical grandeur set the stage for Dillane’s mix of the whimsical and engineering feats, reflecting the collection’s themes of childhood wonder, risk-taking, and invention.  "I think Paris is really good for platform for me to be able to do this because it elevates everything," he commented just hours before the show. "And we're here in the Louvre building, which is incredible."

"It's based around a children's book and the story is about trying for something and then it going wrong. But you figure it out and learn some magic on the way, so in the end you're satisfied with the journey"

The cover of Colm Dillane's fable

that the collection is based on.

Upon arrival, guests found a children’s book on their seats, written and illustrated by the designer. A fable about a boy who, defying gravity and grown-up logic, builds a contraption to fly to the moon. 

"It's all based around a children's book and the story is basically about trying for something and then it going wrong," explains the designer, standing on the set at the Louvre. "But you figure out and learn some magic on the way, so in the end you're satisfied with the journey and trying things rather than a set, specific goal."

The runway was framed by dizzyingly tall books that told the unfolding tale. As actor and television host Craig Ferguson narrated from loudspeakers, models emerged from hidden slits in the pages, stepping out like characters come to life. In one instance, a staircase was wheeled forward so a model could descend from the sky, storytelling had become stagecraft. The choreography was complex, a feat of engineering and theatre that underscored Dillane’s interdisciplinary approach to fashion shows.

The production itself was a logistical marvel. The three-story-high storybook set required seamless coordination among page turners, models, and stagehands, with multiple hidden exits and movable staircases enabling models to emerge from various points. Backstage, Dillane acknowledged the challenges but remained undaunted, viewing the complexity as part of the creative journey, "I like trying hard, I like going for it, I like shooting for the moon, and that's what this is about. And so, if it fails, it fails but if it works, it's amazing."

With the verve of a Broadway show and the intimacy of a bedtime story, Dillane’s Spring Summer 2026 runway blurred the lines between fashion, narrative, and dreamscape

KidSuper's Colm Dillane backstage

with a piece that has been designed

with burn mark designs that tell

the story of his children's book. 

The concept was more than just spectacle. It was an earnest exploration of what it means to dream with abandon. "The most fun part is coming up with the concept and trying to figure out different ways to change what is a runway," he said. "So I sketched it all and this is my idea and now I have to make it real which was not so easy."

The clothes themselves are rich with metaphor. A navy wool coat painted with an evening sky, a sun-yellow spacesuit, and a leather bomber emblazoned with the story’s book cover formed part of the collection’s literary language. Dillane also incorporated new techniques and materials into the collection. "We have one jacket made of oranges," the designer said. "And we are doing a lot of 3D printing and different dye techniques, interesting because they are all based on the artwork of the book." 

A jacket charred at the seams, a suitcase blown open mid-journey, each piece read like a sentence in a fantastical tale. Details nodded to vintage school uniforms and bedtime stories, with pieces that incorporated sketches, handwritten script, and illustrations drawn directly from the book. Some garments included burn marks and scuffs, telling tales of crash landings and trial by fire, while others shimmered with embroidered constellations, lending a poetic touch to utilitarian shapes. Dreamy illustrations scribbled across tailored silhouettes, Bermuda shorts made to resemble the ruled pages of a school notebook, a painter’s ensemble, the apron splashed with colors as though mid-brushstroke. Storybook surrealism met streetwear in classic KidSuper fashion.

"I like trying hard, I like going for it, I like shooting for the moon, and that's what this is about. And so, if it fails, it fails but if it works, it's amazing"

The Mercedes-Benz CLA specially

custom-designed by Colm Dillane.

The collection wasn’t just an ode to imagination; it was also a vehicle, literally for collaboration, including Puma and Mercedes Benz and even Papa Johns. In the foyer of the museum, guests were greeted by a Mercedes-Benz CLA unlike any seen before: reimagined by Dillane as a flying machine plucked from a child’s sketchbook. 

Part of Mercedes’ “Class of Creators” program, the vehicle sported turbine wings, helium balloons ready to take flight, a roof rack stacked with vintage luggage, and even a chrome-slingshot, recalling Dillane’s own childhood. It was both superhero gadget and nostalgic dream machine, a Hot Wheels fantasy rendered in life-size proportions.

KidSuper’s signature “Kissing Face” was stitched into the design, bridging the gap between mechanical innovation and personal storytelling. This vehicle wasn’t just a prop; it was the physical embodiment of the show’s spirit of imagination. That car gave rise to a capsule collection of ready-to-wear pieces, an industrial-chic tribute to automotive history filtered through Dillane’s playful lens. Think jumpsuits, quilted bomber jackets inspired by early 20th-century mechanics, and accessories that straddled the line between pit crew utility and art object. 

The result was a gritty-yet-whimsical mashup of engineering and artful expression. Then came the curveball: a bag created with Papa Johns, inspired by the pizza chain’s new Croissant Pizza (a culinary hybrid sure to ruffle French feathers), the collaboration yielded a delivery bag turned couture conversation piece. It was a tongue-in-cheek nod to KidSuper’s ability to locate art in the everyday ~ even in fast food.

"The most fun part is coming up with the concept and trying to figure out different ways to change what is a runway; I sketch it all and then have to make it real which is not so easy"

Italian football star Mario Balotelli 

walked the runway at the KidSuper show.

But as otherworldly as the show was, there was always a sincere throughline. Beneath the theatrics, beneath the ballooned cars and hand-drawn jackets, was a message about the power of belief: in stories, in collaboration, in oneself. 

Dillane, now commands one of the most anticipated runways on the Paris calendar. And he’s done it without surrendering to fashion’s often rigid seriousness. Instead, he has leaned into humour, curiosity, and collaboration and community.

The casting reflected those ideas too. Italian footballer Mario Balotelli closed the show in a patchwork bomber jacket and cargo pants, a walking embodiment of the KidSuper ethos: unexpected and memorable. This was a nod to the designer’s passion for the sport. Balotelli’s presence added a real-world edge to the otherwise fantastical narrative, grounding it in the contemporary culture of sport and celebrity.

Colombian rapper Ryan Castro and a host of celebrity guests, including French Montana and 2 Chainz, sat in the audience, sharing the show across their social media. The entire event had a real buzz of energy and excitement The show attracted a vibrant crowd of industry insiders and celebrities, including rappers and athletes. The vibe spilled into the evening’s after-party, where the spirit of collaboration and celebration continued, fueled by Dillane’s ongoing drive to push creative boundaries.

From Brooklyn to the Louvre, Colm Dillane has proved again that the distance between art and fashion, dreams and reality, is not so far after all: sometimes, all it takes is one well-timed leap of faith

The show's set design was a feat

of imagination and engineering.

Technically, the complex show was a feat. The page-turning stagehands, synchronized entrances, and soundtrack that moved from narration to orchestration all worked like clockwork, any issues ironed out during the rehearsal. 

With this production, Dillane didn’t just show his collection, he evoked a special world he has created, one where he tells stories though his designs, where collaborations become his community, and where even a pizza bag can be a work of art. It’s fashion, yes, but it’s also theatre, publishing, and performance.

Looking ahead, Dillane’s ambitions seem boundless. With plans to expand the children’s book into a larger publication and a growing roster of partnerships across different industries, KidSuper continues to challenge the conventions of fashion presentation and brand collaboration. In a world where the fashion runway often feels predictable, The Boy Who Jumped the Moon offered a reminder that creativity thrives on challenges, imagination, and the willingness to take flight even when the landing isn’t guaranteed. 

Dillane doesn’t just encourage risk, he celebrates it. He invites his audience, like his young protagonist, to believe that jumping into the unknown is worth it. And for a fleeting moment, beneath the ceilings of one of the world’s most revered museums, it felt like anything really was possible. From Brooklyn to the Louvre, Colm Dillane has proved again that the distance between art and fashion, dreams and reality, is not so far after all. Sometimes, all it takes is one well-timed leap of faith.

Scroll down to see more highlights from the KidSuper Spring/Summer 2026 show: