Desert Dreams in Paris: Stéphane Rolland's Haute Couture Odyssey

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 

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

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 

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

Sensuous satin crepe worn with a braided

leather hood and a striking diamond and 

emerald jewel. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

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

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 

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 

Stéphane Rolland Paris Haute Couture La Salle Pleyel Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn

Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn

Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn

Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn

Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn

Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn

Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn

Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Stéphane Rolland, Paris Haute Couture, La Salle Pleyel, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Imane Ayissi's Colourful and Dynamic Collection for Paris Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2024

Raffia used in a creative way at the SS24 haute couture collection of Imane Ayissi in Paris. Photograph by Andrea Heinsohn. Cover picture by Elli Ioannou for DAM

Imane Ayissi’s Spring-Summer 2024 collection was a highlight of Paris Haute Couture Week. A tribute to the richness of African textiles and craftsmanship, the Cameroonian designer mixed brilliant colours with strong prints, diaphanous silhouettes, and unique textiles. He included traditional fabrics, illustrating how they can be used to preserve Africa’s heritage and inspire the next generation, writes Jeanne-Marie Cilento. Photography by Elli Ioannou & Andrea Heinsohn

Designer Imane Ayissi at the finale of his Paris 

show.Photograph by Andrea Heinsohn

A vivid and engaging celebration of African textiles, Imane Ayissi's new collection of dynamic designs was a standout during Paris Haute Couture Week.

With the collection, Ayissi wove a story that beautifully intertwined tradition with contemporary haute couture. 

The runway pulsated with bright colors, under Ayissi's sure hand the purples, shimmering pinks and turquoise formed a cohesive whole and made a salient contrast to the all-black designs. 

The collection showcased twenty-six looks that cleverly mixed surprising fabric combinations with bold prints and elegant draping which enfolded the body. Ayissi's use of traditional African fabrics, was notable, particularly the Kente cloth from Ghana. Narrow skirts topped by short but voluminous jackets were especially effective using the African textiles. 

The collection showcased twenty-six looks which cleverly mixed surprising fabric combinations with bold prints and elegant draping

Traditional African fabrics were a feature
of the collection. Photograph by Elli Ioannou

The designer's use of Faso Dan Fani, a traditional fabric from Burkina Faso, was included in patchwork designs that had a subtle play of hues and textures. 

The collection also featured panels of woven materials and the use of raffia, another everyday material that is part of Ayissi's design canon. A vibrant orange minidress with raffia knotted down the front demonstrated the designer's capacity to use quotidian materials for haute couture.

Imane Ayissi's dedication to using and exploring African textiles means he is aiming to find high-quality materials from Africa. He is also a pioneer in integrating bamboo fibre into his work as part of his concern for the environment.  

The designer, who was the first from Sub-Saharan Africa to be included on the official Paris Haute Couture Week schedule four years ago, says he wants to recover and preserve Africa's textile heritage. Ayissi has said Africans need to embrace their history along with the economic potential of the fashion industry. 

Ayissi is challenging the fashion industry to recognize the value of Africa's textile expertise and encouraging Africans to take pride in their identity and heritage

The striking raffia orange minidress.
Photograph by Elli Ioannou

This Spring/Summer 2024 collection captivated the audience but also served as a call for the conservation and promotion of Africa's textiles. 

The designer's ability to use satins and silks with these local fabrics to create soigne gowns evinces his ability to bring a fresh vision to haute couture. 

As a couturier, Ayissi is not just creating fashion; he is leading a movement, challenging the industry to recognize the value of Africa's textile expertise and encouraging Africans to take pride in their identity and heritage.

Scroll down to see more highlights from Imane Ayissi's Spring/Summer 2024 collection in Paris 

Imane Ayissi Paris Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph by Andrea Heinsohn 

Imane Ayissi Paris Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph by Elli Ioannou

Imane Ayissi Paris Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph by Elli Ioannou

Imane Ayissi Paris Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph by Elli Ioannou

Imane Ayissi Paris Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph by Andrea Heinsohn

Imane Ayissi Paris Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph by Andrea Heinsohn

Imane Ayissi Paris Haute Couture Spring Summer 2024. Photograph by Elli Ioannou

Imane Ayissi Paris Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph by Elli Ioannou

Imane Ayissi Paris Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph by Andrea Heinsohn

What was the Mantua? How a 17th-century Gown Transformed Dressmaking and Ushered in Financial Freedom for Women

Diego Velázquez, Portrait of the Infanta Maria Theresa of Spain, 1653, an early version of the mantua

By Sarah Bendall, Australian Catholic University

If you’ve watched many period dramas, you’ve probably seen a mantua before. Originating in France in the 1670s, this women’s garment consisted of lengths of t-shaped fabric that were pleated to create an unstiffened bodice with attached overskirts.

This gown was worn over a pair of stays (corset) and an often contrasting petticoat. The draping and folding of fabric created a front-opening gown.

What many people don’t realise, however, is how fundamentally this item of clothing altered women’s involvement in the fashion industry – and represented a ticket to financial freedom for an industry of female mantua makers.

The robe à la française was a mantua style that featured loose back pleats that draped to the floor. The Met/Purchase, Irene Lewisohn Bequest, 1954

What was the mantua?

After its invention in the 1670s, the new gown became immediately popular among fashionable Parisian women.

Although strict dress codes at the Versailles court of French King Louis XIV prohibited the wearing of mantuas, women at the English court helped popularise it in England.

By the 1680s, the mantua was widely worn in Western and Central Europe, as well as in European colonies around the world. It soon became the basis for all women’s gowns in the 18th century.

Popular versions of the mantua in 18th century included:

• the loose style called a robe volante

• the iconic robe à la française (sometimes called a sack gown) with its back pleats that draped to the floor, and

• the tighter fitting robe à la anglaise  (also known as English or Italian gowns).

The robe à l’anglaise had fitted back pleats and was tighter compared to its French counterpart. The Met/Purchase, Irene Lewisohn Bequest, 2018

Tailors vs mantua makers

As well as changing the look of western fashions, the mantua radically changed women’s involvement in the fashion industry.

Before the 17th century, outer garments were usually made by male tailors. Apprenticeships and membership of guilds – the organisations that controlled most craft trades – were restricted to boys and men.

Women did participate informally in these professions. They sometimes worked alongside tailor family members (and some were fined for doing so) and widows were permitted to carry on the businesses of their deceased husbands.

Women had also historically worked as seamstresses or “silkwomen” making small linen or silk goods like underwear and accessories.

This loose 1730s style was called a robe volante. The Met/Purchase, Friends of The Costume Institute Gifts, 2010

However, this began to change in the late 17th century during what came to be known as the consumer revolution – a period, beginning in the 1600s, that saw a significant jump in the consumption of luxury goods.

Significantly, in 1675, women in Paris and Rouen acquired their own, independent couturière (dressmaking) guilds and began to take over making women’s clothing from male tailors.

In London, guilds with dwindling memberships also began to permit paying female members.

Due to the considerable influence of France on western fashions, women in London began to train under French dressmakers, giving rise to what were known in English as mantua makers.

Dressmaking and financial freedom

From the 18th to 20th centuries, dressmaking and other fashion or textile-related industries were the main source of formal employment for women in Britain, Australia and the United States (alongside teaching and domestic service).

New training opportunities in dressmaking – coupled with historical peculiarities such as London’s feme sole status, which allowed married women to run businesses and have finances independent of their husbands – meant many women began to open their own businesses.

Single women often lived in houses with other mantua makers and their apprentices, working as teams. Married women usually operated in workshops in the family home alongside their husbands, many of whom worked as tailors.

By the mid-18th century, manuals instructing parents on craft apprenticeships for their children noted mantua making was a large trade

reckoned a genteel, as well as profitable Employ [for women], many of them living well and saving Money.

But several male tailoring guilds in Europe attempted to stop women working as mantua makers, claiming they were taking away their business. Additionally, many women who worked in the garment-making industries were poorly paid and often worked in cramped conditions.

Mantuas were sometimes pinned up at the back like this 1690s example. The Met/Rogers Fund, 1933

Yet, many did rise above. French mantua makers were particularly popular, with women in London paying substantially more for gowns made by French women with access to the latest fashion knowledge in Paris.

Some became confidants of queens. The famous fashion merchant Marie-Jeanne “Rose” Bertin designed many of French queen Marie Antoinette’s gowns (her detractors labelled her the queen’s “minister of fashion”).

These networks gave these women access to vast amounts of clients and social capital. By the 19th century, senior dressmakers and milliners called modistes often ran their own luxury fashion houses in the West End of London.

Mantua making was also a significant business opportunity for women in Australia.

“M. Hayes”, Catherine Mellon and Martha Matthews were all “mantua makers and milliners” who advertised their services in the early years of the Sydney colony.

Legacies of mantua makers

During the early years of the 19th century, mantuas fell out of use as new styles appeared. The term “dressmaker” also came to slowly replace the term “mantua maker”.

However, the gendered segregation of labour remained. During much of the 19th and 20th centuries, men were more likely to be tailors and have their clothing made by tailors. Women were more likely to be dressmakers and have their clothing made by dressmakers. The skills and techniques of each profession remained quite different.

With the advent of modern fast fashion, the skills of both tailors and dressmakers are fast being lost, and with it the knowledge of this revolutionary trade for women.

Sarah Bendall, Research Fellow, Gender and Women's History Research Centre, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University

Paris Men's Fashion Week: Kidill's Autumn-Winter 2024 Collection: A Tribute to Punk's Unchanging Spirit and Renewed Rebellion

One of the new punk-inspired designs from Hiroaki Sueyasu new collection in Paris

Embodying the essence of punk, Hiroaki Sueyasu, the visionary force behind Kidill, not only commemorates its rebellious legacy but also reshapes the narrative for a new era. The resonance of the Autumn/Winter 2024 collection extends beyond fashion and is more of a cultural manifesto, an impassioned ode to punk's indomitable spirit, writes Antonio Visconti

Portrait of Japanese designer Hiroaki Sueyasu

IN the dynamic realm of fashion, where trends ebb and flow like the tide, Kidill's new collection emerges as a testament to the enduring spirit of punk. 

The recent passing of Jamie Reid, the iconic British artist known for his collaboration with the Sex Pistols, has cast a poignant shadow over the fashion landscape. 

For Hiroaki Sueyasu, Kidill’s artistic director, this loss marks not just the departure of an influential figure but the unraveling of a personal journey that began in collaboration with Reid for Autumn/Winter 2020.

In Sueyasu's own words, "Jamie was my very starting point." The profound impact of Reid's work and the collective influence of the early punk movement have left a void, one that Sueyasu poignantly describes as a tremendous loss.  Reid was more than an artist to Sueyasu; he was a reflection, a portrayal of the self.

Acknowledging the departure of remarkable figures who shaped early punk, Sueyasu speaks of a duty to ensure that the essence of punk, a force that has influenced our time and people, remains alive. In offering condolences that transcend the inimitable, Sueyasu declares, 'they are eternal,' affirming a commitment to immortalizing the legacy of punk pioneers.

The profound impact of Reid's work and the collective influence of the early punk movement have left a tremendous void

Punk for a new era

Sueyasu delves into the dichotomy of classic styles, recognizing the risk of becoming mere iconography over time. However, he asserts that stylized beauty has the capacity to absorb contemporary diversity and persist into the future yet anchored in the present. 

This philosophical underpinning sets the stage for the preeminent theme of the new collection: celebration of the positive energy of those who continue to breathe life into the rebellion embodied by punk.

The collection, a vibrant tapestry of DIY-inspired embellishments, prints, and jacquard weaves, crafted by Japanese artisans, serves as an exploration of the intersection between early punk classicism and the modern design ethos. 

Sueyasu pays homage to punk through deconstruction and the revival of ripped denim that is vintage and resewn, evoking the raw essence of the punk movement.

The direct message of this season’s collection resonates with the half-century history of punk, emphasizing its signature identity and attitude. Once perceived as a subculture confined to specific appearances, punk has transcended insularity. 

It has been inherited by many as a spirit of protest, propelling the evolution of a modern, independent culture. As articulated by Sueyasu, it has become a value system that respects individuality through freedom and expression.

The new collection crafted by Japanese artisans, serves as an exploration of the intersection between early punk classicism and the modern design ethos

Rebellion is the heart of punk

Sueyasu's return to the roots signifies more than a nostalgic homage; it is a channeling of origins, a rebirth and renewal of the brand. "As a matter of fact, my initial impulse and resistance remain the same." This simplicity becomes a poignant statement in a fashion landscape often dominated by complexity and change.

Born in Fukuoka, Japan, Sueyasu's journey from Omura Beauty and Fashion College to the vibrant streets of London in 2002 laid the foundation for a self-educated designer with a profound respect for the graphic artists of the punk age. Kidill, launched in 2014, draws inspiration from London punk, post-punk, and grunge cultures.

From the first runway collection in Tokyo for the 2014-15 Autumn/Winter season to the opening of the flagship store, Kidill Room, in Tokyo's Shibuya in 2016, Sueyasu's trajectory has been marked by accolades, including design awards and the governors prize for the Tokyo New Designer Fashion Grand Prix. Collaborations with respected artists include Dennis Morris, Public Image Limited, Sheila Rock, and Jamie Reid, among others.

Kidill's independent showcase in Paris since Spring/Summer 2021 and its inclusion on the official schedule for Paris Fashion Week from the Autumn/Winter 2021 underscore the label's growing influence on the global fashion stage. In paying homage to punk's roots, Sueyasu and Kidill not only celebrate a storied past but redefine rebellion for a new era. The latest collection is not just a fashion statement; it is more of a cultural manifesto, an ode to punk's unyielding spirit.