Last December, French fashion's governing body, the
Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, granted
Bouchra Jarrar
an haute couture appellation. This was an upgrade from her guest-member
status and a seriously big deal. She's secured a place in couture's
history books, joining the ranks of pre-war women designers like Chanel,
Vionnet,
Grès, and
Schiaparelli. It's been more than thirty years since
a woman was named a
grande couturière.
And so there was good reason for the newfound swagger in her exuberantly embellished jackets and gilets.
"J'ai des oiseaux,"
she said backstage.
"I have birds." And she meant it. Jarrar used ivory
feathers last season, but here they were packed closely together in
natural shades of brown and black or were dyed a gorgeous sapphire blue.
There were probably more colors in this show's plumes than in all her
previous collections combined. More crystals, too.
Discover the videos
Bouchra Jarrar's 1st Haute Couture collection for Spring/Summer 2010 and her exclusive interview, at the end of this post!
LoL, Andrea
“I really believe in couture for day,” said Bouchra Jarrar,
while giving a close-up view of her spring collection in her studio.
“I’m not—pouf!—a big ball gown person.”
Actually, Jarrar is plainly a
jacket-coat-and-trousers person par excellence, which makes her an
outlier in Paris couture practice. Possibly many
designers figure that tailoring doesn’t “show the money” and that the
custom-making market is only about dresses for red-carpet events and
weddings. But Jarrar’s work contradicts all that. Her work particularly
this season does show the money, at least to women with an eye for
elegance and an admiration of incredibly refined fabric.
The
elements of Bouchra Jarrar’s signatures are a mix of classic redingotes
with swooping lapels and biker jackets and vests with diagonal zippers.
Sounds simple, but this is a woman who goes way beyond cutting her
every pattern. Her obsessional pursuit of quality and innovation means
that she also selects every silk thread and nylon tape which go into her
gleaming fabrics which she then has an artisan specialist hand-weave on
a traditional loom. For this couture collection, she says she wanted
her clothes to
“catch the light.” For the first time, the sophisticated
inclusion of color silvery blues and vibrant purples reads as positively
rich.
And in another sense, this collection represents a
symbolic turning point. Jarrar is quietly celebrating the fact that
establishment French fashion has finally recognized her as one of its
own by electing her as a member of the
Chambre Syndicale de la Haute
Couture. It means a lot to her as an independent designer to be
officially credited as having reached the standards set by an inner
circle, which includes the couture collections of
Chanel and
Christian Dior. Perhaps that badge of
honor doesn’t mean too much to the outside world, but it’s an emotional
turning point. What matters more is that she is one of the best young
exemplars of excellence in modern French fashion. That bodes well for
her long-term future.
Moroccan designer Bouchra Jarrar talks about her
first Haute Couture collection for Spring/Summer 2010
Selections by ANDREA JANKE Finest Accessories
Photo Credit/Source: VOGUE
Photos: Kevin Tachman (Still) / Yannis Vlamos / Indigitalimages (Runway)
More Couture To Love ...
'VIONNET Spring 2014 Demi-Couture'
“Chalayan is one of the most creative and provocative designers
working in fashion today”, states Ashkenazi. “I have always been
intrigued by his conceptual approach and the fearless way his work
travels outside the traditional confines of fashion. It is an honor for
me to work with someone I admire so much. I know he will bring something
special to Vionnet’s Demi-Couture collection”.
The Beautiful Sound of Silence - From the sparkling dew of a Spring dawn to a garden in bountiful bloom,
GEORGES HOBEIKA’s Spring/Summer 2014 Haute Couture collection envisions nature’s gorgeous
harmony.
Another 'Throwback' to Paris Haute Couture with some wonderful backstage
moments on Giambattista Valli Spring/Summer 2014 Haute Couture.
Throwback to Paris Haute Couture with some of my backstage moments on VALENTINO Spring/Summer 2014 Haute Couture.
The Stéphane Rolland's Haute Couture collection, for Spring/Summer 2014,
is a real sunset. A warm color palette, from orange mango to yellow,
mixed with tangerine, saffron and a touch of black and white. The
models' silhouette is wrapped in garments that resemble sculptures
without ever appearing rigid.
'ALEXANDRE VAUTHIER Spring 2014 Couture'
Alexandre Vauthier pumped up the artistic side of his
Spring/Summer 2014 Couture collection. Braided leather added edge and
texture to his body-hugging
looks, while macramé tops and dresses — some were entirely knotted from
hand-woven ropes — gave off an ethnic flair. Alexander Vauthier is
somewhat beach-bound, giving surf gear a sleek revamp, sans a pair of
sunglasses or a neon bikini in sight.
'Promise Of Spring - ELIE SAAb Spring 2014 Couture'
INSPIRED by the work of Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, the nineteenth-century Dutch artist painted
scenes from the Roman Empire. His subjects always seemed to be reclining
amid marble statuary, and there was a good chance that the
Mediterranean Sea was shimmering in the background.
'The Cambon Club | CHANEL Spring 2014 Couture'
Minimalist staging set the tone for the Chanel Spring/Summer 2014 Haute
Couture show. Beneath the domed glass ceiling of the Grand Palais, a
stage consisting of glowing white walls and polished steel panels
revealed a large staircase from which models emerged at the show’s
opening.
'ARMANI Prive´Spring 2014 Couture'
The fashion proceedings, which you see here, were centered on two of Giorgio Armani’s
career-long themes: his interest in Asian cultures, filtered through
his deep love of early black-and-white movies. Both influences were
apparent in almost everything he showed.
'Zuhair Murad Spring 2014 Couture'
Inspirations straight from Garden Eden, the mystical garden segment of Zuhair Murad's Spring/Summer 2014 Couture collection
overall contained a
multitude of camellias, roses, peonies, gentian, and more, all
shimmering atop gowns, jumpsuits, and cocktail frocks.
'Bejeweled Impact by Giambattista Valli Spring 2014 Couture'
Most outstanding: a beautiful strapless
dress with a pale ivory whoosh of tulle skirt and a pale pink bodice
with a veiled flower embroidery, anchored with a deep black ribbon, tied
in a bow.
Some days before Paris Haute Couture Week, I relished an exceptional couture moment with
Albrecht Ollendiek in his Frankfurt based haute couture showroom.
A very private appointment in a very private space of haute couture
- Saalgasse 10, Frankfurt. So excited, because Albrecht is one of my
favourite couturiers since more than 15 years and his
annual couture shows at Schlosshotel Kronberg are renomed as a fashionable highlight in the
Rhein-Main area.
'Ethereal Haute Couture by VALENTINO'
The design duo of the moment, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli took their inspiration for the VALENTINO Spring 2014 Haute Couture from "the most fantastical Italian opera possible". They took us in a "beyond exquisite"
embroidered flora and fauna - Garden of Eden - the runway was a special
hand painted catwalk, painted by the Roman operatic house.
'3-D Floral Sequins by DIOR Spring 2014 Couture'
When Raf Simons arrived at Christian Dior nearly two years ago, he had to personally meet every single member of
the ateliers who painstakingly labor to create things of such lyrical
beauty that oftentimes it barely looks like a human hand has ever
touched them. Flash ahead to this week, and Simons used his exquisite
spring 2014 couture to honor all that les petites mains do at
Dior.
'Atelier Versace Spring 2014 Couture'
"A juxtaposition of glamour and mystery, with cinched-in poise meeting
the fluidity and provocation of Grace Jones. Different ways with
draping: sculpted and controlled to highlight the
lines of sleek tailoring, or liberated and sensual for fluid silk jersey
dresses."
