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.
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Heart-stoppers included a scarlet jacket in strips of astrakhan that resembled thick corduroy, and a range of ruffled dresses in color-drenched satins constructed from squares or rectangles. The designer also introduced footwear produced by Massaro with embellishments by jeweler Goossens. (Both houses are part of Chanel’s Métiers d’Art portfolio, as is the Lemarié atelier, a supplier of handmade embroidery, feathers and silk flowers for couture houses and high-end luxury brands, for which Kocher has served as artistic director for seven years.)
That Kocher’s role there continues to nourish her own label is a win-win situation for an industry that has to remain relevant. This designer has pull. This season — just three years into her label she managed to pack the venue, and literally had her name in lights.