Sharing and Transmission – an offering of infinite depth and sensuality.
Review of Stéphane Rolland Spring 2024 Couture Fashion Show
By Lizzy Bowring
THE COLLECTION
THE VIBE
La Salle Pleyel, inaugurated in 1927, is the only symphony concert hall in Paris and is considered one of the largest French halls of the 20th century. It was within this magnificent space that Stephane Rolland presented his collection. But it was not just any collection. There has always been a tradition at the music hall that renowned artists would offer their stage as an opening act to the young who endeavored to present their art.
Stephane Rolland collaborated with Xavier Romatet from the French Institute of Fashion and Veronique Beaumont from ESMOD to believe in his idea of providing a workshop and project selection for 20 students. These students presented their work before the Stephane Rolland Collection. Heartfelt is the word; this collection was just that, from the superb student endeavors to the artistic, creative Haute couture presentation.
The result can be breathtaking when diverse creative forms, such as Art, film, and Fashion, come together. In such a vast and inspiring venue, an immense screen portrayed a film of the desert. Evocative, moving, and mesmerizing, it gave the viewer an immersive escapism – to get lost in soft, rippling sands, with the sound of the wind caressing undulating dunes – offering infinite depth and sensuality, the atmosphere serene. From this canvas, Rolland’s models calmly emerged to traverse the runway; beauteous silhouettes robed in flowing gowns, each crafted to protect, cocoon, and subtly reveal.
And just as the sun rises, shifts, and sinks beneath the horizon, the colors and silhouettes shift with the day – tones of dawn, ochre, pink, brown, and blue. Terracotta appeared in the softest cashmere burnous; an oversized hooded tunic came dusted in powdered rosewood gazar. East and West met and mingled to converge in a precious balance of sinuous silhouettes; each piece articulated to reflect the movement of the feminine form. Long tunics of white gazar were intricately adorned with sand roses in porcelain or gold silicone. A long brown silhouette came ebbed in veiled satin and brushed steel. At the same time, an asymmetrical scarf enveloped our Amazonian Nomad, draped in sunburnt gazar, the seams braided in leather and embroidered with crystal. Embellishments of gold burst with audacity as a visionary ornament for the nomad of tomorrow while a set of Deep Turag blue tunics cut in raffia and embroidered with diamonds followed serenely behind. Other embellishments were of chiseled stones set in gold or brown gold like bark, sculptural and organic, while swathes of material were tucked intricately to reveal and caress – every piece a work of art in the hands of Rolland.
Buzzwords: Cocooning, Serene, Nomadic, Desert hues, Organic Embellishments, Immersive
THE SHOWSTOPPER
Look # 24
This gown is one of several that showcased the designer’s creative narrative. It may not be sleek and slender, but it follows the dimensions of many of the gowns presented. The style is confident, sophisticated, and timeless, has an open back, and is embroidered with handcrafted raffia and crystals, providing the illusion of extravagance.
THE DIRECTION
THE QUOTE
The inspiration was diverse, but I called it Transmission. I wanted to bring this image of peace and beauty and a message of positivity to this horrible world. To show, through the students, that a new generation is blossoming and to give them just a quick help – they are our future. And in my collection, I just wanted to bring positive energy. With beauty, a smooth attitude, and fluidity. I used the desert because there are no boundaries in the desert.
THE WRAP UP
Sometimes, there is a collection that may not tick all the ‘right commercial’ boxes, even if we remind ourselves that this is Haute Couture and the premise is that these are unique creations, the penultimate of artisanal creativity. But there is something extraordinarily special about a designer who has a hand on his heart and is not afraid to transmit and share; added to this, he also delivers the penultimate through an unabashed artistic narrative. Stephane Rolland is one such creative – this collection stands as a shining example of Haute Couture as it should be.
As dusk faded, the desert procession paused momentarily, and La Salle Pleyel reverberated from the rafters with a hushed emotional admiration as the last silhouette was serenaded to the finale by a lone ‘trumpeter.” This collection was a melting pot of different inspiring cultures, appearing and merging as dunes uncovered by the sand. And just as the viewer seemed caught in this ethereal moment, all too were momentarily lost in the calm set before them.
