ArdAzAei Couture Fall 2023
Two shows in and the work of ArdAzAei founder and creative director Bahareh Ardakani is already attracting buzz in the front row, with the likes of reality TV star Lisa Rinna and actress Fan Bingbing rushing backstage to wax lyrical on their outfits.
But that didn’t distract from the sculptural designs Ardakani sent down the runway. The lineup, titled “The Diffraction of Light,” was influenced by her studies in gemology but was also a metaphor on the invisible mechanics that make a couture shine.
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Construction was key here, even when a distracting oversize bow or surfeit of ruffles came to play. The strongest looks were those where structure prevailed, either through sharp tailoring or driven by pleating and embroidery work.
Among them the opening look, all high neck, strong shoulders and a draped straight skirt; a formfitting dress with thin straps with embroidered metal beads that looked like thin chains draped down the front; a slim suit cut from a silk, cotton and Lurex jacquard in a graphic pattern taking its cues from the atomic structure of beryls.
The final high-neck gown, all geometric pleating and metallic Lurex, was a collaboration with Catalonian folding artist Joan Sallas as well as the artisans of Chanel-owned pleating specialist Atelier Lognon. Angular as the starting point was — a segment was pinned on a board backstage — it came alive with the model’s every step.
Ardakani said she wanted to continue a slow and steady approach, focusing on her couture and coming ready-to-wear developments, in particular their sustainability credentials. After receiving the Global Organic Textile Standard certificate last year, the designer indicated that a quarter of her fall designs met its criteria.
For all the science and textile engineering at play, it’s Ardakani’s knack for poetry in fabric form that charmed.
Launch Gallery: ArdAzAei Couture Fall 2023
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