PARIS, Jan 23, 2007/ FW/ --- A graduate of Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale in 1995, Anne Valérie Hash, is now an « habitué » of the Haute Couture runways since she has started showing in 2000 first in the off calendar and then, for some seasons now, on the official one as a ”guest member”.

The French designer who claims she cannot sketch (and never does) has developed her own creative techniques through deconstructing clothes for men, draping, pleating and rebuilding them in her innovative designs.

This is probably the reason why she has been claiming to be and has indeed been called an “androgynous” designer. Some of her previous collections had the charm of grown up girls remembering the time when they were smaller and indulging to wrap themselves in their dad’s suits.

But season after season, Anne Valérie Hash has been perfecting her craft and, although she is still working on the same coherent line, the looks she presented yesterday had definitely gained in refinement, elegance and femininity.

Always showing during the Haute Couture week, she presents in fact her ready-to-wear for the next season with a month of anticipation. She is entitled to do this because the care with which she works is definitely high fashion and the research she does on the pieces sent on her catwalk is certainly very couture.

Actually, she continues to open up a fascinating and viable perspective for the development and future of the couture tradition.

Elaborately creative, her silhouettes in this collection remained simple and may well adapt to many a discreetly elegant woman’s wardrobe for fall 2007. Inventive, technically irreproachable and never outrageous pieces of the best wools created on her runway a set of delicate looks for contemporary young women with style.

Black is in of course, sometimes with a touch of deep blue, for instance on the wide belt of a reasonably short coat. White also in suits with mini skirts is craftily pleated in a front inlay.

Transparency appeared in a wonderful shirt -one of her only prints- of chequered muslin with a simple bàow knot in the front in shades of grey: magic at work here with the big chequered pattern only to remind her menswear tradition on a simple see-through structure.

Many pieces in this collection would deserve a fuller description, including the splendid knitwear and some jackets embroidered with wool threads.

One look tells it all: the upper part consists of a silk organza shirt with a soft bow knot worn on a black woollen puffed skirt. They are tied together by a wide waist-tightener of black wool with white inlays. At first sight you do not know if it is composed with several pieces or built into only one dress. Utterly chic, elegant wearable city looks for daywear and eveningwear alike… the magic of Anne Valérie Hash is at work to reveal the refined taste of the women who will wear her clothes.

Anne Valerie Hash

Anne Valerie Hash

Anne Valerie Hash

Anne Valerie Hash

Anne Valerie Hash

Anne Valerie Hash

Anne Valerie Hash