Torrente by Julien Fournié: Torrente Pushes Forward
By: Contributing Writer
Photos by FW

PARIS, Jul 6, 2004/ FW/ --- Torrente opened the first full official day of the Fall/Winter 2004 – 2005 haute couture season with its spectacular haute couture collection.

For this most splendid collection, artistic director Julien Fournié took the coveted elegance of the Victorian period and successfully married it to the look and feel of what today’s woman dreams of.

He opened the show with a gold Prince of Wales check suit and a wrap top with flounces in chocolate chiffon. The look was completed with long chocolate gloves and musketeer cuffs. A cameo in mother of pearl, featured the new “signature” rose design that was created in by Fournié in honour of the house’s founder, Mme. Rose Torrente-Mett.

Playing perfectly to the coquettish feel of the day, Fournié sent out a dazzling mini-dress in ivory and gold silk madras. From there followed a precession of beautiful garments, one arguably more beautiful than the other.

Although the collection was inspired by the Victorian period, Fournié was eager to innovate. He created a chocolate gown in organza silk and decorated it with a delicate, crystallized golden garden for an art nouveau twist.

A big black dress with a mirror-like embroidered piece drew gasps of air from the crowd. The delicate embroidery itself and of only a few inches took two weeks to produce by hand.

Of all the beauty and the splendour of this collection and without a doubt, my favourite is look Number 24, a dress with giant balloon sleeves in black silk and satin, with embroidered floral patterns. When I saw it, I said to myself, “Now that’s haute couture!”

Fournié’s bride’s dress is certainly one of the most elegant of this season. It is a mermaid-like sheath with giant balloon sleeves in ivory silk crepe and embroidered taffeta. It is ornamented with 50 crystal butterflies by Lalique.

In an interview with Fashion Windows, Julien Fournié stated that this season Torrente decided to show in its own showroom like in the days of Mr. Dior. The idea is for the clients to be able to see all the work and details that go into a creation by Torrente Haute Couture.

With that said, I couldn’t help but notice the reaction of a certain French television journalist, who sat front row opposite of me. Her commentaries regarding Fournié’s first collection surprised the fashion circles, which had all concerted to its beauty and quality. Somehow or another, each model instinctively stopped in front of her so that she could get a good look. It was as though the models were saying, “Let her eat cake”!

One must also note that the modest Julien Fournié dedicated this show to the team members of the Torrente atelier without whom he feels his work could not find the life that they have.

In an exceptionally rare jest, the young couturier had Madame Martine, his première d’atelier (or lead seamstress) accompany him down the runway to take the well-deserved bow. Such attention and generosity is a most unheard of thing in the exclusive, princess-filled world of haute couture.

Madame Martine, the première of the couture atelier has often compared Fournié to Pierre Balmain. She thanks Julien for allowing her and the atelier the opportunity to pass on certain techniques that are on the couture endangered list.

Torrente is one of only 11 fashion houses to have the prestigious and illusive haute couture label. Of the eleven, only seven along with Torrente are presenting collections to the press this season. They are Christian Dior, Chanel, Dominique Sirop, Christian Lacroix, Jean Paul Gaultier and Jean-Louis Scherrer and Hanae Mori. This Paris based haute couture house is showing its last haute couture show as Mme. Mori has decided to retire and close her couture department.

Torrente by Julien Fournié

Torrente by Julien Fournié

Torrente by Julien Fournié

Torrente by Julien Fournié

Torrente by Julien Fournié