Stephanie Coudert: Flowing Geometrical Shapes
By Mari Davis
Photos by FW

PARIS, Jul 7, 2004/ FW/ --- Stephanie Coudert, the newest name on the haute couture calendar entitled her collection, “Silent Clothes,” a collection of flowing garments using geometrical shapes that is interesting and eye-catching.

With Didier Grumbach, president of the Fédération Française de la Couture sitting at the front row, the young designer’s “Silent Clothes” spoke volumes as it turned haute couture into an avant-garde affair complete with raw edges and uneven hemlines.

Unfinished hemlines with evident fringes, horizontal stripes that whorled and curved at times, circular flat crystals sewn together like armor and Amish hats worn with military bearings – the collection was a convergence of ideas and shapes that are beautiful when taken one by one, but did not gel when taken as a whole.

It’s not that the collection was not beautiful. Each piece was carefully crafted and striking in each own right. But there were a lot of little inconsistencies that took away from the collection, like a needle and thread that was left on the garment. It did not look as if it was part of the look. It was as if a careless seamstress left it there by accident.

The fringed hemlines looked like the fabric was just ripped, with several long threads hanging all the way towards the floor. Hence, instead of looking like it was designed that way, it was again seen as carelessness.

In haute couture, attention to details is a must, wherein every aspect of the construction of the garment is supervised. These little mistakes took away from the beauty of the collection. And the saddest part all - this could have been a good launch pad for a very young designer. Instead what is remembered is the mistakes instead of the splendor of the collection.

Stephanie Coudert

Stephanie Coudert

Stephanie Coudert

Stephanie Coudert