A meeting of the East and West occurred at the Aouadi couture presentation this week in Paris. Designer Yacine Aouadi felt inspired by the ancient city of Cordoba and the medieval kingdom of Al-Andalus for the fall/winter 2016-17 collection.
Aouadi’s collection acted as a cauldron of creativity with the blending of armor-fur, cuirass-corset, camail-cape, and spaulder-crop tops. Set against an industrial landscape were the elegant shades of emerald, ruby, and amethyst. Thirteen silhouettes were presented with interchanging dimensional perceptions, curving and concaving with contour and embroidery.
Courtesy of AouadiHaunting figures posed on singular rugs, exalting poise and coolness while casting angular shadows. Naturalist elements remained embroidered in the fabric, influenced by naïve art and the landscapes painted by Douanier Rousseau. Short suits with a reverse tailcoat sported the designer’s initials molded into an abstract monogram, created by the Lesage workshops.
The collection vibrated a medieval regality in the modern world. Its sharp silky air paid homage to the elegant decadence of Andalusia, a time with extravagance within an intercultural phenomenon.
