Early this year during Paris Haute Couture Week, visionary designer Kévin Germanier joined forces with the historic, Geneva-based maison of writing instruments and fine arts Caran d’Ache. Skillfully upcycling the house’s kaleidoscopic pencils, Germanier created a one-of-a-kind masterpiece for his inaugural Haute Couture presentation at Palais de Tokyo in January. In his trademark, pioneering fashion, the designer collaborated closely with Caran d’Ache, producing an otherworldly piece invoking the spontaneity, illusions, and grandeur of Mother Nature and beyond.
Whitewall had the opportunity to speak to Germanier about beloved memories growing up with Caran d’Ache in Switzerland, sharing a powerful ethos of sustainability with the iconic brand, and bringing his signature, upcycled aesthetic to the star-studded stage.
Courtesy of Kévin Germanier and Caran d’Ache.
Courtesy of Kévin Germanier and Caran d’Ache.
WW: Can you describe your childhood memories of experimenting with Caran d’Ache pencils, what kind of artistic inspiration did they provoke within you?
KÉVIN GERMANIER: As a kid growing up in Switzerland, Caran d’Ache was everywhere: at school, at home. My first memory is of my teacher using those iconic bi-color pencils (blue and red). And of course, the moment I received my own box of Caran d’Ache colored pencils, which I still have to this day.
“As a kid growing up in Switzerland, Caran d’Ache was everywhere,”
Kévin Germanier
WW: When did you first become aware of the important role that sustainability plays in the heart of Caran d’Ache’s philosophy?
KG: Caran d’Ache isn’t just about Swiss excellence; they are embedding sustainability as much as they can in what they do. It resonated with me because my approach to fashion is making beauty out of what’s already here.
WW: How does this ethos of respect for the environment and its inhabitants align with your own principles and practice?
KG: Since the beginning of being a designer, even when I was a student, I’ve been committed to upcycling and sustainability. I believe in giving forgotten materials a second life, in transforming them into couture. Caran d’Ache’s respect for craftsmanship and responsibility mirrors my own values.
“Caran d’Ache’s respect for craftsmanship and responsibility mirrors my own values,”
Kévin Germanier
WW: What was the inception of this meaningful collaboration with the Geneva-based Maison—to create a Haute Couture garment of colored pencils and pens?
KG: It all started with a visit of Caran d’Ache’s manufacture in Geneva. I discovered the inside of the Maison and how much craftsmanship and human touches there are in their manufacturing process. The idea of creating a Couture piece entirely from Caran d’Ache upcycled products came from me.
Kévin Germanier’s First Haute Couture Show Radiates in Paris
WW: What were some of your initial sentiments on preparing for your first Haute Couture show in Paris?
KG: It was surreal. I was stepping into one of fashion’s most prestigious arenas—but doing it my way, with upcycled materials and a Swiss soul. I felt incredibly proud, a bit nervous and very excited to share a different vision of Couture.
WW: What was the creative process like with Caran d’Ache creating the magnificent piece, and what unique elements of fine craftsmanship did you each bring to the endeavor?
KG: The creative process with Caran d’Ache was an intense and truly collaborative journey. It wasn’t just about repurposing their products, it was about transforming them into something unrecognizable, something magical.
“The creative process with Caran d’Ache was an intense and truly collaborative journey,”
Kévin Germanier
We collected used pens and pencils from their boutiques around the world, and in my Paris atelier, my team and I started cutting, shaping, and reinventing them, assembling everything by hand.
WW: The garment and its accessories evoke the mathematical perfection of Mother Nature as well as its spontaneity, illusions, and grandeur? Did nature itself play a role in your inspirations?
KG: I always take inspiration from raw material. It is always my starting point that drives everything.
A Prismatic and Luxurious Celebration of Design, Fashion, and Sustainability
Courtesy of Kévin Germanier and Caran d’Ache.
Courtesy of Kévin Germanier and Caran d’Ache.
WW: What makes this project an important step forward in the sphere of upcycling, and what kind of dialogues do you hope it sparks within the fashion industry?
KG: This project shows that upcycling can be luxurious. We used donated pencils and pens and turned them into an object of desire.
“This project shows that upcycling can be luxurious,”
Kévin Germanier
WW: You stated that with this work you wanted to have “a true celebration of color, a pure explosion.” How did you choose this color palette and what emotions do you feel such vibrant shades evoke in viewers?
KG: Color is everything to me, it’s my DNA. I actually worked with the pens and pencils that were collected so I didn’t choose the color palette.
WW: How do you see the overlapping of luxury and sustainability as a profound space for new thought and pioneering perspectives that are vital in today’s world?
KG: In my opinion, sustainability should be fully integrated in fashion during the design process, it should be the norm. True innovation comes from limitations, from finding new ways to create beauty without compromising the planet.
WW: What was the experience like utilizing unused pens and pencils which were donated to Caran d’Ache in an eco-friendly initiative and having the community involved in this way?
KG: Knowing these objects were once used by real people, then donated to be reborn in a Couture piece—that’s powerful. It connected us to the community, to memory, to transformation.
Inside Kévin Germanier’s Studio of Creative Freedom
Courtesy of Kévin Germanier and Caran d’Ache.
WW: What is a typical day like in your studio, is it a more rigid or freeform space?
KG:It’s definitely more freeform. Every day is different, we have to adapt to last minute requests, and be very flexible.
Do you have future plans to collaborate further with Caran d’Ache?
KG: Yes, definitely, but I can’t say more. Stay tuned and expect the unexpected!
WW: What upcoming projects can we look forward to seeing from you?
KG: Another very exciting project I have coming up is designing the costumes for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025. It’s such an iconic event—full of colour, performance, and creative freedom. I’m bringing my signature upcycled aesthetic to the stage, creating looks that are bold.
Courtesy of Kévin Germanier and Caran d’Ache.
Courtesy of Kévin Germanier and Caran d’Ache.
