Ludovic Winterstan and Thamanyah: The Dark Poetry of Couture
The fresh generation of haute couture fashion designers draw from dark poetry in the footsteps of Alexander McQueen, Rick Owens and Gareth Pugh.
Sometimes Paris Fashion Week surprises us in unexpected places. With opposite styles but with the same passion for fashion, Ludovic Winterstan and Thamanyah showed signs that the new generation is ready to take over in Paris.
In the last moments of the Couture Week, when journalists are already tired but still there waiting to be impressed, Ludovic Winterstan presented his second collection, Rupture. Despite the collection’s title and some red and white pieces marking the transition from the last season, he showed on his sexy warrior women on the catwalk the same dark poetry that had seduced the audience at his debut six months before.
We liked the metal pieces that gave a medieval mood to the show, but also the Swarovski embroidery, which reminds, along with the profusion of lace, leather and feathers, that this is really all about couture. The young French designer, professionally trained in his country, is proud to manufacture and produce in France. In our era of intense globalization, this kind of design statement needs reporting.
Thamanyah comes from a totally different background but he too talks about new warriors. Born in Dubai, Ahmed Abdelrahman, the man behind the label, divides his life between Paris, where he studied, Italy, where he manufacturers, and the United Arab Emirates. Blending gulf influences with Italian tailoring, he draws on the traditional kandora and other Oriental influences to reinvent a contemporary wardrobe. The beautiful maxi sweaters in wool, cotton and cashmere provide the element of comfort, while the impressive boots and well finished tailored coats complement the post-gender silhouette, creating a perfect dark shell.
Abdelrahman was discovered by Michèle Lamy, fashion designer Rick Owens’ business partner and wife, who encouraged him to present his work in Paris. And while for a designer like Winterstan the legacy of Alexander McQueen is obvious, for Abdelrahman, Rick Owens is the key influence. If buyers get as excited as they have been with Gareth Pugh, another of Lamy’s protégé, the young designer from Dubai has a bright future ahead of him. •
Main image
Thamanyah. Couture Collection 2016.
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