COURRÈGES IS MAKING A COMEBACK. ITS LATEST SHOW DESIGN USED SPATIAL ART TO SYMBOLIZE THAT
Photo Courtesy of Courrèges
12 oct 2022, for frame
Location
16 Rue André Campra, 93210 Saint-Denis, France
Design, Art
Brand
Production
A spatial-art installation devised by Théo Mercier simulated sand and waves on Courrèges’ last runway, a set developed to express time's effect on garments.
Key features
Courrèges’ SS23 fashion show was held in the dazzling white-box studios of Les Studios Du Lendit Paris, spaces that belong to live-TV programme producer AMP Visual TV. Barefoot models entered the show from an outside space, walking around a circular inset filled with sand. As the performance evolved, a thin blast of sand from the ceiling – barely visible in the beginning – gained weight, creating a crater in the floor. This progression was accompanied by the sound of breaking waves, a soundtrack composed for the occasion by Sene and Hyd. A major role was given to light: all the focus was kept on the erosion of the space while clothes were shrouded by shadows. By the end of the fashion show, the artificial beach at the TV studios was transformed into a live, pulsating hourglass of vegetable sand made of nutshells.
Frame's take
The scene on set was a spatial expression of the potent notion of elapsed time, referring to the legacy of Courrèges’ namesake, Space Age couturier André Courrèges. Artistic director Nicolas Di Felice aimed for the show to represent the late designer’s love for modern architecture and technology. By collaborating with Théo Mercier – whose art contrasts the staging of surrealistic worlds and directing the spectator's mental journey among sand sculptures and performers – Di Felice offers his interpretation of the house values he honours: simplicity, clarity, and optimism. Courrèges used the idea of futurism as a metaphor for youth, and the runway design symbolizes the heritage brand’s revival and journey into an ephemeral, unexplored future.