The Swelle Life

Ice and Snow: Xuan-Thu Nguyen Couture Winter 2010/11

When I saw the video of Xuan-Thu Nguyen's Winter Couture 2010/11 show, my heart soared and sunk all at once. It soared due to the abundance of exquisiteness and it sank because I was supposed to have been there taking it all in firsthand. (I had to renew my Canadian passport and it didn't come back in time to make the trip from England to Paris. The pity party I threw for myself was a rip-roaring good time.) Thu - she goes by the second part of her first name - is a friend; we met when I lived in Paris and I became an instant, rabid fan of her work which revolves around elegant and whimsical shapes and textures that are couture quality even in her prêt-à-porter. This couture collection is my favourite and that's saying a lot considering my smitten-ness was already sealed in concrete.

Thu's concept for winter centres around change, and in the spirit of physical transformation takes inspiration from ice - big chunks contrasted with the softness of snow and melting ice, which unlike a lot of inspirational reference points can be inferred without explanation at first glance of its key pieces.

A Xuan-Thu Nguyen collection wouldn't be complete without something that isn't quite what it seems. In the past we've seen fox 'fur' stoles made out of flowers and here we have 'fur' sculptures in the form of a lush wrap and a skirt made entirely of linen fibres. The details appear as icy flowers, drops of crystal and shifted layers.

As the models walked right up to the front row so guests could have a close look at the details, no doubt hearts were melting, too.

 

 

 

Watch what happened 'avant' the show:

 

 

And here's the show:

 

Xuan-Thu Nguyen's Exquisite Strip Show

No, I haven't resorted to reviewing the costumes of exotic dancers for blog content, though that would be hilarious. It would certainly be a unique front row experience. Funny, I'd actually get to see the clothes longer than I would at an actual collections show! (Not sure there's value in that, however...)

Ahem. I had the absolute pleasure of attending Xuan-Thu Nguyen's couture show in Paris a little while back. You may be familiar with her if you've read this and this. And I already talked about my evening at her Paris atelier and boutique the night before her show here. So let's get right into the collection!

Thu is known for her detail which can be both exquisite and whimsical. She uses lots of pleats, specially designed and placed pockets, hand embroidery, stoles made not of fur but handcrafted flowers (see first photo below), and her signature feature at the moment is a layering and intermingling of strips of silk to create luxuriously textured and dimensional dresses, skirts and jackets.

Some of these photos I took, and the straight-on runway shots are from Vogue Paris. The Vogue site allowed for zooming in on detail (a great feature for a show like Thu's!) so I'm able to show the fantastic shoes, all of which are designed by Xuan-Thu Nguyen. I got a shot of two flower-embellished pairs backstage (I was so entranced with the clothes I hadn't noticed the shoes until after) but most of the girls were changed within a few minutes, so I was lucky to get anything!

The ribbons on the dress and the overlapping strips on the shoes look like some kind of exquisite exo-skeleton:

The way this skirt moves is incredible to watch. I'm not sure how many layers it took to build it up but it's quite weighty and is an entity unto itself - it commands absolute attention as it floats by.

These pants might appear to make the model look terribly hippy in the photo, but they are divine in person, I swear to you. One of Thu's signature features from this and recent collections is extended pockets that give the pants a clean, sculptural quality. I love her ribbon treatment on the shoes:

Again, the photo below does not do this outfit justice. When I was at Thu's atelier the night before, a model was being filmed walking in it. It was the first piece I saw from her collection and it was so chic and so original I wanted to cry. The fabric is some kind of nubby knit with metallic threads running through it - so gorgeously textured. The outfit prompted a standing ovation at the show. I wish I had photos of the pants from behind, they are very sculptural and created a shape that is quite odd yet extremely feminine and flattering. Sounds like those two elements can't co-exist? That's why it got an ovation.

Isn't this jacket amazing? It was sans sleeves the night before the show (it works just as brilliantly as a vest) and I was watching one of Thu's knitters working on it. It's hand-knitted using linen ribbon with soft metallic threads which looked fairly delicate when just lying there but when it's all woven together it takes on the appearance of raffia.

 

 

I had to snap these two. Although they were engaged in polite after-show conversation, it appears that they are about to have a 'style-off' where I imagine that umbrella would come in handy for posing - double points. I declare a fabulous tie!

  

And here's me and Thu. Have I mentioned she's awesome? Since this is as close to a styled post as it's going to get for a while, here goes: next season Xuan-Thu Nguyen jacket (from her RTW Fall 2009 collection), Cacharel silk dress and Wendy Brandes SmacEnroe necklace.

 

Passing the Time with Pretty, Dead Roses

When I arrived in Paris the other week I went straight to Xuan-Thu Nguyen's atelier and boutique in the Marais to pick up my invitation to her couture show. There was such an excitement in the air on the eve before her collection and it was the perfect welcome back to Paris. The BBC was there filming an interview, photographers were shooting a model walking in one of the looks - a most exquisite pair of nubby black trousers with a jacket that I will soon show - and an embroiderer and a knitter had come up from the busy atelier downstairs to complete the last of the pieces. There was a palpable intensity in the air as there was still so much to do, yet everyone who had a stake in the following day's event offered a smile and a 'Bonsoir' and Thu herself - stressed to the gills - was as sweet and hospitable as ever as my excitement about the collection nearly bubbled over into some kind of embarrassing mess.

As I waited to speak with Thu I was occupied with, or rather fixated on, these gorgeous roses in glass bottles that were scattered on the floor in her front window around the base of an installation that Thu later explained had been on display in a gallery in the Louvre. The roses were dead; the yellows had faded and the edges browned while the lilacs and purples were still saturated with colour, and the combined effect was romantic and lovely. I took pictures of this calm little haven when I felt I wouldn't be interfering with the goings-on by doing so. Thu told me almost apologetically that the flowers were alive when they were brought in but I thought the look was intended. Without seeing them alive I thought I most certainly preferred them dead. The same doesn't work for food, though. I forgot about a slice of brie in the fridge once and I'd for sure say it was better when it was new. 

 

Xuan-Thu Nguyen's Blooming, Foxy Haute Couture

I've taken a bit long to follow-up my interview with Xuan-Thu Nguyen with looks from her haute couture show in January, but the timing is just right as I'm leaving for Paris tomorrow to attend her Fall/Winter haute couture show on Tuesday (and yes, I'm stupid with excitement) and this makes for a nice teaser/prelude.

If you read the interview you know what makes Thu's garments so special is the detail, which goes beyond simple embellishment. Many of the looks she sent down the runway for her spring/summer show began as one thing and transformed into another - specifically, jackets and dresses that bloomed when unsnapped. And then there's the fox stole made entirely of flowers:

When I think of haute couture I think of exquisite detail upon exquisite detail, a piece of clothing that at first glance blurs the eyes and leaves you compelled to stare in the hopes of unravelling the glorious chaos. Xuan-Thu Nguyen delivers this with an undeniable joy.

These colours combined with the various smocking techniques
and those strippy bows is just delicious





 


A 'fox' capelet


I love how the shoes give a hint as to what's
hidden beneath the snaps of the dress (header photo)


Notice the subtle embroidery on the top.
The print on that skirt is a dream.


What a stunner. Both the front and back offer something
beautiful and unique with the elegant ruching and those
strips that are somehow chaotic and sublime at once:

 

Here's the video of the show where you can see some of the detail a bit better and watch the clothes transform:

When I visited Thu's boutique in the Marais in April I got to see her couture necklaces which look fun at first glance but they are much more than that. They take four days to make - each 'bead', like an exquisite ball of twine, is created by hand and the technique is the designer's secret. In fact, a major retail chain copied Thu's design but made them cheaply and no surprise, they fell apart and had to be recalled after a week. H. and. M.

The metallic fibres and the thick, wooly yarn each offer their own
wonderful texture, and they feel lovely on

Little fabric dolls that are fun as brooches


Those shoes - the ones I love so much I asked Thu
if I could use them for my banner!




A jacket with exquisite broderie anglaise

I'll report back fromt the show Tuesday night, hopefully with some good photos! Bisous!

Designer Profile Paris: Xuan-Thu Nguyen

When I was in Paris I had the opportunity to meet and interview Xuan-Thu Nguyen (pronounced Swan-Toe nuh-WEN), an extraordinary haute couture and prêt-à-porter designer whose approach to each isn't altogether different; when it comes to materials and execution she spares nothing to perfectly produce the design in her head, at times closing that typically wide divide between couture and ready to wear. Her mix of Old World skill and care with innovative techniques results in garments and accessories that are at once exquisitely crafted and fashion-forward.

The interview originally ran at Amelia's Magazine and here I'm able to say a bit more about Thu and her creations. During my visit to her boutique in the Marais I got to see first-hand her incredible couture colliers, or neckpieces, and her unique brand of detailing that ranges from the beautifully decorative and delicate to her ingenious modifications to functional elements like button holes on shirts and pocket placement on coats. (I'll have to show those in a follow-up post, there's just too much amazingness for one. And those are her shoes in my banner!)

What puts Thu over the top for me is just how committed she is to creating truly special garments with no compromise in their quality at any point in the process. In a world of fast fashion and cheap labour for inflated profit margins it's both a relief and a treat to meet a person who is wholly true to her craft.

I'll be attending her show at Paris Haute Couture week in July and I am excited to bits to see what she's created for the fall season, so to speak - read on to see how Thu doesn't really care for seasonal constraints like 'appropriate' fabrics and colours (I just adore her!):

Tell us a bit about yourself, Thu?

I was born in Vietnam and grew up in Holland. When I was 10 years old I wanted to become a florist, but I always wanted to design, so I decided to go fashion design school. Upon graduating in 1999 I started my own label in Amsterdam before coming to Paris to open my boutique four years later, in 2005. I began showing my prêt-à-porter collections at Paris fashion week then added the haute couture, which I've been showing since July, 2008.

Can you take us through your creative process?

I design in my head, see the pattern and work out the adjustments before I begin putting anything together. In school I would do up the sketches after I'd made the garment! I have so many ideas, it can be difficult to focus on one thing and I have to separate my ideas and choose one direction. Sometimes the starting point is something as simple as a colour, a shape or a technique.  My creations are a mixture of modern and geometric pleated shapes with fragile and delicate accents like handmade embroideries. I use natural fabrics like 100% cotton, silk or wool which give the garment even more of a delicate expression. 

Do you work with a design team?

 

No, I design everything myself.

Where is your prêt-à-porter made?

Some pieces, like the accessories, are made here in Paris. I do the first few myself. The prêt-à-porter is made in Holland. My parents own a textile factory there and the numbers I need are small enough that I'm able to produce there.

Do you find that allows you to control the production?

Yes, I have some unique finishing processes that I've had to work hard to get right on the production side, but in the end I've gotten things made as I want them. I could have my clothes made in China, but for me, it's not about bigger profits.

With that kind of commitment to detail in your prêt-à-porter it seems you blur the lines a bit between that and your haute couture collection, would you agree with this?

You could say that. I will do some prêt-à-porter pieces like haute couture, like if I really want to use an expensive fabric or trim I will, or I might spend a lot of time to get the detail just right. Many of my pieces look very simple from the outside but have a lot of work on the inside. It's not about making a big show of it; these are likely things that just the wearer and I will know. (Ed. note: While browsing Thu’s Paris boutique I noticed some examples of this understated yet significant detailing: her placement of jacket side pockets, invisible button holes on shirts and the extensive finishing on the underside creates clean lines and gives the garment a polished simplicity. Truly chic.)

Your Fall/Winter 2009 collection is very light and summery; what was your thinking behind that?

I don't really follow the seasons; I design what I want to at that time. Also, many people live in places where they don't have winter or they need clothes for warm holidays, and I don't want to restrict myself to working in just wools and dark colours or be dictated by a season. And we could all use some brightening up during the winter!

What's next for Xuan-Thu Nguyen?

We're working on launching the brand in Asia for 2010...

 swelle.

 

What I've shown here are pieces from her F/W 2009 RTW collection (I'm coming home from Paris with that silver blue blazer, I fell for it from the photos and then happened to run into Thu on the metro and she was wearing it with one of her couture colliers in red and that sold it for me, it looked amazing. (Though I noticed she hadn't 'roughed up' the panels on the sleeves as they were styled in the photos. Will I??)

Watch for the follow-up post with photos and the story behind those colliers, plus looks from her spring 2009 Haute Couture collection - including the 'fox' stole made entirely of handmade flowers.