ArdAzAei presented its sophomore couture collection, The Diffraction of Light, at the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris, July 4, 2023
A study of luminescence through the medium of couture, The Diffraction of Light debuts a variety of custom-developed textiles which accentuate the interplay of light on fabric as they gently fold and drape around silhouettes inspired by the geometry of gemstones, and the stunning patterns that come about when we shine a light through them.
A collection of 24 looks, The Diffraction of Light showcases hand-crafted couture techniques of smocking, pleating, embroidery, and appliqué, in order to create the effect of light radiating from a garment. The theme of light is also interpreted, quite literally, through the use of the lightest of fabrics, often sheer, to reveal the meticulous attention to detailof their construction, and how their true beauty comes from within.
These ideas are exemplified in the ‘Polaris’ dress. The result of a months-long collaboration between ArdAzAei, the world-renowned folding artist Joan Sallas, and the Paris-based pleating specialists Les Ateliers Lognon, ‘Polaris’ is composed of fine silk woven with a semi-sheer metallic lurex that reflects the light like the sun shimmering on the ocean and features threedimensional pleats carefully folded to form the ArdAzAei emblem, itself informed by the diffraction of light through a gemstone, and designed by M/M (Paris).
Geometry is a recurring theme. The ‘Vega’ dress, made of a fine silk, takes inspiration from an ornamental ceiling in the ancient Persian city of Yazd, its elaborate mathematics informing the composition of the dress’ plissé, appliqué, and intricately embroidery beads, sequins, and silver threads. The collection also presents bespoke jacquard fabrics, patterned with the atomic structure of the mineral Beryl, applied to an impeccably tailored suit and a gown with a long train, both geometrically cut to create the ArdAzAei stone cut.
The collection’s asymmetric lines and geometric shapes are contrasted by soft, voluminous draping, as seen in ‘June’. An evening dress defined by its featherlight layers of silk chiffon, organza and shimmering silver lurex swirling gracefully around the body, over 850 hours, and 200 meters of silk were required to create its sumptuous volume. Through working with France’s most skilled couture artisans, the theme of lightness is also applied to a uniquely supple, vegetable-tanned Swedish reindeer leather, crafted to drape and swirl around the body.
“The Diffraction of Light is at the heart of ArdAzAei’s design philosophy, a phenomenon I have been exploring since I studied gemology and discovered the optics which expose how a gem’s beauty is a reflection of its inner world,” creative director Bahareh Ardakani says. “This is why ArdAzAei puts so much focus on developing our own fabrics and working with France’s most esteemed craftspeople to construct our couture, as it’s through the attention paid to a garment’s inner world that its outer radiance is revealed.” As such, ArdAzAei is proud that over a quarter of the couture creations within The Diffraction of Light are certified according to GOTS, the Global Organic Textile Standard (certified by Ecocert Greenlife 257263).
Artistic Direction: M/M (Paris)
Styling: Emmanuelle Alt
Casting: Piergiorgio Del Moro
Hair: Duffy
Make up: Diane Kendal
Music: Frédéric Sanchez
Production: La Mode en Images
PR: Lucien Pagès Communication
The runway show video will be visible from July 5, 2023 on www.ardazaei.com.
The Diffraction of Light couture collection is available to view by appointment at the ArdAzAei showroom, 11 rue Saint-Florentin, 75008 Paris. For enquires please contact: melanie@Ardazaei.com, Phone: +33 (0) 64 97 17 93 3
About ArdAzAei
With ateliers in Paris and Stockholm, ArdAzAei is where Persian heritage, Nordic minimalism, and French savoir-faire collide. Founded in 2021 by Bahareh Ardakani, ArdAzAei presented its debut couture collection, Midnight in the Persian Garden, in the Salles de Textiles of Paris’ Musée des Arts et Métiers during last July’s Haute Couture week. As a luxury womenswear brand engaged in the search for the sublime ArdAzAei eschews trend-based consumption to instead offer made-to-measure couture which informs an annual prêt-à-porter collection, released in drops according to the seasons.
ArdAzAei Couture and the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)
In order to realise such intricate forms of construction, ArdAzAei is made in France in collaboration with highly skilled couture artisans focused on upholding the highest craftsmanship and material standards. ArdAzAei only works with textile suppliers that can reveal the details of the origins and processes behind its products, tracing each fabric right through the supply chain of raw materials, yarn spinners, weavers, print and dyeing techniques. Transparency also relates to how the company operates. As such, ArdAzAei received the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certificate in 2022 (certified by Ecocert Greenlife 257263). GOTS is the leading textile processing standard for organic fibres, which assesses a number of ecological and social-ethical criteria of the entire textile supply chain, covering not just the fabric used, but the entire end-product.
For press enquiries:please contact Lucien Pagès Communication: ardazaei@lucienpages.com
For enquiries: contact@ArdAzAei.com, Phone: +33 (0) 64 97 17 93 3
ArdAzAei Paris SAS, 11 rue Saint-Florentin, 75008 Paris, France, VAT: FR60951704152 Web: ArdAzAei.com contact@ArdAzAei.com.
