Paris Haute Couture - The Wave
Summer 2017 Collection

The assigned theme: The Wave, as inspired by Katsushika Hokusai's woodblock print of "Under the Wave off Kanagawa," ca. 1830–32.

Material Selection

The class got entrée to Paris' famed Maison Lognon to view their plethora of pleated samples and pleat molds and to Maison Lesage to see their collection of over 70,000 embroidery samples. Both ateliers' exquisite handwork inspired us to strive for haute couture details in our own work. ​

Initial Design Developments

The Spiral Surface

Ocean waves crashing and uniting inspired this design. After visiting Lognon, I knew that I wanted to use thin accordion pleats that easily move and can be manipulated. I chose a Crêpe De Chine because its pleats can retain their shape while having such a light quality. Keeping my pleats in the desired spiral required lots of pinning, tacking, interfacing, and a base layer. The pleated spiral appeared très sophistiqué. White caps of ocean waves inspired the feathery texture.

The Winged Silhouette

After more research, sketches, and draping, I chose an organza and a feathered fabric, which I seamed together, hemmed all edges, and sent to Maison Lognon for pleating. Thereafter, some aspects of my original design had to change to allow the fabric to lay and flow naturally. I loved the result!