AT THE AUSTRALIAN EMBASSY IN PARIS
CHRISTOPHER ESBER UNVEILED HIS SPRING SUMMER 26 COLLECTION AT THE AUSTRALIAN
EMBASSY IN PARIS, AS PART OF THE OFFICIAL PARIS FASHION WEEK RUNWAY CALENDAR. A MODERNIST LANDMARK
DESIGNED BY HARRY SEIDLER IN COLLABORATION WITH MARCEL BREUER AND PIER LUIGI NERVI, THE BUILDING’S
ARCHITECTURAL CODES OF STRUCTURE AND BALANCE PROVIDING A RESONANT BACKDROP TO THE BRANDS DESIGN DNA.
THE COLLECTION EXPLORES THE IDEA OF ESCAPING TO PARADISE ONLY TO FIND THAT REALITY DEFIES EXPECTATION. THE
MOMENT YOU ARRIVE AT THE PLACE FOR WHICH YOU’VE BEEN LONGING, BUT REALISE THE PERFECTION YOU IMAGINED
DOESN’T EXIST. THE WIND PICKS UP, THE FABRIC CLINGS, THE BEAUTY IS RAW, UNSETTLED.
DRAWING ON GESTURES OF BEACHWEAR, SHE ADAPTS, RESHAPING GARMENTS IN RESPONSE TO THE ELEMENTS; A TEE
TUCKED INTO A BIKINI, A TOWEL FOLDED INTO A BRIEF, GARMENTS INTERACT WITH THE BODY IN SPONTANEOUS,
INSTINCTIVE WAYS. MOMENTS OF CASUAL CONSTRUCTION TRANSLATE INTO A REFINED STUDY OF DRAPERY AND
STRUCTURE. WIND CHIMES APPEAR AS SONIC EMBELLISHMENTS, INTERWOVEN THROUGH DRAPES AND HEMS TO CATCH
THE AIR.
THE COLLECTION REFERENCES THE WORK OF ARTIST JOHN KACERE, WHOSE DELICATE NUDES ARE ENVELOPED BY CLOTH
THAT MEANDERS AND DRAPES AROUND THE FORM. HIS STUDY OF FABRIC IN MOTION – THROWN, RE-WRAPPED, OR SLIPPING
AWAY, INFORMS THE SENSUOUS ARCHITECTURE OF DRESSES AND SEPARATES.
NATURAL MATERIALS OF QUARTZ, STONE AND SHELL TRANSFORM INTO INTRICATE BEADING WHILE CLASSIC TAILORING IS
DISMANTLED, REVEALING WHAT IS USUALLY HIDDEN AWAY. CANVAS, LINING AND INTERNAL STRUCTURES EMERGING AS
VISIBLE ELEMENTS, REFRAMING CONVENTIONAL IDEAS OF REFINEMENT.
SPRING SUMMER 26 REFLECTS A MEDITATION BETWEEN WORK AND HOLIDAY, DISCIPLINE AND ABANDON, CAPTURING THE
QUIET TRUTH THAT PERFECTION IS ELUSIVE, AND THAT BEAUTY LIES IN THE MOMENTS WHEN THE DREAM GIVES WAY TO
REALITY; RAW, IMPERFECT AND ALIVE.
SHOW CREDITS:
CREATIVE DIRECTOR………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………CHRISTOPHER ESBER
STYLING……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….ILONA HAMER
BEAUTY………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….FILOMENA NATOLI FOR HOURGLASS COSMETICS
HAIR………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………SCOTT SLOAN FOR L’OREAL PROFESSIONNEL
NAILS…………………………………………………………………………………………HARRIET WESTMORELAND FOR WESTMORELAND COSMETICS
WELLNESS…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………PAR OLIVE
JEWELLERY……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………HEAVEN MAYHEM
CASTING……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….IKKI CASTING
MUSICAL COMPOSITION……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………MODE-F
SET DESIGN……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….JEAN-BAPTISTE VERGUIN
PRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………TWOTWENTY
THANK YOU TO THE CHRISTOPHER ESBER TEAM, AND COLLABORATORS,
AMBASSADOR LYNETTE WOOD AND THE AUSTRALIAN EMBASSY TEAM
