Lebanese design duo Azzi & Osta presented its Spring 2019 Couture collection, “Memoirs from the Silk Road”, in Paris’s Hotel de Crillon on Thursday. Like the name suggests, the offering was inspired by the ancient trade network that connected East Asia and Southeast Asia with East Africa, West Asia and Southern Europe and where silk, goods and cultures were exchanged. “It was always very fascinating to us, how silk as a luxury had to travel from one side of the earth to another to get to the royal courts of Europe,” explained the designers. “The idea of how secretive and protected was the provenance and art of silk making, is very similar to couture, the savoir-faire, the well-kept secret of the couture house, and the journey that undertake every piece,” they stated.
Each gown that punctuated the collection was a tribute to a city, monument, or landmark that was central to the Silk Road. This was translated through the different pleating, fabrics, and embroideries on the pieces. Silk satin, organza, double satin duchesse, and gazar were cut and crafted into sculptural dresses, sleek jackets, and tailored trousers embellished with gold and silver embroidery, beads, and sequins. The color palette was a harmonious mix of jade green, cerulean blue, white, pink , lilac, yellow, and twilight in an effort to invoke the different colors of the sky.
Rather than introduce one wedding dress, the couturiers presented two. Glamorous brides-to-be will certainly revel in the intricate hand-embroidered cape that took twenty craftsmen and over 120-hours to dream up.
