Models on Koché’s runway passed before a large, horizontal screen on which giant, colorful pixels danced, panoramas of foliage or cityscapes appeared, and emojis popped.
A question was typed out, letter by letter: “Do hoodies dream of beautiful sunrises?”
That was the name Christelle Kocher chose for her spring collection, which was created in collaboration with Google. (A sci-fi novel by Philip K. Dick inspired that title.)
“The idea was to mix the technology and the craft — but it was not to take the technology really into the digital world, but how through technology can we be more connected in real life and beautiful,” she said. Kocher wanted, as well, to explore how technology can be part of one’s real life, and not just a meta-parallel life.
That mind-set resulted in styles with a chic, urban twist. In the collection there were lots of sharp tailoring, cutouts and elevated details from the Maison Lemarié, which specializes in feathers, flowers, pleating and ruffles, and where she serves as creative director.
Kocher used lots of organic denim, cotton shirting and jersey, which were deconstructed with the likes of vegan leather inserts. Some vibrant colors, such as hot pink and cobalt, appeared as well.
Her fine craft was brought to a new level with elegant looks, such as the white suit with wide shoulders and a feather-festooned shirt. A sheer black-fringed, paillette-spangled skirt had a matching bandeau.
