In previous collections, Moroccan designer Sara Chraïbi had looked to the sky for inspiration. This season, her third as a guest on the Parisian calendar, her inspiration was more terrestrial. Moved by the earthquake that devastated parts of her homeland last September, her emotionally charged motifs referenced the torn earth in shades of brown, ochre, reddish and deep purple with lavish embellishments of gold, bronze and copper. “I wanted the collection to be strongly rooted in the land, paying homage to all the people affected by the earthquake and their resilience,” she said backstage before the show.
The organic patterns, a departure from the geometric shapes and celestial motifs the former architect has used heavily in the recent past, wrapped the body in structural bodices covered in repeating waves of metallic embroidery, paired with liquid chiffon skirts.
A series of designs in lush greens and blues referenced a fountain that endured the devastation following the earthquake. Kaftans and capes were offered in semi-sheer capes, adorned with gold embroidery and shiny fringe details, or in dark velvet. On one dress, multiple bands of chiffon in different shades were twisted and gathered at the waist with velvet bows to look like columns, subtly revealing the skin beneath.
Using prints for the first time, he created a monumental coat with a perspective motif of the brick archways and columns of the earthquake-destroyed Tinmel Mosque in the Atlas Mountains in the initial look. Later, the image was repeated in a long dress, the lower half of which was blended with textured embroidery and a fringed skirt.
For more Paris Haute Couture reviews, click here.
