Xuan Couture’s collection sets the stage with a rejuvenating narrative

As a guest member of Paris’s couture calendar, the Paris based Dutch-Vietnamese designer Xuan-Thu Nguyen revealed an Autumn/Winter collection with an overall aesthetic that brings flowers to mind. The collection intends to symbolize a wide array of emotions and internal feelings that the designer has had in the past. Nguyen’s romantic spirit, but conflicting moods, gives her collection a rather edgy appearance with flower undertones.

The designer has produced a contrasting set of garments that appear to represent conflicting sentiments. The softly ruffled pink dress with its exact replica in a hardened black palette expertly reveals her juxtaposition in feelings through her pieces. The serious pair of pearl trousers and white blouse was adorned with gushing red crocheted flowers, giving off a teasing feeling for the ensemble. While some of her garments had a serious aura, others were much more light and playful portraying her ever-changing creative attitudes and thoughts.

Flowers, the designer’s signature element, played a crucial role in the collection. Thousands of small iron red and dark brown colored petals decorated a short jacket, while an entire dress was enhanced with voluminously crafted floral shapes. Classic white blouses were embellished with floral pieces while maintaining the blouse shape as well. She has a gift for shaping botanical elements onto a classic garment such as a gown, cocktail dress or trousers.

Through this collection we see that she is a very captivating women with many marvelous methods to communicate her ideas. Her ability to convey a very personal and intimate collection divulges her underlying strong suit in telling a story through her intricately made garments and outfits. Everything from the aesthetics and construction, down to the very last seam can characterize a new narrative in fashion. Coincidently, this is exactly what represents haute couture today: original, distinctive and influential to this era. It is no surprise that Xuan-Thu Nguyen was offered the prestigious invitation to show at Paris Haute Couture week.