If you have read "Shanghai Clothing", which was popular in China in the 1990s, you should still remember that the last few pages of each issue of the magazine include graphic patterns of popular styles of clothing. Through these paper patterns, people who have a little knowledge of cutting and sewing can make their own clothes, or seek professional tailors to complete them. At that time, many people used this compromise method to quench their thirst for beauty.
However, in today's era of overconsumption, clothing patterns have been forgotten by the public. In the 2016 autumn and winter advertisement of French brand Courrèges, which returned in September last year, paper patterns replaced models and finished fashion products and became the protagonist.
In this unique set of advertisements, a jacket, a transformable skirt and a mini skirt from the Courrèges 2016 autumn and winter women's collection are printed. On the brand's official website, high-definition PDF files of these three sets of paper pattern drawings are also provided for download, and a 3D animated video clip is attached to demonstrate the process of how these paper patterns are transformed from a flat plan into a stand-up collar jacket (Click to download the video to watch).
In addition, a limited edition of 30 copies of the jacket's paper sample will be presented by the brand to relevant editors, journalists, fashion historians and deans of fashion schools. It is reported that this set of Courrèges 2016 autumn and winter women's clothing advertisements will be published in a number of fashion publications in the form of a double page spread, including Self Service, Pop, Marfa Journal, System, etc.
For fashion brands, paper patterns are almost the core business secrets. Faced with the current phenomenon of plagiarism and imitation goods, if the paper patterns are leaked, it will undoubtedly give plagiarists an easier way. You may think that Courrèges’ move is just a publicity stunt, but in fact, these detailed patterns are real cutting drawings - you can ask a tailor to make a Courrèges-style item for you!
In this regard, Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillan, two women's creative directors of Courrèges, said: "Through this 2016 autumn and winter advertising, we want to use a radical way to interpret clothing, and at the same time, we can better explore and understand a piece of clothing." This is the second time that the creative partners have taken a different approach to the advertising image after taking over the brand: In the Courrèges 2016 spring and summer series of advertisements, three sans-serif fonts: "jacket", "dress", and "skirt" are printed on a blank background - nothing else.
As the most experimental brand in the 1960s, its founder and designer André Courrèges integrated futurism and technological exploration into fashion, which has been talked about by future generations. Later generations such as Nicolas Ghesquière, the current creative director of Louis Vuitton, are also deeply influenced by his style. On January 7 this year, André Courrèges died of illness at the age of 92.
