Soaring to New Heights
Photo credit: Reno Wald
In the new Coppélia Pique Haute Couture Collection, Axelle Migé soars to new heights in the design of her garments. The French couturier drew inspiration from the prophecy of Padmasambhava, otherwise known as the Second Buddha, where she imagines a large paper bird floating above limbo and icy mountains, before continuing its ascent to transform into glittering metal. The paper bird is inevitably consumed by the horizon. Using this image as a template, Migé has created a geometrically romantic collection that has escaped the material world and risen to what she calls the spiritual world.
One Coppélia Pique original features a series of fragmented mirrors on the bustier, almost resembling paper airplanes. This armoured top is followed by a cream skirt with a V stitched in front, giving a sleek feel to an overall futuristic look.
Photo credit: Reno Wald
Photo credit: Reno Wald
Toying with hard structures coupled with lightweight fabrics, Migé still retains her dark, romantic spirit as seen in previous collections. In one white, pristine gown, the designer plays with medieval legends of knights in shining armour at the hem and death at the bust.
In another garment, titled “Matin Lunaire Jour,” Migé delicately drapes sheer chiffon and organza in an organic manner to form the skirt, which is paired with a more conceptual top fabricated in an origami fashion. The swooping curls bring movement and aerodynamics into her new collection.
Photo credit: Reno Wald
Photo credit: Reno Wald
The designer states that she intended to create a sort of “god,” an anthropomorphic feline, derived from ancient myths. Migé crafts the solar disk from Ancient Egyptian legends into her dresses in forms of cutouts. She constructs dresses to resemble clouds to elevate the viewer into her mystical world. She raises volumes that defy the laws of gravity, especially in one sculptural jacket in wool and cashmere equipped with a detachable hood.
Axelle Migé manages to take the sharp lines of geometry and origami, to transform the relief of her garments. As sweet pleats, ruffles, and transparent silk come into the equation, an airy ethereality is produced. In short, the new Coppélia Pique collection makes us feel lighter than air.
Photo credit: Reno Wald
Words / Sheri Chiu
Follow her on twitter @schiuonthis
