La Belle Époque was (1890-1914) was a period in history characterized by the very rich's inability to deal with the grim reality of modern life, and their escape into a frivolous, fairytale kind of existence. My collection is embodied by this fairytale dream of the French period combined with modern technologies, which during that time, ironically brought the period to a close.

 

Inspired by my journey to Paris as a designer, I chose to draw from the ornate details of the clothing from La Belle Époque and incorporate them into a modern business casual style in order to subtly bring that fairytale magic into everyday life. It is a reminder not to take things too seriously and to live in the moment.

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My collection features the bold green and pink hues from the Fauvism movement that took place during La Belle Époque. These contrasting colors are also used to express the disparity between the classiness of the era with its naive over-the-top extravagance. I drew inspiration for the silhouettes from Chladni patterns, which mimic the curves of the Edwardian silhouette in a more natural and modern shape.