Cannes couture collections - designers using film festival to launch new lines

Caroline Scheufele at a Chopard event during Cannes 2022
Caroline Scheufele at a Chopard event during Cannes 2022 Copyright Vianney Le Caer/2022 Invision
By Saskia O'Donoghue
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Chopard and Versace are both choosing the film festival - a hot bed of celebrities and riches - to launch their new collections.

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With some of the most famous faces on earth making Cannes their temporary home for the film festival every May, it’s not surprising that high end designers are increasingly using the event as a platform to launch and sell clothing collections.

Chopard are, in fact, using the iconic happening to launch their first ever line of couture outfits. The high end jewellery company will, on Tuesday, 23 May, reveal their collection of gowns, mini dresses and jumpsuits - all perfect for the red carpet.

The brand’s artistic director and co-president Caroline Scheufele is the brains behind the new launch and the catwalk show consisting of 50 looks.

The collection has been dubbed ‘Caroline’s Couture’ and Chopard say each piece has been crafted in ways meant to complement jewellery.

Chopard
Billed as timeless - a 'Caroline's Couture' designChopard

Scheufele worked with a team of couturiers on the collection and explained that each garment is sustainable, timeless and designed to last a lifetime, in a similar way to the brand’s pricey gems. Some ‘staple’ pieces will be on sale for more than one fashion season.

The line will have a charitable wing too - embroidery will be undertaken by the Kalhath Institute in India, a nonprofit educational centre which aims to preserve the art of hand embroidery. The Institute will also apply beads, which hail from Japan, to the garments and other fabrics used have been sourced from Switzerland and Italy.

Although there are no details on price point yet, it will likely be high. Chopard explained in a statement that they’re fighting against fast fashion, which often applies at the luxury level too, saying, “While the very principles of the fashion industry require the production of clothes systemically doomed to programmed obsolescence, due to the rhythm of the collections presented four to 10 times a year by the fashion houses, Caroline Scheufele adopts the same technique as for jewellery”.

Chopard is only one high end company making use of Cannes for a launch - Versace is getting involved too.

Copyright 2021 The AP
Dua Lipa takes a bow with Donatella Versace in 2021Copyright 2021 The AP

The Italian fashion house doyenne Donatella is partnering with pop star Dua Lipa on a new collection, also set to launch on 23 May.

It won’t be couture though. Dubbed ‘La Vacanza’ (or ‘the holiday’) the pieces will be shown on a see now, buy now basis, meaning film festival goers can pick up new clothes for their upcoming summer trips as soon as it’s presented, either in store or online.

Dua Lipa and Versace have had a long working relationship, with the megastar singer. The pair first met at a Versace show in London in 2017 and Lipa has frequently been a guest at shows and worn their clothing ever since. In 2019, Lipa was a guest of Versace at the Met Gala and in 2021, the singer walked the runway at the Versace show during Milan Fashion Week. At the end of the display, Lipa joined Versace for her final bow at the end, confirming her place as a muse of the design house.

While details are hazy over the collection - including its launch location - it and Chopard will likely continue the growing trend for savvy designers using Cannes as a launchpad for new ventures.

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