Having been inspired by the sculptures of Brancusi, Rodin and Michelangelo, Stéphane Rolland decided to present his Spring/Summer 2017 haute couture collection as works of art in the white cube setting provided at the Galerie Xinhua in Paris.

“This summer collection is sculptural, eternal and timeless, but never rigid, either in time or space,” the designer stated.

Presented on mannequins, his creations referenced the ovoid sculptures of Brancusi and the white marbles of Rodin, while bringing to mind the curvatures of elegant flowers with silk crepes, gazar and organza sculpted to create enlarged collars shaped like flower corolla or large petals enveloping the silhouette.

Using a palette of white, red and black, sometimes reinforced by touches of liquid gold that stiffened the fabric, the couturier offered a pared back vision of couture that eschews embroideries and other embellishments to focus on pure lines, volumes and asymmetrical cuts.