Dear Shaded Viewers,
Imane Ayissi’s Fall/Winter 2025-26 couture show arrived with the quiet force of a seed cracking open—delicate, determined, and utterly transformative. Staged beneath an opulent chandelier in a sunlit Parisian salon, the Cameroonian designer’s latest collection was a study in contrasts: tradition and innovation, structure and softness, the raw and the refined.
Ayissi’s muse this season? The flower—rendered not as a mere motif but as a living, breathing protagonist. Models emerged swathed in sculptural vermillion petals that burst from shoulders, transforming the body into a walking blossom. Satin dresses sprouted playful appliqué blooms at the hip, while crisp pink jackets were punctuated with white floral embellishments, merging geometry with whimsy.
Ayissi’s signature is the seamless fusion of African heritage with Parisian savoir-faire. This collection was a tactile celebration: handwoven Kente from Ghana, tie-dye from Cameroon, and raffia from Madagascar all found new life through couture techniques. The designer’s commitment to craft was evident in every bead, every embroidered detail, every swish of biodegradable silk and wool felt. The collection’s name, “Ikorrok”—Ewondo for “fallow”—hinted at cycles of renewal and the regenerative power of nature.
There was a palpable tension between sharply tailored jackets and draped, flowing pieces, between exuberant embellishment and architectural lines. Yet, Ayissi’s best looks resolved these oppositions with intent: a fuchsia wool felt jacket adorned with delicate porcelain flowers by French artist Aline Putot-Toupry; a tie-dye jumpsuit with beaded fringe that shimmered like dew; dresses encrusted with thousands of beads, evoking swarms of insects or the intricate beauty of the natural world.
Ayissi’s accessories were no afterthought. Elbow-length gloves in a riot of colors, oversized felt disc earrings, and sparkling critter-shaped buttons added a playful, avant-garde edge. The effect was a joyful, maximalist embrace of adornment—never fussy, always intentional.
More than a manifesto for the future, Imane Ayissi’s couture presentation felt like a time capsule from the 1970s. The atmosphere evoked the golden age of Paris couture, when models glided with poise, pausing to turn and display every angle for the audience seated just an arm’s length away. All that was missing was the iconic card bearing the number of each look. The intimacy of the setting, the choreography of the walks, and the proximity of the clothes to the viewers perfectly captured the mood of that era. Ayissi’s show became not just a celebration of craft and culture, but a loving homage to the traditions and rituals that defined couture’s most glamorous decade.
Later,
Diane
