[ savoar fer ] Fall 2019 – Paris Fashion Week

At the Palais de Tokyo in Paris on Feb. 28, 2019, Swiss designer Eliane Heutschi presented the “Chapter 5: Reparation” Fall/Winter 2019 collection from her label [ savoar fer ]. Heutschi’s attention to angles and layers, as well as skilled usage of mixed materials, resulted in womenswear pieces that comprised a complex yet visually arresting offering. The full description from her presentation notes follow:

The fifth chapter from French brand [ savoar fer ] by Swiss designer Eliane Heutschi centres around repairing. From traditional techniques of patching and darning used in different and inventive ways, to more conceptual techniques like putting highlights on rips and superposing different fragments of iconic garments. By posing two pieces together, using darning as a free drawing embroidery, tearing open garments and upcycling vintage pieces Eliane Heutschi creates new and innovative shapes; beginning a contemporary discourse on what it means to repair clothing. What was an everyday skill learned by women for generations has somewhere along the way lost its value. Why now, do repaired things, especially common clothes have less value than when they are new? Why does their history not increase their worth?

To combat limitless production Eliane imposed on herself to create the collection using only what was already available. Achieved by working with fabrics from the brand’s own and other houses’ stock. Additionally revisiting previous patterns and shapes paring them with new forms and vintage pieces, [ savoar fer ]’s own dimension and vision of repairing emerges.