Holding court

It’s the evening of 6 October 1789. The palace has been stormed, nobility has been removed from power. Silence remains at Versailles, except for the click-clack of the heels of one survivor, La Petite Isabelle.

From the scattered jewels, clothes, and curiosities, she creates an ephemeral reality amidst the impending revolution— holding court one last time, on her own and in her own way. She is inspired by those who once surrounded her, their personalities reflected in detail, colour and silhouette, creating and playing as she always did. Lonely, perhaps only in the physical sense, but always surrounded by the figments of her imagination, desperately trying to manifest into real life.

It is hard for me to not be inspired by the grandeur and personality of Marie Antoinette's royal court and the strong characters within it. This second showcase collection is the my interpretation of the excess of 18th century historical dress and playfulness of the Rococo artistic movement through a modern lens–imagining myself once there at Versailles, amidst all the remnants of the fabulous court of Louis XVI, playing and creating to produce something that would captivate and “hold court” once more–holding onto elements of the past that allow you to dream and that inspire, but adapting them to now.

Bold stripes, fringes, crystals, bows (of course) and pleats all come together ringing true to the Atelier’s house codes. Bright colour imbues the evening selection, while Rococo-inspired pastels initiate a departure from the traditional bridal whites and ivories. As always, transformational elements in the looks are evident, allowing the designs to be worn beyond the first use, allowing you to dream, re-interpret and create again and again…