Julien Fournié: “Enhancing the uniqueness of each individual is at the core of Haute Couture.”

“In 16 years of running the House, I think this is the collection that defines me the most,” says Fournié, who presents “The First Circus - The Outrageous Show” this season to mark his 50th birthday. “My life is a circus! And I want to show that at any age, you can always reinvent yourself.” Fournié, founder, artistic director and chairman of his company, conveys his unbridled emotions and passion through his creations. “We are an independent house. Nobody imposes anything on me, so I enjoy total creative freedom.”  

“I wasn't the most popular person at school. I'd rather play the piano than football, and dress in Prince of Wales patterns.” 

This collection is a nod to the shy child, aloof into his own world, unable to stop drawing or creating. “At home, I used to spend hours playing alone with my characters, little figurines that stayed with me and kept me away from the real world. Now, for my 50th birthday, I want to pay tribute to them and bring them to life on the catwalk.” Fournié presents a gallery of characters, as if a fairy godmother had visited him as a child to realise his fondest dream. “There will be superheroes, aliens, Alice and the imaginary animals, stormtroopers, witches and wizards... And dancers! All freaks!” Here, the term “show,” as in “fashion show,” reverts to its primary meaning and summoning the great masters with whom Fournié cut his teeth: John Galliano at Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, Alexander McQueen at Givenchy. “They were my dads,” he quips. “Those were the days of the extraordinary fashion shows. It was with them that I got my first grasp of fashion.” 

“Tim Cook came to visit the atelier. It was a wonderful time of sharing.” 

“Haute Couture is tradition mingled with innovation,” states Fournié, who has spent his entire career perpetuating the excellence of traditional craftsmanship by combining it with contemporary tools. “My first move into innovation was the total dematerialisation of my creative process. We create in 3D, and all our designs, even the embroidery designs, are created on a tablet. I'm very attracted to new technologies.” In 2010, the same year he joined the Official Calendar of Haute Couture Week as a guest house, he forged a partnership with Dassault System, a French multinational software corporation. Since then, materials and textures have been designed without building a physical prototype. He extends a sustainable to his choice of materials: “I'm crazy about vintage, I spend my life buying fabrics from the '30s and ’40s. That’s why we have such great fabrics.” 

“In 2017, Tim Cook came to visit our atelier. He was supposed to spend 30 minutes and he stayed for more than three hours. We still have very close links, and I always have the opportunity to test new software or creative media.” In 2020, Fournié was invited to discover the latest Apple products in America, and he remains on the lookout for high-tech progress that will enable him to explore new paths of expression.  

“In 2017, when I was awarded the Haute Couture appellation, the grail, my life changed completely.” 

The Official Calendar of Haute Couture Week features three typologies of houses. Haute Couture Members, the only ones able to benefit from the legally protected Haute Couture appellation, which implies excellence and rigourous compliance with strict criteria. Corresponding Members, whose ateliers are located outside France, and guest houses, carefully selected each season by the Haute Couture Committee. Fournié, invited in 2010, was awarded “the Grail” in 2017. “It was incredible, but I didn't have time to enjoy it because I was so caught up in what was happening to me. I got a call from the Queen of Qatar, and we received orders for dresses from prestigious clients. I had to make the most of it, because good luck only comes around once. At that moment, my life changed completely.” 

“Our professions are about sublimating the uniqueness of each individual, highlighting the most beautiful thing about each personality and pushing them towards their personal identity.” This is one of the fundamental principles of Haute Couture, to create unique pieces adapted to each person, “not only to their body but also to their preferences.” Fournié carries out this daunting task as part of a team. “We never do anything on our own. I don't have an ego, I'm just the conductor of an orchestra.” At his side in the atelier stands Jacqueline, the 77-year-old head seamstress. “She's a wonderful woman. She was the second hand at Torrente when I was artistic director. One day, I called her to say that I was going to set up my own house, and she immediately replied, “I'll be there tomorrow with my sewing machine.” She's always cheerful, reassures me and gives me faith,” he says through tearful eyes. Fournié is the founder and artistic director of the house, but he is also its president, supported by “a wonderful partner, Jean-Paul Cauvin, now General Director. We founded the house together. He's a member of my family and I appreciate him even more because he always tells me the truth. That's a rare but essential quality.” 

Haute Couture serves as a canvas for boundless expression, redefining the frontiers of design and creativity. It stands as a testament to excellence, and a unique Parisian and French tradition, rooted in the cultural heritage of fashion and creation, and existing solely in its birthplace. “My goal is to show that Haute Couture can change mindsets, help us grow,” he concludes. “I'd like to leave something, a testimony, for future generations, to inspire those who share my dreams, to urge them to persevere.” 

Reuben Attia. 

Credit for the picture : Delphine Royer.