In The Eyes Of SPHERE PFW® Showroom Fall-Winter 2024/2025

Their names are Charles de Vilmorin, Di Du, Florentina Leitner, Lucille Thièvre, Alphonse Maitrepierre, Paolina Russo and Lucile Guilmard. Among them, winners of the Zalando Visionary Award 2023 and finalists of the Woolmark Prize and the LVMH Prize. Their names are a cosmopolitan rallying cry, the conquest of difference over uniformity, and the proof through creativity that an artisanal and responsible approach today is an asset for the future. Supported by DEFI and L'Oréal Paris, Sphère Paris Fashion Week® is a creative hub, an open book of possibilities whose pages will be on display at the Palais de Tokyo from February 28 to March 5. “Be yourself” is Di Du's motto for this season, suggesting that individuality expresses itself without constraint.

Colours dance on the white page: with these emerging brands, the line becomes reality, the imagination materialises under the sun of eco-responsibility. Charles de Vilmorin is introducing his ready-to-wear collection, exactly four years after his dreamlike figures set Instagram alight. DIDU, a brand founded in 2019 that is expanding in Paris as well as Shanghai, is inspired by the very artistic side of things: “This Fall-Winter ’24collection is a fusion of inspirations borrowed from the artistic worlds of Mark Rothko and the poetic allure of Edgar Allan Poe. I want to take the public into a dark and romantic world, adopting a slightly gothic aesthetic that builds on the elegance of the previous season.” In September 2022, Florentina Leitner, a graduate of the Royal Academy of Antwerp and a former collaborator of Dries Van Noten, won the Emerging Talent prize at the Belgian Fashion Awards. Two years later, her colourful style burst forth in a winter dedicated to Marie Antoinette, “one of the most emblematic Austrian women in history,” she says. “The collection embodies the spirit of a modern Marie Antoinette: a chic, confident woman who loves dogs, bows and a touch of glitter. Pastel colours – light pink, blue – mixed with brown tones and darker colours.” 

SPHERE means new beginnings, new projects and new dreams in the making.  “The SPHERE showroom is a great opportunity for me, as a brand, to meet international buyers and journalists, who are sometimes difficult to reach on their own. I'm really pleased to be able to be part of the showroom and to be featured alongside so many other emerging brands. The team is fantastic and really helps to put brands in touch with fashion journalists and buyers,” Leitner says. Her fashion motto for 2025? “A girl in a dress embroidered with sequins dashing around with girly rococo sneakers on her feet.” Biker jackets and baroque velvets collide in an inspiring mix and match, blending historical references and modern flair. Without doubt, the promise of the moment, of a neo-baroque and narrative aesthetic.  

From the ethical drapes of Lucile Thièvre, who previously worked for Hermès and Givenchy, to the floral motifs of Alphonse Maitrepierre, who sublimates recycled fabrics like a magician, craftsmanship frees itself from the picturesque to enter a world that is both familiar and unfamiliar, full of surprises and feelings.  

“Luxury is a sensation, a touch. You feel it when you see the effort that goes into the pieces, so in a way, it's the love and time that goes into making things. It's also a lifestyle, which isn't just about being expensive, but also about being selective in what you consume, in what you identify with. It's a timeless style, not just a fashion statement,” concludes Di Du. “Presenting my work in Paris is of great importance to me. First of all, it's the most prestigious fashion week in the world, which allows me to present my creations to a wide audience. Secondly, being in Paris continually reignites my passion for what I do. And finally, I'm surrounded by talented people and artists, which always keeps me motivated and inspired for good.”