Chopard to Launch Couture Collection
The line from copresident Caroline Scheufele will launch with a fashion show in Cannes on Tuesday.
By RHONDA RICHFORD
MAY 19, 2023, 1:00AM
CANNES — After dressing the necks of the most famous women in its jewels, Chopard is launching a couture line of gowns, minis and jumpsuits ready for the red carpet.
Chopard copresident and artistic director Caroline Scheufele is the mastermind behind the line, which will consist of 50 looks. The company will stage a runway show during the Cannes Film Festival.
Dubbed “Caroline’s Couture,” the collection is designed in silhouettes that are meant to complement jewelry.
Scheufele spearheaded the development of the collection, working with a team of couturiers, and pieces are meant to coordinate and work together over time.
“I wanted to create a collection for women who, like me, want to dress in a way that is fully aligned with who they are today,” said Scheufele. “Women in love with beauty — meaning true beauty, the kind that never goes out of fashion. Pure elegance. Clothes that can be cherished over time, worn in a variety of circumstances and in countless ways, without ever losing their value or relevance.”
Scheufele said that she used the principles of jewelry — collectible, meant to last a lifetime and passed on to the next generation — as inspiration for her couture launch.
“A wardrobe like a jewelry collection, which time makes more and more precious because they are accompanied by slices of life and carry with them experiences, memories and memorable moments. It is this approach to jewelry that I wanted to transpose to clothing.”
The collection was also designed with sustainability in mind. Scheufele went for classic shapes that will last more than one season, and the staple pieces will be available on order for more than one season.
As part of the house’s social and environmental commitments, the line is embroidered at the Kalhath Institute in India, a nonprofit educational center dedicated to the preservation of craft of hand embroidery.
“The Kalhath Institute works to strengthen the skills of the artisans, to pass on this exceptional expertise within India and to put in place framework conditions enabling the craftspeople to earn fair wages — and these are exactly the kind of steps we have been taking for several years at Chopard,” said Scheufele about working with the institute.
The company says it is taking a stance against the concept of fast fashion with this collection, which is an issue at the luxury level as well.
“While the very principles of the fashion industry require the production of clothes systemically doomed to programmed obsolescence, due to the rhythm of the collections presented four to 10 times a year by the fashion houses, Caroline Scheufele adopts the same technique as for jewelry,” the company said in a statement.
Fabrics were sourced form Swiss manufacturer Jakob Schlaepfer, particularly chiffon, taffeta, duchess satin, silks and lace. Jacquards were sourced from Italian supplier Gentili Mosconi. Beading was sourced from Japan, and applied in the Indian workshops.
The premiere collection will make its debut on Tuesday in Cannes.
