Shanghai-based designer Yui Chen secured the Grand Prize at the Hyères fashion festival in France. Her "Food Cover" collection, which features collapsible silhouettes, marks the first time a Chinese designer has taken the top honor at the event.
Yui Chen’s "Food Cover" and the art of the accordion dress
The "Food Cover" collection by Yui Chen utilizes unique, transformative silhouettes to explore the concept of preserving childhood memories. Developed in collaboration with Montex, the unisex, women’s wear-leaning lineup features everyday items, such as yellow lingerie dresses, paired with collapsible overlayers like transparent lace tents or leather bow cages.
As reported by the festival's announcement, Chen employs a meticulous design process that involves modeling every piece in miniature before scaling up to full-sized garments. One standout item is an eight-paneled sheath dress made from recycled leather that can fold flat into an accordion-like structure. Chen expressed her ambition to build a creative universe as expansive as that of Issey Miyake.
From '70s fetish wear to Vinted shearling squirrels
Other winners at the Hyères festival showcased a wide range of experimental aesthetics and unconventional inspirations. London-based designer Dieter Vlasich Obermann received the 19M Métiers d’Art Prize for a collection centered on "tiliches," or the concept of concealing junk through handicraft. Meanwhile, Paris-based designer Xiao Xu won the Supima Prize for his "Uncanny" men's wear collection, which draws heavily from '70s fetish culture, latex, and embroidery.
The diversity of the winners extended to the more whimsical and the provocative. Brais Albor Rodriguez, a designer from Spain, earned both a special mention and the Public Prize for a collection that wittily combined shearling sourced from Vinted with squirrel and "cojones" motifs. additionally, Rachel Luurssen, a Paris-based designer from the Netherlands, won the Ateliers des Matières Prize with a collection that blended Hollywood glamour with themes of body dysmorphia.
A female-led jury and the new leadership at Villa Noailles
The festival's leadership has seen a significant shift toward women, reflecting a broader trend of female empowerment within the region's creative and political institutions. The jury for this edition was composed entirely of women, including Chloé creative director, photographer Camille Vivier, and Danish designer Cecilie Bahnsen. This mirrors the political landscape of the area, where Hyères' newly-elected mayor, Véronique Bernardini, and the Villa Noailles' new president, Valérie Duport, have both recently taken their respective roles.
This era of female leadership coincides with a push for greater cultural accessibility. josée Massi, the mayor of Toulon, noted that moving the fashion show to the Forum du Casino was a deliberate attempt to bring culture closer to the people and reduce elitism. The festival aims to position Hyères and Toulon as twin hubs for fashion and design, respectively.
Navigating a €1.3 million debt while eyeing Paris 2027
The Villa Noailles is currently managing a €1.3 million debt that organizers aim to pay off within the next two years. While the festival is celebrating a "renaissance" and expanding its programming to include more artistic residencies and museum-style exhibitions,the financial recovery remains a critical priority for the institution. The report notes that all fashion laureates will eventually be showcased by Première Classe during the Paris Fashion Weeks in March and October 2027.
Despite the excitement of the new winners, several questions remain regarding the festival's long-term stability. It is still unverified whether the current plan to settle the €1.3 million debt will be successfully completed within the proposed two-year window . Furthermore, while organizers hope the move to the Forum du Casino will democratize the event, it remains to be seen if this shift will truly bridge the gap between high fashion and the general public.
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