LeCavalier FW23

For Paris Fashion Week, the studio is designing and producing a set for LeCavalier’s 2023 spring-summer collection at the Palais de Tokyo.

Fashion show
2022
LeCavalier FW23

Where urbanity meets mysticism

01

L'art du réemploi 

The design is based on re-using sheet metal cladding and sections of wood produced for a previous project, borrowing elements from the world of building sites and construction. Traditionally used to mark out working areas, sheet metal cladding on breezeblocks forms the shape of the catwalk. They are arranged to create a winding path that the models follow. This path is reminiscent of the dark, partially lit streets of Montreal, a nod to Canadian designer Marie-Ève Lecavalier. Like an abandoned plot of land, appropriated by the street, the dented cladding is painted by hand. Signs of wear and tear are preserved in the raw materials, creating an urban aesthetic that blends in with the brand’s graphic codes. The sections are burnt until the wood is carbon black in colour. The atmosphere becomes opaque thanks to the use of smoke, creating an urban fog and echoing the brand’s mystical character.

In keeping with the brand’s values and commitment to upcycling, it strives to reuse materials in its work.

02

A responsible approach to power the imagination

Most of the materials are hired, or at least sourced, and then stored to be reused in a future project. This minimalist approach in no way detracts from the immersive nature of the scenography. Echoing the collection on display, the studio explores the sensory potential of materials and sounds out the different states generated by colours. Corrugated iron was chosen for its material properties and aesthetic appeal. Often reserved for outdoor use, the material contrasts radically with the warmth of burnt wood. The colour range - from neon blue to bright red - illustrates this same dichotomy by bringing together opposing hues. The choice of colours, and the creation of a visual language that disrupts order and reality, reflect the collection’s Hofmannian inspirations, playing with the limits of the psyche.

A responsible approach to power the imagination

Une démarche responsable au profit d’un imaginaire puissant.

A responsible approach to power the imagination
A responsible approach to power the imagination

In line with the brand’s values and its upcycling approach, the workshop draws on the re-use circuit to produce the scenography.

03

A thoughtful scenography

Most of the materials are hired, or at least sourced, and then stored to be reused in a future project. This minimalist approach in no way detracts from the immersive nature of the scenography. Echoing the collection on display, the studio explores the sensory potential of materials and sounds out the different states generated by colours. Corrugated iron was chosen for its material properties and aesthetic appeal. Often reserved for outdoor use, the material contrasts radically with the warmth of burnt wood. The colour range - from neon blue to bright red - illustrates this same dichotomy by bringing together opposing hues. The choice of colours, and the creation of a visual language that disrupts order and reality, reflect the collection’s Hofmannian inspirations, playing with the limits of the psyche.

Fig. 1 [Frontal axonometry of sheet metal cladding and wood sections at the Palais de Tokyo]
Fig. 1 [Frontal axonometry of sheet metal cladding and wood sections at the Palais de Tokyo]
  • Notes

    Occupying the Palais de Tokyo, the studio provides a showcase for LeCavalier’s new collection, which, with its unstructured shapes and deconstructed visuals, demonstrates incredible skill.It is a reminder that after chaos comes creativity.

  • Program

    Scénography and production

  • Status
    Done
  • Client

    LECAVALIER studio

  • Materials

    Painted cladding, concrete stud, burnt wood

  • Date

    March 2022

  • Team

    Paf atelier

  • Location

    Palais de Tokyo

  • Photos

    Luc Bertrand