Cristobal Balenciaga, Kenzo Takada, Comme des Garçons’ Rei Kawakubo, Karl Lagerfeld -- French fashion may reign supreme but Paris owes a deep debt to the many expatriate designers who left their mark on its colourful history.
Even haute couture, its most elevated and most French way of life, was invented by British couturier Charles Frederick Worth, wrote Lily Templeteon.
As Paris continues to be fashion’s creative capital and a cosmopolitan crossroads that attracts designers and couturiers, among five expatriates making an impact on the Paris fashion scene with eye-catching creations, there's one designer from this region.
Meet Andrew Gn: East meets West in a marriage of passion and precision
“To make your mark in Paris, where fashion winds blow in so many directions, you must stay true to yourself. Your creativity will flourish on its own. This is the only way to distinguish yourself from the pack,” says Andrew Gn, who moved to the city in 1992 and launched his eponymous brand four years later.
Born in Singapore, Gn furthered his cosmopolitan upbringing by studying at London’s Central Saint Martin and Milan’s Domus Academy before arriving in Paris to assist Emmanuel Ungaro.
Out of his Parisian atelier come coats with geometric designs, jackets with voluminous sleeves covered in intricate embroidery, floor-length gowns with their bodices encrusted with flowers – from a master of the cut who understands his clientele perfectly.
“While other cities may endeavour to compete with Paris, this city retains a creativity which is unique, and an incredible savoir-faire in all the métiers of fashion,” says the designer, whose creations feels like a painterly scene.
Whether at a cocktail or in the boardroom, his women stand out in designs that blend his pan-Asian heritage and a magpie-like sensibility for beauty and culture.
Among other fashion designers who shared the same stages with Andrew Gn were a Turkish-born Yaz Bukey, Australian designer Martin Grant and Indian designer Manish Arora.
Source :South China Morning Post
