Les Enrubannées (Beribboned. Haute couture: tribute to ribbon)

A “narrow textile” that epitomizes subtlety and creativity: like the braids and braided laces that are its cousins, ribbon has been a steadily evolving part of the industrial scene in and around Saint-Étienne since the Renaissance. Considered since its beginnings as no more than an accessory—mere ornamentation ineluctably coupled to the whims of fashion—ribbon is suddenly finding itself centre-stage in today’s top haute couture collections. No longer a simple decorative appendage, ribbon has become the core element, the substance and structure of the garments on show. Whether as the ruling passion in the collections of Franck Sorbier, Maurizio Galante and Eymeric François, or as a more occasional performer—for Givenchy, Chanel and Jean Paul Gaultier—ribbon is now, unchallengeably, a fashion fundamental in its own right.

Image courtesy of Sylvie Marot.