This season, Courrèges steps out of the white cube and into the streets of Paris. Leading the pack, Nicolas Di Felice passes the reins of the collection’s shoot to his community, becoming the observer of their individual interpretations.
Courrèges SS26 Men’s & Women’s Pre-CollectionInspired by the concept of the « Mirrors of Paris » social media selfie phenomenon, eighteen muses turn their cameras on themselves - from familiar figures like Apolline Rocco Fohrer, Elodie Guipaud, Axel Gay, TOCCORORO, or studio darling Paul Barge, to Jacqui Hooper, Stella Hanan, Nastassia Legrand or Samuel Elie - celebrating the visual canons of our digital age. From the sidelines of the city’s sights, their unfiltered ‘mirror’ self-portraits invite the collection into ordinary Parisian life. All at once, distant monuments, graffiti, clutter, architecture and fashion fill the frame, reflecting a harmony of refinement and realism that defines Courrèges.
In Nicolas Di Felice’s wardrobe, archetypal styles borrow details from one another, blurring the lines between utility and formality. The belt and fabric-covered buckle of a trench is a key feature of the season: as the collar of a sporty bubble-cut blouson, on the waistline of skin-tight lycra pants, or shrunken into the straps of a cut-out top, it is an emblem of the collection’s overlapping themes. While the 1964 cap sleeve creates definition on a floor-length polo dress and men’s tees, micro- houndstooth tweed tailors a versatile mini-skort, and boxy football jerseys dress maxi-skirts down, expressing the versatility of heritage codes. Exaggerated volumes, minimalistic sportswear and polished workwear shift from men’s to women’s silhouettes, asserting an effortless fluidity of dressing.
The collection introduces a new bag ; the soft-shaped Strip bag, whose ingenuous construction packs away its contents under folded magnetic flaps - that can also be worn open - and a clasp closure, while a zipped pocket built in the top keeps essential items secured. In the mix, archive-inspired flats provide a practical alternative to heels. Folded kitten heels peak out of flared pants, glove-like boots revisit the 1965 flat boots, summoning the footloose energy of the Sixties. A subtle palette infuses the House’s primary tones: translucent mint, powder pink, and bon-ton beige evoke a summery collection fit for everyday life.
From the spontaneous, slanted perspectives of a smartphone, each shot emulates a scenography of reality that has always connected Courrèges with the street-wise spirit of its deeply Parisian roots.
