Barthelemy and Leclere

The debut collections of Louis Barthelemy and Lucas Leclere are captured by photographic duo René & Radka in this behind-the-scenes shoot during the recent Paris couture shows. The two young French designers presented their respective Central Saint Martins graduate collections side by side in front of a selection of editors amid the elegant gardens of the Hôtel Particulier Montmartre. Au fait with the Parisian fashion circuit, the friends cut their teeth at two of the most iconic European fashion houses––Leclere at Chanel and Barthelemy at Dior. “The way we perceive fashion can only be shown in Paris because there is an understanding about craft and time here,” explains Leclere, who completed the BA in Womenswear. “What we do has an 'autre couture’ side to it, not yet an 'haute couture’ one.” Designed around the dichotomous theme of rebellion and monarchy, Leclere’s collection featured intricate embroidery, lush fabrics and lace, including a pair of trousers made from nine meters of printed jacquard woven in Italy. Working fulltime at Dior designing the brand’s scarves and textile accessories, Fashion Design with Marketing graduate Barthelemy put his focus on exquisite prints and voluminous shapes for his optimistic collection.