ArdAzAei Couture 2024-2025 at Paris Couture Week presents its third couture collection, Calabi–Yau: The Hidden Dimensions, at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris on June 27, 2024.
An exploration of string theory through the medium of couture, Calabi–Yau: The Hidden Dimensions marks ArdAzAei’s debut on La Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode (FHCM) official Haute Couture calendar. A collection of 25 looks that merge science fiction with the physics of fabrication, Calabi–Yau: The Hidden Dimensions is guided by a sequence of mathematically generated infinite loops that unfold as petals bursting over sculptural silhouettes, with the oscillating loom of superstrings at the foundation of the theory’s ten dimensions expressed through intricate pleating and bespoke embroidery.
“Geometry and mathematics have inspired me since the inception of ArdAzAei for their ability to reveal the rhythms of nature, and this collection is based on the curiosity of how different materials with different properties can be manipulated to create the optics of geometry in motion,” says Bahareh Ardakani, founder and artistic director of ArdAzAei.
ArdAzAei Couture 2024-2025 collection takes its title from the Calabi–Yau manifolds, a visualisation of how the multiple dimensions of string theory relate to each other. When laid flat these visualisations resemble flower petals—when folded together, they form a series of infinite loops. “It’s about the idea of the universe being folded, and the vibrating strings of fibres that form the scaffolding of each piece.”
ArdAzAei Couture 2024-2025 collection interprets these phenomenon with a recurring motif of degrade-printed silk organza and satin ‘petals’ which envelop the skirts, sleeves and trains of kinetic cocktail dresses and fishtailed gowns, accentuated by crystals at the edges of their folded curves.
A series of evening gowns that demonstrate that the savoir-faire of string theory take this idea to the extreme, with layers of folded fabrics creating circular volumes that spiral across silhouettes to freeze an infinite loop in silk faille and lamé.
Embroidery with bespoke beads features prominently in the collection, with the Maison pioneering a new technique of double embroidery, where beads are embroidered on beads to create a big bang effect of light exploding from a dress. Elsewhere, crystals cut into the six sides of the ArdAzAei emblem are arranged in floral compositions and embroidered alongside sequins and glass beads in arrangements that evoke the vibrating loom that underpins string theory’s ten dimensions.
The tension of these vibrating superstrings also informs the architecture of pleating, where layers of geometric silk organza pleats are intricately arranged to create hidden dimensions within their folds. In sculptural dresses, layers of pleated plissé fans are morphed from the sharp geometric lines of the bias-cut bustier into shell-like shapes as they flow down to a train composed of silk organza fans pleated to form the ArdAzAei emblem.
Meanwhile, the familiar dimensions of ArdAzAei’s signature tailoring are deconstructed: corset silhouettes create an hourglass figure to emphasise the fourth dimension of time; shoulders are removed from lapels to give dresses their deep décolleté; a trench coat becomes a sheer silk dress; and a new ArdAzAei suit is introduced, with a futuristic high collar and cut from organic silk—one of eight creations in the collection certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard.
About ArdAzAei
ArdAzAei is an investigation of beauty beyond the seasons, innovating responsibly produced and timeless prêt-à-porter crafted with rare savoir-faire. Founded in 2018 by the Swedish-Iranian artistic director Bahareh Ardakani and her partner, the Maison debuted at Paris Haute Couture Week in 2022, and established its atelier in Paris shortly after. The Maison’s design philosophy is inspired by an encounter with the sublime during Bahareh Ardakani’s studies in gemology: the revelation that a gem’s outer radiance is a reflection of the eternal time that is gathered within. ArdAzAei applies this view to high fashion, so that each piece has two sides: its inner world, and its outer appearance. It is by paying attention to the inner world of a piece that its outer radiance is revealed.
ArdAzAei Couture and the Global Organic Textile Standard
To achieve such intricate constructions, ArdAzAei is made in France in collaboration with highly skilled couture artisans who are focused on maintaining the highest standards of craftsmanship and materials. ArdAzAei focuses on working with textile suppliers who can reveal the details of the origins and processes behind their products, tracing each fabric through the supply chain of raw materials, yarn spinners, weavers, printing and dyeing techniques.
Transparency also extends to the way the company operates. For example, ArdAzAei has been certified to the Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS) certified since 2022. (Certified Organic by Ecocert Greenlife 257263). GOTS is the leading textile processing standard for organic fibres, assessing a range of environmental and social-ethical criteria throughout the textile supply chain, covering not only the fabric used, but the entire end product.
ArdAzAei is proud to announce that eight creations within Calabi-Yau: The Hidden Dimensionsare GOTS-certified—almost a quarter of ArdAzAei Couture 2024-2025 collection.
Description of ArdAzAei Couture 2024-2025
Look 1 A pencil cocktail dress in silk jacquard lined with organic silk satin and embellished with voluminous ruffles. The macro fluence is set with crystals to accentuate the sculptural volume in motion around the body.
Look 2 Maxi dress made in shimmering silk satin with an architectural hip-length silhouette, a fitted skirt with a flared bottom resting on an organza jupon underskirt, and a long silk mikado train. The hem of both the top and bottom of the skirt are adorned with swirling sculptural shapes like those of Calabi–Yau, made from gradient silk jacquard and embellished with crystals, while the bodice rests on hand-embroidered silk chiffon, adding drama to the ensemble.
Look 3 Sculptural dress enveloping the body in an interpretation of the Calabi–Yau volume. This abstract dress is constructed around the idea of being mobile and changeable. Built up with metal and piano strings to create points of tension, it is made from silk organza. A stretch silk body with dégradé crystals completes the look.
Look 4 Sculptural dress in organic cotton and silk jacquard. Composed of a bustier with interlacing and fine pleats in the centre, an open back and embellished with an undulating ruffle around the body, the dress is constructed from twenty-three falling fans and decorated with crystal bead embroidery.
Look 5 Asymmetrical dress with an open back and draped gathers around the body in organic silk crepe and lamé silk. The movement of the folds is harmonized by black spinel bead embroidery tracing their lines.
Look 6 Short cocktail dress in heavy organic silk faille, with an inverted A-shaped décolleté. The skirt explores hidden spaces through mathematical pleats that create a circular volume. The asymmetric silhouette is formed by four sculptural floral shapes cut from silk organza and silk lamé, referencing the multi-dimensional properties of Calabi–Yau and adding volume at the shoulder and reversed hip. The floral shapes feature hand-embroidered details in the centre, interpretations of the ArdAzAei emblem.
Look 7 Long sheer silk organza dress composed of three layered skirts, a train in the back, and a black cotton corset with a deep inverted A-line décolleté. Hand embroidery by Maison Lesage sculpts a 3D pattern of metallic threads and glass beads inspired by the graphic variations of Calabi–Yau.
Look 8 Adorned with a futuristic, time-travelling vestal spirit, this sculptural silk chiffon fluid dress with a shimmering metallic finish and long train is composed of a short dress embellished with open panels and an interplay of draping that gives the ensemble a unique geometric shape.
Look 9 Long bustier dress with a geometric construction that explores complex shapes and flat folds to create a moving sculptural effect. Each element in double-thick triple silk organza is pleated, sewn and then assembled to create the piece. A train that folds a circular volume of the Calabi–Yau form around the body completes the look.
Look 10 Champagne-coloured GOTS-certified organic silk satin (Organic, certified by Ecocert Greenlife 257263) dress cut on the bias and shaped with pleated geometric details. The long train and crisscross back pay homage to the A-shape inspired by the Maison’s emblem.
Look 11Geometric maxi dress featuring a bold V-shaped top in triple silk organza, lines of hand-embroidered glass beads creating rays of light around the hips, and a logo cut-out at the waist. Made of organic silk organza, the skirt is embellished with silk satin ribbons.
Look 12 Sculptural dress in silk lamé organza. The bustier is a geometric composition of plissé rays, while the dress flows into more pleated fans, made by Atelier Lognon, forming the sculptural skirt and train with the ArdAzAei emblem.
Look 13 Deconstructed tailored dress cut in silk and wool blend ottoman dress with open shoulders, wide lapels and high slit at the front. The dress has off-the-shoulder sleeves with rhomboid insets and a round collar that encircles the neck. Further dimensions are added to the sharp silhouette by double layers of bi-colour triple organza cut into intricate shapes of different sizes with clean edges, expressing the curled volumes found in the Calabi–Yau spaces. These coiled forms are repeated throughout the skirt, creating a multifaceted surface around the body.
Look 14 Tailored deconstructed cocktail dress with off-the-shoulder sleeves, wide lapels, and an exaggerated silhouette. Layered organza shapes envelop the skirt in mathematical movement inspired by the multiple dimensions of Calabi–Yau manifolds. The double-breasted dress is made in heavy organic silk satin with a high collar hand-embroidered by Maison Lesage with a three-dimensional interpretation of the ArdAzAei emblem in sequins, glass beads and crystal.
Look 15 ArdAzAei signature jacket in heavy organic silk satin with asymmetric architectural pleats in the front and strong shoulders. The suit is paired with flared shorts in an A-shaped silhouette, with pleats in the front and back. Both pieces are GOTS-certified (Organic, certified by Ecocert Greenlife 257263).
Look 16 Tailored sleeveless dress with wide lapels and a strong silhouette, with rhomboid insets the hips. The bodice is in heavy organic silk faille, with a contrasting collar. The skirt is made in silk triple organza with an A-shaped motif, entirely hand-embroidered with pink and silver dégradé sequins and glass beads, exploring directional light and shadow
Look 17 Double-breasted suit in GOTS-certified organic silk (Organic, certified by Ecocert Greenlife 257263). The jacket features angular cuts, with sharp lines, a fitted waist, and volume around the hips. The fluid sleeves are flared, and a high collar sets the style of this piece. The jacket is worn with flared trousers made in the same satin.
Look 18 Bustier dress in silk faille, lined with organic silk satin with an oval crinoline skirt in recycled polyamide tulle. The singular volume of the piece, accentuated by the silver foil gradient that gives it extra depth, is due to the two layers of triple organza in the shape of Calabi–Yau petals, mathematically organized around the skirt and rising up to the seams of the bustier.
Look 19 Of great mathematical rigour, the strapless GOTS-certified dress, in organic silk faille and printed silk satin (Organic, certified by Ecocert Greenlife 257263), blooms into bord franc–cut half flowers, half Calabi–Yau manifolds on the skirt and sleeves, and ends in a train.
Look 20 800 hours and 400 metres of silk organza bias ribbons went into this long organic silk peau de soie gown with its mathematical play of lines and colours wrapping around the body and expanding, and detailed folded biased ribbons and volumes around the arms and the skirt for Ardazaei couture 2024.
Look 21 A voluminous ensemble emanating from the hidden dimensions of Calabi–Yau. The asymmetrical, GOTS-certified (Organic, certified by Ecocert Greenlife 257263) skirt in printed, bias-cut organic double silk is paired with an organza and overprinted foil top with straps hand-embroidered beaded straps at the back. The top is also embroidered with glass beads and ‘stardust’ sequins.
Look 22 This GOTS-certified trench coat dress in heavy organza (Organic, certified by Ecocert Greenlife 257263) plays with volume with a stretch silk body, multiple layers of asymmetric panels, a high collar, voluminous puffy sleeves and a long A-shaped train at the back.
Look 23 Bringing a science-fiction mood, this transparent satin and silvered organza flared dress with pointed shoulders and light geometrical hand embroidery of sequins and crystals, reminiscent of the ArdAzAei emblem.
Look 24 Geometric strapless dress in silk faille composed of interlocking conical skirts in silk organza and a silk satin train. The skirts are adorned with a systematic, mathematical composition of lines of crystals and coloured metal strass beads in silver and purple dégradé. Reflecting the Maison’s constant experimentation, the front of the dress is adorned with a 3D-printed ArdAzAei hand-embroidered emblem over existing embroidered lines, with around 100 hours of work. The dress is completed by an avant-garde train, itself embroidered with recycled sequins and cut crystals developed in collaboration with the Sustainable Sequin Company and using recycled plastics.
Look 25 Long sculptural dress with fishtail hem and geometric cape in triple-printed silk organza with metallic gradient on the top. The bust and bottom are embellished with intricate, three-dimensional Maison Lesage hand embroidery in sequins, glass beads and crystals referencing Calabi-Yau forms. Finally, to add to the drama of the piece, a draped silk chiffon train flows from behind the shoulders.
All images ArdAzAei Couture 2024-2025 by ArdAzAei
Credit to
Artistic direction M/M (Paris)
Styling Emmanuelle Alt
Casting Piergiorgio Del Moro
Hair Duffy
Make up Diane Kendal
Music Frédéric Sanchez
Copy editing Xerxes Cook
Production La Mode en Images
PR Lucien Pagès Communication
Photographer Luca Tombolini
Shoes Rene Caovilla
Tag Ardazaei Couture FW24 / Fall Winter 2024-2025 Haute Couture