Cheryl Cole's favourite couturier Stephane Rolland unveiled his greatest hits at the V&A museum on Friday.
Our style editor sat down with the designer after his show to find out what inspires his sculptural style.
And he reveals plans for an upcoming ready-to-wear collection.
As the lights dimmed for the opening of Stephane Rolland's presentation at the V&A on Friday, we recalled why we were so excited to see these fashions in motion. Rolland, who was raised in an assortment of tropics: Argentina, Paraguay and the French West Indies, has an innate ability to craft draped archtiectural confections that we can only dream of wearing.
A host of adoring celebs including Cheryl, Beyonce, Queen Rania of Jordan and Rihanna have ensured that we do not miss a beat from this designer. And as the models glided down the catwalk, we appreciated the simple presentation style: just clothes and girls with fabulous loose seventies curls cascading over their shoulders. So how did Rolland pick this best-of line?
"It was an interesting exercise for me to analyse my work," he explains, adding that he realised he "has a style. It's ridiculous to say that, because I should know it, but maybe I am too enveloped in it. At Yves Saint Laurent, at Chanel, there is a style and people recognise it. There is a real identity (to my line)."
Rolland, who designed menswear at Balenciaga before launc
hing his own label in 2007, feels the cohesiveness in his collections made Fashion In Motion a smoother reflection. Showing at the V&A was an emotional experience for the designer who admits that as a French couturier "usually the French think Paris is the best and we don't have to show anywhere else (maybe New York), but for commercial opportunities I'm happy to show my work (in London)."
And while he's reluctant to name his ultimate model ("I don't want to restrict my image to one woman, because I feel touched and feel the emotion from many different personalities."), he says his aim is "to bring more value to the wearer. To help women be more glamourous, to be more chic, because of my love for them and respect for them." The designer works with gazar, a loosely woven silk, that he can shape into curves that imitate the female figure.
"I'm not looking for beauty," Rolland says, "I'm looking for energy. I like imperfection; it means fragility. Only my cut has to be perfect."
Stephane Rolland shows no signs of slowing down with plans to reach more women with his ready-to-wear collection set to launch in the next year.
