VUE

THROUGH the LENS —Designer AZZI & OSTA pay homage to the golden age of haute couture. When it comes to couture fashion, George Azzi and Assaad Osta are considered the most notable designers in the Middle East and throughout the world. e two met while studying at ESMOD Beirut, before going on to intern and later work for fellow Lebanese dressmaker Elie Saab. Together, the duo founded couture house AZZI & OSTA in 2010, known for their dramatic vintage-style garments with an imaginative twist. Nearly a decade later, their creations have been seen on celebrities such as Beyoncé, Cardi B and Kendall Jenner. For the autumn/winter 2019 season, AZZI & OSTA presented a 24-piece collection which took cues from the 1950s—considered by some to be the golden age of haute couture. is genre of fashion was defined by the works of New Jersey-born photographer Irving Penn, whose legacy inspired the designers most recent showing. Sculpted silhouettes were enlivened by a color palette reminiscent of Penn's floral still life works and included rose pinks, crimson reds, lilac gray and lily greens. Elsewhere, exaggerated proportions and swirly, voluminous skirts were met with intricate embroidery, luminous silks and luxurious layers of tulle. "We are honoring the golden age, where timeless silhouettes were invented and became forever engraved in history. rough the lens of Irving Penn, the very essence of couture as we perceive it, is omnipresent, highly orchestrated yet effortless. ese are the aesthetics we value the most and always strive to reimagine." - Azzi and Osta V U E N J . C O M 42

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