Germanier’s Color-filled Upcycling Spreads to Couture From Spring 2025

by · WWD
Germanier Spring 2025 CoutureGiovanni Giannoni/WWD

“Imagine Miss or Mister Perfect, like Bree Van de Kamp, wanting to switch things up,” said Kévin Germanier backstage before his inaugural couture show. “What if each of your cells became infused with Germanier?”

That was the premise of a lineup in which he expanded the scope of his found materials to include an upscale vintage wardrobe — for her and for him.

While the labels that could be seen peeking from the collar of a jacket or inside a shoe thrifted by Germanier caught the eye — Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Oscar de la Renta, to name but a few — he said the point he tried to prove was that he could be trusted to do a good job zhuzhing them.

A handful of menswear looks were slotted in “to show it’s not just a one-off for women because in 2025, anyone can wear crystalized pieces,” he said. Sitting in the front row, “Emily in Paris” star Jean-Christophe Bouvet certainly looked dapper.

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On the runway, the initial impression was par for the course Germanier has set so far, with color-filled beading, chunky knitwear and feathery flurries.

Up close, the evolution was striking. Beading was done by hand. Raffia was combed out by hand and long reeds were shaped into shivering points, both replacing feathers. A knit set came with softly compact folds that revealed gradients reprising the outfit’s main colors. There were also crocheted lamé looks that were equal parts intricate and intriguing.

Threaded into each of these looks was Germanier’s idea that his brand should be a creative studio presenting “the best of the best” from craftspeople around the world, such as India-based embroiderer Sachin or Brazil’s Gustavo Silvestre.

As for those who felt it hewed too close to the aesthetic he has been showing on ready-to-wear runways, the Swiss designer — who is firing on all cylinders with bespoke projects such as designing costumes for the Eurovision song contest in May — had a ready answer.

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“Just because I’m now in couture doesn’t mean I’m going to stop [upcycling],” he said. “It would be stupid and my client would stop coming.”