A.F. Vandevorst’s Spring/Summer 2014 collection was inspired by the imagined journey of a woman who falls asleep on the beach, rises, brushes the sand from her clothes, and wanders into the world. This poetic vision of transient beauty and quiet resilience was brought to life with a unique presentation. The designers created a sand-filled casing backstage, misting each model with a light adhesive before having them lay down in the basin. The effect was mesmerizing, with grains of sand clinging to the garments, evoking the raw, tactile memory of a seaside escape.
The pursuit of the perfect sand became an adventure in itself. Determined to replicate the warm beige tones of a sunlit beach, the team searched Paris and Antwerp for the right texture and color, only to discover no store stocked such sand. Improvising, they dispatched five people armed with buckets to collect sand directly from Parisian playgrounds. This hands-on approach highlighted A.F. Vandevorst’s dedication to storytelling, where every detail serves to immerse the audience in the narrative.
