A SYMPHONY OF TERROR COUTURE: MAXIME SIMOENS' A/W 2011 "NOSFERATU"

Zoot Magazine continues its reports on the new generation of Haute Couture designers with an interview with Maxime Simoëns.

Text by Anna Battista

Quoted and copied even in modern movies thanks to its visually remarkable power Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau’s 1922 film Nosferatu: A Symphony of Terror still retains its fascinating power not only with strictly horror fans, but also with artists and fashion designers. Count Orlok’s pointed ears, bald head and sharp fangs are definitely spellbinding, but so are the camera angles and the carefully shot and stylised settings in this film. Just like Francis Ford Coppola was inspired by Murnau’s Nosferatu, Maxime Simoëns moved from the scary atmsopheres of this movie while creating his Autumn/Winter 2011-12 Haute Couture collection.

Born in Lille in 1984, Simoëns studied Applied Arts in Lyon and worked for major houses and designers such as Elie Saab, Jean-Paul Gaultier, John Galliano for Christian Dior and Nicolas Ghesquière for Balenciaga, becoming the first designer ever to be accepted as a member of the French Fashion Federation before having yet had a show of any of his collections.

Simoëns distilled his vision, mainly characterised by graphic details and precise and clean lines, in his collections “Black to White”, inspired by Michael Jackson, “L’Envol Féminin” (“Woman on Wings”), “Cherry Blossom Girl” and “This, Madame, is Versailles”.

From sensuous femininity, Simoëns turned in his Autumn/Winter 2011-12 Haute Couture collection to neo-gothic atmospheres borrowed from Murnau’s vampire. Simoëns’s new designs do not feature any direct references to the costumes of Murnau’s film, but they call to mind a sort of vampirical aesthetics: graphic fang-shaped lines decorate jackets and dresses, crimson nuances prevail together with black and red pearl fringes and abstract crypt prints, while midnight blue tweed jackets with vampire teeth yokes are trimmed with starry night embroideries or matched with crystal chandelier necklaces.

Evening looks include black dresses and white evening trousers with red, golden brown, blue/grey or white titanium organza forming a cape at the back, almost evoking ghostly presences or the attire of somnambulistic Nina caught in a vampirical trance. Even Simoëns’ more architectural designs actually hide in their geometric motifs dark inspirations such as yokes in the shape of Gothic letters H, M and S, while the second theme of the collection – Art Deco and in particular the works of Swiss lacquer artist Jean Dunand – inspired the geometric motifs on jackets and trousers.

In Murnau’s film only a brave woman pure in heart who will offer her blood freely to Nosferatu and keep the vampire by her side until after the cock has crowed can break the vampire spell. Maybe that’s the sort of woman Simoëns had in mind when he designed this collection.

Zoot Magazine: Where does the inspiration for your Autumn/Winter 2011-12 Haute Couture

Collection come from?

Maxime Simoëns: My inspiration came from a combination of neo-gothic and expressionist aesthetics for what regarded the mood of the show, while the lines and prints came from Art Deco.

Zoot Magazine: The collection moves from Murnau’s Nosferatu: do you like horror films or silent movies and in which ways were you inspired by it?

Maxime Simoëns: Ever since my early childhood, I have been fascinated by theatre and cinema. I loved watching Charlie Chaplin’s silent movies as much as I loved watching horror movies, the sensation of fear used to fascinate me. For this collection I was also inspired by Sophia Coppola’s cinematic style, and I tried to transpose Nosferatu through my clothing and give my collection a darker allure.

Zoot Magazine: How do you feel at being the youngest Haute Couture designer to showcase in Paris?

Maxime Simoëns: Haute Couture is a real challenge. As a designer you have to keep the pace no matter how old you are and I feel I have to stay young and creative through my work. Every collection is a new story to be told through my dress codes and I keep on exploring and redefining the latter collection after collection.

Zoot Magazine: What do you think about Haute Couture, will it continue on existing in future or will it turn into demi-couture?

Maxime Simoëns: I think there will be a compromise between Haute Couture and ready-to-wear. By definition Haute Couture is supposed to be costume tailored and there are fewer clients for that kind of fashion. I believe instead that Haute Couture will become a very luxurious type of prêt-à–porter, a sort of “Haute Prêt-à-Porter” that will emphasise the quality and the know-how behind the clothing. Haute Couture is field for creativity, ideas and experimentation that nourish the prêt-à–porter. It’s an outlet of creativity and technique. Extravagance is for the theatre; Haute Couture should instead sublimate the female body.

Zoot Magazine: Would you ever design the costumes for a film?

Maxime Simoëns: I already have for the film Les Adoptés by Melanie Laurent that will be released in theatres on 23^rd November 2011.

Zoot Magazine: Who has been the greatest influence on your career?

Maxime Simoëns: Jean-Paul Gaultier, he’s the one who made me want to be a designer.

Zoot Magazine: Would you like to launch an accessory line one day?

Maxime Simoëns: I have started a collaboration to create a line of jewellery and a line of shoes that will be presented in my collection next season.

Zoot Magazine: Do you feel there is too much pressure nowadays on designers to produce their collections?

Maxime Simoëns: There is a very fast rhythm to keep up with, and, even if it’s hard, that’s what fashion is about and you have to get used to it.

Zoot Magazine: Future plans and ambitions?

Maxime Simoëns: Continue creating and affirming my style.