Bahareh Ardakani is expanding her vocabulary. Now that her brand, ArdAzAei, has established a foothold as one of the newest additions to the Couture calendar, it’s moving into ready-to-wear for spring and, to that end, ramping up e-commerce in the next month or so.
“I’m trying to develop a language that’s all my own, but at the same time one that simplifies couture and makes it more accessible,” the designer said during a visit to her jewel box of a showroom on the Rue Saint-Florentin in Paris. “Couture is such a dream world. It’s a special and unique part of fashion, but my mission is to dress more women for the life they live every day.”
Taking as a starting point last spring’s “Folded Sea” couture outing, Ardakani’s spring collection, entitled “Souvenirs,” drew on her own lifestyle, incorporating knitwear, denim, and shoes for the first time. Body-skimming knits in misty pastels were designed for easy layering: a structured, cropped bralette seemed destined for a younger customer. Among little tops and dresses with pretty peplums and swingy hems, a lilac number with mint-tinged godets neatly checked next season’s trends in color and shape; on the mannequin it was shown slipped underneath a cinched black biker jacket.
Given that she holds degrees in math, engineering, and gemology, it is perhaps no surprise that the designer cuts a smart trouser. This season she brought her eye for line to white GOTS-certified denim flares as well as a ready-to-wear iteration of the Artemesia couture jacket, a softly draped panel construction worn cinched with a wide belt. Thus far, that piece is the brand’s bestseller—proof enough that when Ardakani lets herself relax a little, design-wise, her client follows. A semi-couture top in draped white jersey looked like a signature in the making: exactly the kind of piece that requires ArdAzAei to strike a balance between craftsmanship, its eco-conscious commitments and the accessibility it needs to grow.