Samantha Giraud / d’Arbonneau
First HK-born to stage a solo Paris couture show 🌿
Women-empowerment & sustainable sports fashion ✧ Author | Coach | Mum of 2
首位香港出生設計師於巴黎舉辦個人高訂秀 🌿
推動女性力量與永續運動時尚 ✧ 作家｜教練｜兩孩媽媽 People sometimes ask me if I’m quitting the fashion world—we all know that COVID hit our industry very hard. I even saw some designers who were forced to stop doing what they love. So it’s not a
surprise that people would wonder if it were the same for me. I took a gap year since my last launch in Paris because there was something even more important I wanted to pursue. It’s about my message, my purpose for being on this planet. First of all, haute couture has never been fast fashioned, so a year off is nothing. It’s all about workmanship. And workmanship takes time. It’s about sophistication, details, and precision, and you can’t rush those. That is why I became an Haute couturier in the first place. Second, I created my brand because of my vision. I didn’t create my vision so I could have a brand. It was important to me to spend this past year learning to embody the message of empowering women and teens. That’s why my team and I produced two world-class virtual summits: one for athletes and one for women. Fortunately for me, I have the full support of my team, even though these projects are not fashion-related. My brand stands for love, hope, and the acceptance of beauty in all its many forms. It’s the balance of Yin and Yang, minus the cultural, age, or gender stereotypes. You can see that my pieces are a blend of very feminine (Yin) and very sporty (Yang ). Ever since I was little, I was told that girls who participated in sports couldn’t be beautiful. Even as a young girl, I totally disagreed. Even if only see us in sweaty t-shirts, as a former athlete I can tell you that girls in sports are very sexy and feminine. I hope you will find the courage to stand out, to go your own way, to dare not to blend in. Because we’re all beautiful in our bold, unique ways. With love, Samantha Giraud
