St.Gallen fine textiles appear at fashion shows in Paris and Milan

(CONNECT) Willi Forster and Jakob Schlaepfer contributed textile creations to numerous looks at the Fall/Winter 2026–2027 Haute Couture shows in Paris and the Spring/Summer 2027 Ready-to-Wear shows in Paris and Milan. According to a statement, fabrics and embroidery from the two St.Gallen-based fashion houses, both of which belong to the Forster Rohner Group, featured in 35 runway looks.

Chanel’s Paris ready-to-wear collection incorporated textile innovations by Jakob Schlaepfer across no fewer than five looks. Two featured smock embroidery created using a rubber bobbin, which causes the fabric to contract and form a three-dimensional, shibori-like texture. The technique appeared in brown and, importantly, in black for the show’s final look, Look 83. Jakob Schlaepfer also developed elaborate textile designs for five looks in Louis Vuitton’s collection.

Designer Willi Forster was represented in the collection of the St.Gallen-based fashion house Akris through two textile designs. A graphic all-over stripe pattern on fine silk organza connects five looks, offering a contemporary interpretation of the classic stripe motif. In addition, one bag features multicolored scribble embroidery. At the ready-to-wear shows in Milan, the two St.Gallen-based textile companies embellished designs by Bottega Veneta and Giorgio Armani with their sophisticated fabrics and embroidery.

At Chanel’s Paris Haute Couture shows, seven looks featured work by Jakob Schlaepfer while five incorporated Forster Willi designs. Notably, Anna Wintour – who, as former editor-in-chief of Vogue, has been the most powerful woman in the fashion world for decades – later wore the outfit co-created by Forster Willi which opened the Chanel show to the ready-to-wear show herself. For two of its looks, including the wedding dress, Dior selected Forster Willi’s interpretation of one of the collection’s defining botanical motifs. For this purpose, the St.Gallen-based Maison de Broderie developed a fern motif inspired by a classic ivory cotton guipure. ce/mm