Fabrics by Forster Willi and Jakob Schlaepfer impress fashion world

The St.Gallen design studios Forster Willi and Jakob Schlaepfer impressed the front row at the fashion weeks in Milan and Paris with their elaborate, sophisticated fabric creations for spring/summer 2024, according to a joint statement. For decades, the two traditional ateliers, which now belong to the St.Gallen-based Forster Rohner Group, have specialized in textiles for haute couture.

Christian Dior commissioned fabrics featuring the fashion house's famous toile de jouy embroidery and made three designs from it. For Versace, Forster Willi embossed a guipure (perforated lace) embroidered with frosted-matt thread. Nine creations were developed for the St.Gallen fashion house Akris’ show in Paris. Three of them feature small to oversized floral motifs embroidered on silk organza.

Chanel showed three creations by Jakob Schlaepfer. For two of the designs, guipure and a printed lace were applied using an embroidery machine, and a laser process then cut this into little superposed flowers. For a dreamy blue design by Giorgio Armani, the atelier developed a creation using crinol braids, usually found inmillinery and on undergarments. Models who walked for Coperni, Chloé and Aigner also wore fabrics by Jakob Schlaepfer.

This year, luxury has become "quieter" but “its soul still surpasses everything", summarizes Elisheva Senn, Head of the Forster Willi business unit, of the order requests. Fabio Di Silvio, Managing Director of Jakob Schlaepfer, also notes this trend: “Noticeable finishing techniques scarcely featured in this year’s collection.” ce/mm