Believing in smart fashion that cares, AZ Factory was founded by the late Alber Elbaz with Richemont in 2020 to ‘create beautiful, practical, and solutions-driven fashion that works for everyone’. Anchored in the highest disciplines of style and savoir-faire, AZ Factory’s universe seamlessly blends traditional craftsmanship with forward-looking applications and technology in quest of true innovation. Since 2022, AZ Factory has evolved into a multi-disciplinary platform that goes beyond the conventional fashion blueprint, daringly supporting creation and young talent as a creative collective with a curatorial approach.

Top collaborations have included Thebe Magugu, Ester Manas, Club Domani, Cyril Bourez and Lutz Huelle. For the Fall/Winter 2023 show, AZ Factory presents its newest collection created in collaboration with hot new talent, Tennessy Thoreson through an extraordinary Cabaret show featuring sophisticated skill sets commonly used in the art of show-business. AZ Factory first spotted French Designer Tennessy Thoreson during his Head Geneva 2021 graduation show and was immediately intrigued by his talent, creativity, technical skills, extraordinary power of storytelling and the emotional capacity to communicate it.

Always imbued in a histrionic and across-the-board reality, Tennessy imagined this collection as an ode to joy, and extravagance through twelve characters that were defined as ‘Super Heroines’. Tennessy and AZ Factory specifically endeavored to curate a cast that would transcribe the same values that the collection stands for, with a cast of performers ranging from Drag Race superstars to Parisian and international talents from different performing arts backgrounds: drag artist, dancer and performer Alvin Collantes; visual artist and dancer Angèle Micaux; Aurélian Vieillard, photographer and visual artist Barbara Salomé Felgenhauer; drag singer Diamanda Callas accompanied by Abat-Nuit, DJ and multi-disciplinary artist Jean-Biche; dance and performance artist Lalla Morte; Madame Napoléan; actress, singer and model Mara de Nudée; reigning queen of drag race France Paloma; and cabaret artist and star of drag race France Soa de Muse.

Silhouettes were sharp, tailored and body revealing and every piece is entirely constructed by hand by the skilled seamstresses in the AZ Factory Maison in-house atelier. Cuts and constructions observe strict and traditional Couture codes for both draping and tailoring, with flamboyant and unexpected theatrical details adding surprise and panache. The result was an organic, authentic dialogue between the younger generation and the values and rituals of Couture: inclusivity meeting exclusivity. The collection will be available for bespoke and made-to-measure.

www.azfactory.com

@azfactory

@tennessythoreson