Bahareh Ardakani is enhancing her vocabulary of design. With her brand, ArdAzAei, now firmly positioned as a fresh name on the Couture calendar, she is set to venture into ready-to-wear for the upcoming spring, while also boosting her e-commerce strategy in the near future.
“I aim to create a distinctive language reflective of my vision, yet one that also demystifies couture, making it more approachable for the everyday woman,” the designer shared during a visit to her charming studio on Rue Saint-Florentin in Paris. “Couture represents a dreamlike realm. It holds a unique place in the fashion landscape, but my goal is to outfit more women for their daily lives.”
Building on last spring’s “Folded Sea” couture presentation, Ardakani’s new spring collection, titled “Souvenirs,” is inspired by her personal lifestyle, introducing knitwear, denim, and shoes for the first time. The collection includes body-hugging knits in soft pastels designed for effortless layering: a structured cropped bralette appears aimed at a younger audience. Among the array of stylish tops and dresses featuring charming peplums and flowing hems, a lilac piece with mint-accented godets reflects next season’s emerging trends in both color and silhouette, showcased beneath a fitted black biker jacket on the mannequin.
With her qualifications in mathematics, engineering, and gemology, it’s no surprise that she crafts stylish trousers with precision. This season, she applied her keen eye for lines to white GOTS-certified denim flares and introduced a ready-to-wear version of the Artemesia couture jacket, which features a softly draped panel that is elegantly cinched with a wide belt. This piece has quickly become the brand’s top seller—evidence that when Ardakani allows herself to embrace a more relaxed design style, her customers respond positively. A semi-couture top crafted from draped white jersey appears poised to become a signature item: precisely the type of piece that necessitates ArdAzAei to find harmony between artisanal craftsmanship, its commitment to sustainability, and the accessibility required for growth.
