Monday, April 4, AZ Factory launched its first collection since the death of its founder, Alber Elbaz, just a year ago. It is signed by South African designer Thebe Magugu, a 28-year-old rising figure in the fashion world, who has never known Alber Elbaz. “But we were born on the same continent, he in Morocco, me in South Africa, he explains. This allowed me to lay the foundations of this collection for which I wanted to highlight what African couture and culture have in common: the love of craftsmanship, the taste for stories. »
Thebe Magugu continued the founder’s work using prints by Franco-Algerian artist Chafik Cheriet, which Alber Elbaz had had produced but had not had time to use, expanding the range of clothing already existing. He also injected a bit of his DNA, with asymmetrical pleated skirts, elegant shirts. “He made clothes rather close to the body and I quite loose; I wanted to keep this tension”, says Thebe Magugu. Pop zebra trench coats, ruffled tops in recycled polyester and opulent draped dresses happily cohabit in a palette of primary colors.
So much cheerfulness would almost make us forget the difficult beginnings of AZ Factory. The brand was born from Alber Elbaz’s desire to reconnect with meaningful fashion after a difficult separation from Lanvin, where he remained for fourteen years. He then aspires to ” propose solutions “ to women with collections that do not follow the rhythm of the seasons, but respond to issues (a versatile wardrobe from the gym to cocktails, technical and elegant clothing, etc.).
Talent scout
Since its creation, the context has not been favorable to the label. Alber Elbaz signed with the luxury group Richemont in November 2019. It took him a few months to recruit a team, which was ready… just in time for the first confinement, in March 2020. So there was no parade, only a video, published in January 2021, where Alber Elbaz presented his fashion project in a funny TV show parody. We discovered, for example, clever sheathing black dresses equipped with a technical knit capable of strengthening the posture at the level of the torso, but stretchable on the legs so as not to hinder movement.
After the sudden death of Alber Elbaz at the age of 59 from the consequences of Covid-19, in April 2021, AZ Factory devoted itself for five months to the development of the “Love Brings Love” fashion show, which responded to the wish of the creator of to organize a giant show inspired by notable designers. The story of AZ could have ended after this tribute paid in October 2021, but the success of the event – both from a creative and media point of view – convinced the management to continue the project.
From now on, AZ will welcome young creators like Thebe Magugu, who have ideas to develop, but do not necessarily have the necessary structure. For Richemont, a leader in the field of luxury watchmaking, which is seeking to develop its fashion influence, this is a great opportunity to position itself as a talent scout. Or getting closer to star seeds like Thebe Magugu, already awarded the LVMH Prize in 2019.