Ashi Studio presented “The Beginning” at Couture 2026

During the Paris Couture Week 2026, held in January, Ashi Studio presented the Spring/Summer 2026 Couture collection, titled “The Beginning”. The show was part of the official haute couture calendar in Paris on January 29 and centered around the investigation of Victorian mourning rituals, historical corsetry techniques, and contemporary manipulation of materials. Among the looks, Look 14 stood out, a bespoke oxblood crocodile leather coat, structured to fit the body down to the floor, with a raised collar and exposed back.

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Founded by Saudi designer Ashi, the maison has consolidated its presence in Paris over the past seasons with a language that combines classical construction and material research. The brand operates within the haute couture circuit as a studio that tensions tradition and theatricality, often engaging in dialogue with historical references and codes of bodily control. In this collection, the starting point was the Victorian era's obsession with mourning, desire, and aesthetic discipline.

The collection utilized 18th-century corsetry techniques to compress waists and structure silhouettes in a bell-shaped format. Dresses incorporated rounded extensions, surfaces treated with glue to create an apparent wet effect, and trompe l’oeil paintings that transformed flat fabrics into illusory bows and drapery. Braided hair was integrated into the pieces as a reference to Victorian mourning jewelry, while keys, butterflies associated with death, and wax seals appeared as symbolic elements. Part of the development was carried out in collaboration with professionals in set design and hair who work in cinema, including teams involved in the production of “Dracula”.

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The recurrence of the corset in the season was one of the movements observed on different catwalks and high-profile events. The structured silhouette reappeared as a tool for body definition, indicating a symbolic repositioning of this piece in the contemporary imagination. By framing the corset as an element of power and not just restriction, Ashi Studio engaged with a market that revisits historical codes under new cultural and commercial readings.

In the context of haute couture, where exclusivity and narrative walk hand in hand, the collection reinforced the role of the atelier as a technical laboratory. The combination of artisanal techniques, burned surfaces, experimental applications, and material illusion highlighted a strategy focused on differentiation within a highly competitive global calendar.

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The intersection between artisanal tradition, historical symbolism, and technical experimentation helps to understand the transformations that impact both the creative discourse and the market positioning of fashion houses.

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