English Version | The duality of Stéphane Rolland

At just four years old, Stéphane Rolland drew his first sketches and his taste for fashion became undeniable. As a teenager, he was inspired by architecture and modern art, both of which captured his attention. Today, Rolland is one of the few couturiers who continues to perpetuate the savoir-faire of Haute Couture and, recently, he has also dedicated himself to the bridal world, creating dresses that are every bride's dream. As a master of Haute Couture, Stéphane Rolland is no newcomer to the bridal world, but it was in 2023 that he launched his first ready-to-wear collection for brides, Epure. In his words, this collection allows him to "approach a greater number of women", and comes with a new challenge and a new execution, but always designed for the bride "in search of the dream." For fall/winter 2024, he presents a new collection of "strong and harmonious dresses for an exceptional day", thus continuing to reinterpret the designs of his maison, as he explains: "The creative approach is different with prêt-à-porter. Each dress is inspired by my previous Haute Couture collections. I select myself the looks that can be easily translated into bridal gowns. Coming back to my previous collections allows me to bring back to life gowns which, in the past, concerned only some women.” The creative process differs, of course, when making dresses for prêt-à-porter and Haute Couture, whether in terms of technique or price, but, as he explains, "the spirit always stays the same and so is the goal – create sparks in women's eyes. Each season, with my team, we analyze the designs and we do a technical study to be able to translate Haute Couture into prêt-à-porter. It’s always an exciting challenge!" So exciting, in fact, that even decades into his career, the couturier is still blown away by the infinite possibilities that fashion brings with it: “It’s surprising to discover that the border between prêt-à-porter and Haute Couture is very thin. My bridal atelier surprises me often by using techniques I thought were only available in Haute Couture. This allows me to build with them an extremely refined collection that can be aimed at a wider number of women.” 

Fabrics play a fundamental role in the designer's work and, among his "fetish fabrics", he tells us, are gazar, duchesse satin and silk crepe, which he can't use in ready-to-wear. However, he manages to "find really similar materials to always respect the brand’s DNA." The exception is lace, although it's not often used in Haute Couture, as his bridal atelier has "expert hands who realize miracles by embedding laces between each other." As far as shapes are concerned, the architectural and structured inspirations reflected in Haute Couture are applied with the same sensuality and the same logic to wedding dresses: "Even in Haute Couture, my architectural side doesn’t stop me from creating sensual and feminine dresses. Also, it is easier with prêt-à-porter bridal. Mixing graphism and softness are always some interesting exercises. This is actually what defines us: duality Yin and Yang, masculine and feminine, water and fire, strength and fragility.” Duality is present across the board in his work, and it is this that so often distinguishes the designer's pieces, which are easily recognized for their idiosyncratic character in the best possible sense of the word.

Between the traditional and timeless, or the bold and the risky, Stéphane Rolland is liberal: “The wedding day is a unique day. The gown choice is very decisive. It needs to be the reflection of who is wearing it.” However, he advises brides to express themselves fully, but always guided by a tasteful approach: “Make yourself happy, let your inner child express itself, but give more importance to timelessness, so you don’t look back one day and ask yourself ‘Why did I make that decision’.” Rolland's big "yes" and "no" to brides are also clear: “No for over sexy. I do not like that trend of transparent lace dresses. Yes for epure and simplicity. Yes for drama and long trains. No for bustiers that don't hold the chest and that the bride needs to constantly readjust it. Yes for a royal touch. And a big No to the jarretelle tradition [garters].” For those looking for inspiration, these are Rolland's: “Some big weddings have turned upside down my imaginary, such as empress Farah Diba Pahlavi. The magnificent gown of Queen Fabiola of Spain made by Cristobal Balenciaga. And of course, still and always, Grace Kelly. I have also always loved Bianca Jagger’s white smoking.” Finally, about the special memories he keeps of his brides, tells us that the list is long, but he keeps a low profile, as Haute Couture demands: “I have so many memorable experiences, it’s hard to choose just one. All of the women I have encontered in Haute Couture have given me their trust. I can not betray them, I am attached to the secrets of the Haute Couture world” - words that are certainly said with sympathy and lightness by the designer. A personality that we were able to witness first-hand when we coincidentally met in Lisbon, where Stéphane Rolland had come to spend the weekend and was kind enough to bring along a wedding dress that was featured in one of the fashion editorials in The Bridal Affair. It's not every day that something like this happens.

Translated from the original in The Bridal Affair, published with The Blossom Issue in March 2024. Full stories and credits in the print version.