The Return of Azède Jean-Pierre Is Powered by Gucci

The forward-thinking designer has created a meticulously crafted selection of knits for the Italian house.

The Return of Azède Jean-Pierre Is Powered by Gucci

Over the years, the New York-based Haitian American designer Azède Jean-Pierre has channeled her heritage, exquisite taste, and design talent into a series of collections that have charmed stylish women the world over—including Michelle Obama and Solange Knowles. As it turns out, the team at Gucci also counts itself among Jean-Pierre’s fans. “I was introduced to Alessandro Michele’s design team in 2019 when they were in New York City for the Met Gala,” the designer recalls of the moment that sparked her new collaboration with the Italian luxury powerhouse. “We began to brainstorm how we could work together, and shortly after, Azède Powered by Gucci was born.”

Since her 2012 debut, the designer has had to take breaks from the fashion calendar to focus on philanthropy in her native Haiti, among other projects. “To start a fashion design business, you have to come from some kind of money or you have to find access to it—that’s a huge barrier to entry,” she told Nylon in 2018. Now, with the support of Gucci, she’s back to producing her signature sportif designs while still giving back to the nation that made her who she is.

Launching this month at Gucci’s downtown New York Wooster Street location and Los Angeles’s Dover Street Market, Azède Powered by Gucci is a limited-edition collection of knitwear that puts a fresh spin on classic casual silhouettes. “When temperatures cool, no wardrobe item is more essential than a cozy sweater,” says Jean-Pierre. Even so, her creations are a far cry from the typically oversized, thickly knit layers that tend to emerge at the first sign of an autumn chill. “I want to bring a fresh approach to knitwear, preserving the necessary elements of the perfect knit while exacting our own vision,” Jean-Pierre explains. “I adore clothing that combines sophistication and comfort. Even [our] softest, warmest sweaters are urbane and streamlined, with sleek constructions and understated aesthetics.”

Among the collection’s meticulously crafted pieces are a sandy belted coatigan; sculpted pants that combine the ease of a soft knit with the utility-driven silhouette of a performance legging-dungaree hybrid; gender-neutral shirtdresses made from alternating knits that create a striated visual effect; sleek bodysuits that feature meandering panels that accentuate every curve; and a free-flowing asymmetrical skirt that conjures up images of the ebb and flow of sand along the shore, all rendered in earthy tans, jet blacks, and aquatic blues.

The natural beauty and movement of Haiti, Jean-Pierre’s birthplace, informed every step of the creative process, which began Stateside with sketches, draping, and yarn selection before being passed along to the Gucci team in Milan for more virtual collaboration, refinement, and production. “Haiti inspired the color palette and the ease of the clothing, as well as the video concept,” Jean-Pierre says. “That is why I feel it is so important that we give back.” As part of her collaboration with Gucci, a donation will be made to CORE, a nonprofit crisis-response organization that’s working to provide relief for Haitians affected by the nation’s recent spate of natural disasters.

This story originally appeared on: Vogue - Author:Roxanne Fequiere