the Paris Philharmonic
by Anne Willi
Following a call for tenders from the Philharmonie de Paris, Anne Willi won the competition to design and produce the stage outfits for all the musicians of the Orchestre de Paris.
“Before participating in this national competition, I observed these virtuoso musicians closely and regularly came to the Philharmonie for concerts.
I studied their gestures, listened to their needs, compared the outfits of other orchestras.
The musicians already had their outfits, and the women, as in most orchestras, had to wear their own black outfit. On stage, all the silhouettes were very different, and there were as many black colors as there were people.
My first idea was to harmonize them while giving them the choice."
To create outfits for the orchestra's 40 musicians, Anne designed a 10-piece wardrobe so that each of them could choose what suited their instrument, their body shape, and their own style.
A jumpsuit, a suit with a tailored jacket with a shawl collar and straight trousers, wide high-waisted trousers, a long bias skirt, a wide kimono jacket and then 4 different blouses, one in cotton with balloon sleeves and 3 different shapes to meet all requests.
“ Musicians need comfort and well-being to be able to play without hindrance. The fabric chosen must be chic, strong, wrinkle-free and easy to wash.”
"I chose a beautiful black crepe with a satin backing to play on the shine. Like my eponymous brand, all fabrics and manufacturing are exclusively European."
The Paris Orchestra is an integral part of Jean Nouvel's new building, "La Philharmonie de Paris," and to pay homage to the architect, I highlighted the waist and wrists with a golden border, like the hall that resounds with their concerts.
This orchestra represents Paris around the world during international tours and the musicians are all ambassadors of French chic.
