At Paris Fashion week, AZ Factory—founded in 2019 by the late Alber Elbaz, former Creative Director of Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche and, later, Lanvin—debuted its Fall/Winter 2023 collection.

Designed by frequent collaborators Molly Molloy, former design director of womenswear at Marni, and Lucinda Chambers, former Fashion Director of British Vogue, the collection pays homage to Elbaz’s legacy, merging his affinity for traditional craftsmanship with an orientation toward the future.

Since 2022, AZ Factory has taken a curatorial approach, evolving into a multi-disciplinary platform more akin to an art gallery than a conventional fashion label. AZ selects independent designers who are given a visiting role based on shared values with the brand which, in this case, were quality, reciprocity, hand craftsmanship, environmentalism, and female empowerment.

With this collection, the designers aimed to challenge archetypical femininity through lush fabrications, draping, and architectural forms. Layering was a key feature of the collection, whether it was a long-line sweater dress hanging over wide trousers or a deadstock leather breast piece layered over flowing pleats. The collection also featured leather bucket bags (a trend this season), as well as Molloy and Chambers’ now iconic woven bags, which are created in collaboration with a Colombian tribe of women, providing them with consistent income and creative commissions.

The collection was both classic and experimental. Playing with an array of fabrics, from silk to knitwear, and a kaleidoscope of colors including shades of yellow, bottle green, cerulean, and red, it was contemporary, yet warm. Ultimately, that combination proved to be simple, structural, and refined.