André Tognotti and Julien Fournié in Fashion Foward
Fashion Foward : Stone and Thread — The Encounter Between André Tognotti and Julien Fournié
Some collaborations redefine the very boundaries of creation. The meeting of André Tognotti — stonemason, decorator and sculptor — and Julien Fournié, the fiercely independent couturier and textile alchemist, is a testament to exactly that.
Shaped by a background where art and craft were inseparable — a mason father, a painter mother — André Tognotti developed a rare sensibility, honed over eight years alongside a compagnon des devoirs and through years of working on historic monuments. From this inherited rigour, he has built a sculptural practice that is at once learned and instinctive, one in which stone becomes portrait and marble becomes skin.
It is precisely this ability to humanise raw material that drew Julien Fournié to him. For his First Misfits Haute Couture collection, the couturier entrusted André Tognotti with a mission as audacious as it was unprecedented: to carve Statuaire Carrara marble into the cups of a bridal bra. Hand-chiselled and polished, the Tiare Aquatique of look 30 — Alabaster Bride — asserts itself as an extraordinary bridal adornment, worn over a twisted wrap blouse in triple white silk organza and a crystal cascade-embroidered sheath skirt, completed by a « No Limit » train basque with an oversized bow. The result is an avant-garde bride — as informal as she is timeless.
The collaboration extends into look 17, where André Tognotti carves the Crown « L’Œil du Kraken » — Eye of the Kraken — from French black Portor marble, mirror-polished and finely chiselled. This sculptural headdress crowns an ensemble of dramatic intensity: a ruby leather-cotton spencer, a black poplin shirt, oversized cargo trousers and a crystal harness in ox-blood red, accented with a solid silver Berber fibula.
Two worlds, one shared demand: the precision of gesture, the respect for material, the beauty that endures.
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Bags and accessories
More than a fashion brand, Maison Julien Fournié is a luxury experience that transcends trends and seasons. Driven by a commitment to excellence and innovation, Julien Fournié continuously redefines the world of ultra-luxury.
Founded in 2009, the house’s history is woven into its haute couture collections, presented in Paris every January and July during Haute Couture Week. For his debut collection, the young couturier was awarded the Grand Prize for Creativity by the City of Paris in January 2010. By his fourth collection in January 2011, Julien Fournié became a guest member of the official calendar of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture — a first step towards recognition among the great couturiers.
In January 2017, Maison Julien Fournié was officially classified as Haute Couture. This prestigious label, protected by the French Ministry of Industry, is held by only a handful of houses — currently ten — that unite the highest creativity in design with the finest standards of garment making.
Since its inception, the house has been invited to present its collections at prestigious events worldwide, bringing the couturier’s vision to luxury clients across the globe. In March 2023, a Julien Fournié gown worn by actress Audrey Fleurot entered the Musée Grévin in Paris. In April 2023, the first retrospective of Julien Fournié’s work was held at SCAD Lacoste, in an exhibition entitled Haute Couture, un point c’est tout.
While honouring tradition, Julien Fournié has forged bold partnerships with high-tech leaders such as Apple and Tencent, digitising the creation, design and personalisation of his haute couture pieces. He stands among the rare couturiers to fully master the new digital tools. Clients are no longer mere spectators of the creative process — they have become active participants in the singular experience of creating a garment, wherever they may be.
Since December 2020, Julien Fournié has been developing a line of luxury bags and accessories, initially conceived to offer the iconic pieces seen on the runway — previously reserved for haute couture clients — to a wider audience.
