Julien Fournié is a French Haute Couture house, founded in Paris in 2009 by the couturier of the same name. In January 2017 it was officially granted the "Haute Couture" designation — a title legally protected under French law and reserved each year for a small circle of houses. From its Paris atelier, the Maison creates made-to-measure garments that unite the rarest hand craftsmanship with pioneering digital technology. #FINDYOURLEGEND
What the Haute Couture appellation actually means
"Haute couture" is not a style, a price bracket or a marketing term. In France it is a designation protected by law and granted each year by a commission working with the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, under the authority of the French Ministry of Industry.
To be granted the appellation, a house must, among other conditions:
- run an atelier in Paris employing a permanent team of specialist workers;
- present a collection to the press twice a year, in January and July, comprising a set minimum of looks for daywear and evening;
- make garments to order for private clients, with personal fittings.
The list is reviewed season by season, which is why it changes: houses join it, and houses leave it. Fewer than a dozen names hold the appellation at any given moment. Julien Fournié has held it since January 2017.
Who is Julien Fournié?
Julien Fournié trained at the École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, choosing its technical discipline over a place at the ESAA Duperré. He learned the trade inside the houses that defined it: Christian Dior, Givenchy under Alexander McQueen, Nina Ricci, Céline.
In 2000 his graduate collection won the Moët & Chandon prize for best accessory at the Paris Fashion Awards. Jean Paul Gaultier hired him into his haute couture studio, where he researched fabrics and embroidery and worked on stage costumes for Madonna’s Drowned World Tour. Claude Montana, the master of architectural cut, took him on next.
By 2003 he was creative director of Torrente, first for ready-to-wear, then for the entire house including its couture line. Three years later he moved to Seoul as creative director of several brands for the LG Fashion Group — an early education in the Asian luxury market that still shapes how the Maison works today.
He founded his own house in 2009, around one conviction: that Parisian couture survives only if its craftsmanship is matched by genuine innovation.
The origins of the House
Founded in 2009, the Maison is built around what Julien Fournié calls his true "laboratory": Haute Couture. Its story unfolds through the collections unveiled in Paris every January and July during Haute Couture Week.
The debut collection, First Pieces, presented in June 2009, established the codes that still define the house: signature back cut-outs, Art Deco lace, and the pairing of noble fabrics — silk drapé, muslin, organza — with more innovative materials. This first vision earned Julien Fournié the Grand Prix de la Création from the City of Paris in January 2010.
With his fourth collection, in January 2011, Julien Fournié entered the official Haute Couture calendar as a guest member — recognition among the emerging names of couture. On that occasion he made history by presenting the first Haute Couture collection worn exclusively by Black models.
An official Haute Couture house
In January 2017, Maison Julien Fournié was officially classified as "Haute Couture." The appellation dates from a French decree of 23 January 1945: it is a legally protected title, and only houses approved each year by a dedicated commission — held under the aegis of the Ministry of Industry and administered by the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode — may use it. The designation rewards creative excellence and the highest standards of garment-making, placing Julien Fournié among the select few houses entitled to call their work Haute Couture. See what Haute Couture means at Julien Fournié.
The house is founded
The house is founded. Julien Fournié establishes his own house in Paris, on a market the large groups had left behind and younger labels had ignored. His debut collection, First Pieces, is shown in June 2009.
Guest member of the official calendar
Guest member of the official calendar. With his fourth collection, in January 2011, Julien Fournié joins the official haute couture calendar as a guest member. He shows it with an all-Black cast of models — a first on the Paris couture calendar.
FashionLab, with Dassault Systèmes
Co-founded to explore 3D design in couture. The Maison becomes one of the few to draw, drape and fit digitally.
The Haute Couture appellation
In January the French Ministry of Industry grants the house the appellation, on the recommendation of the Chambre Syndicale.
Bags and accessories
The handbags first seen on the runway, until then reserved for couture clients, are offered through the Maison’s own boutique.
First retrospective
SCAD Lacoste stages the first retrospective of the couturier's work, Haute Couture, un point c'est tout.
The Musée Grévin
A Julien Fournié gown worn by Audrey Fleurot enters the collection of the Musée Grévin in Paris.
First Misfits
This collection is shown on 27 January at Salle Gaveau, Paris.
Couture and technology — a pioneering approach
While honouring the traditions of couture, Julien Fournié has redefined how a Haute Couture garment is imagined and made. In 2011, with Dassault Systèmes, he co-founded FashionLab, a technology incubator at the meeting point of fashion and 3D design. Developed with FashionLab's 3D tools, the house's shoe collections have appeared on every runway since July 2014 and are offered to couture clients as special orders.
Among the rare couturiers to fully master these digital tools, Julien Fournié has also collaborated with technology leaders such as Apple and Tencent. New technologies let the Maison work directly and intimately with clients wherever they are in the world: rather than approving a sketch, as in the past, each client becomes an active participant in the creation of their garment — often co-designed live on iPad.
The people behind the Maison
A Haute Couture house is, above all, its people. Since the very first show, Jean Paul Cauvin — a respected fashion writer and editor — has overseen production, casting and the runway-show soundtracks; since 2013 he has also served as Chief Operating Officer of the company. Madame Jacqueline, the house's head seamstress (première d'atelier), and the celebrated make-up artist Nicolas Degennes have lent their expertise to Julien Fournié from the beginning. Since 2014, the London hair salon Neville, led by Elena Lavagni, has styled the hair for every show and photo shoot.
The Maison's creations are shaped with loyal partners, including YKK, the Paris feather atelier Maison Julien Vermeulen, and the houses Guigou and Sfate et Combier. The late, legendary buyer Maria Luisa Poumaillou also counselled the brand.
A House on the international stage
From its earliest days, Julien Fournié has been invited to present its collections abroad, bringing the couturier's vision directly to clients around the world. The Maison has shown three times in Singapore and, in November 2012, unveiled its First Retrospective in the Hall of Honour of Stockholm City Hall. In October 2015, the First Initiation collection opened the second edition of Vietnam International Fashion Week in Ho Chi Minh City. In October 2018, the house took part in the "French Touch" gala at the Wielki Theatre in Warsaw, broadcast on national television to celebrate French art and luxury. In June 2025, the First Circus collection again opened Vietnam International Fashion Week in Ho Chi Minh City.
Made-to-measure creations
Imagine a dress designed especially for you, taking into account your desires and your silhouette. As with all true Haute Couture houses, at Julien Fournié every garment is made to order, guaranteeing a piece that perfectly resembles you. You're not just wearing a dress, you're wearing a work of art.
With a particular focus on the environment, Julien Fournié favors the use of natural, handcrafted materials. This means that not only are you choosing unparalleled style, but you're also contributing to more sustainable fashion.
Unique style for every occasion
Whether for a gala, a wedding or a special evening, Julien Fournié dresses are designed to turn heads. Imagine yourself in a delicate tulle gown, like the “Last Queen” collection, where every layer of fabric dances with you, creating a stunning visual effect.
Each creation is the result of exceptional craftsmanship, preserving the intelligence of the hand and the mind. Haute Couture houses, like Julien Fournié's, don't just follow trends; they create them, combining aesthetics and textile engineering.
A piece made for one person
A Julien Fournié garment is drawn for one body and one occasion. Nothing is cut before your measurements are taken, and no two commissions are alike — which is why the house holds no stock and produces nothing speculatively. A gown for a gala, a wedding or an evening is built around how you move and what you will actually wear.
The construction is where the work shows. The Last Queen underskirt takes eight hundred metres of tulle, layer over layer, so that the whole silhouette moves with the wearer rather than against her. Natural fibres are preferred wherever the construction allows. See how a haute couture dress is made →
How a Julien Fournié piece is made
Six stages, and no shortcuts. Most commissions run from first appointment to delivery in 4 to 25 weeks, depending on embroidery.
- The conversation. An hour or two, in Paris or wherever you are. What the piece is for, how you move, what you will never wear. No sketch yet.
- The drawing. A single proposal, not a catalogue. Revised with you until it is right. The Maison works digitally as well as on paper, so you can see the piece in three dimensions before a metre of fabric is cut.
- The toile. A full mock-up in plain cotton, built to your measurements. This is where the architecture of the garment is decided.
- The first fitting. The toile is fitted on you and corrected on the body. Nothing is cut in the final cloth before this stage is signed off.
- The atelier. Cutting, hand-assembly, embroidery. Specialist work — feather, marble, metalwork — is commissioned from the ateliers the Maison has worked with for years.
- Final fittings and delivery. Two further fittings as a rule. The finished piece is delivered by hand, with its garment record and care instructions.
How to commission a Julien Fournié Haute Couture piece
Private appointments in your city. The Maison travels for fittings to the Gulf, to East and Southeast Asia and to North America, among other destinations.
Appointments outside show weeks. Commissions are taken all year, not only in January and July.
Digital sketches. The Maison draws digitally as well as on paper. It shortens the process and reduces the number of journeys required. Traditional sketches — pencil, ink, watercolour — remain available on request, and take longer.
Discretion. Private commissions are never photographed or published without written consent. Confidentiality can be formalised on request.
Delivery and formalities. Special delivery worldwide, with export documentation and customs handled by the Maison at your request.
Languages. Appointments are held in French and English; other languages on request.
Explore the collections
Discover every look on the Haute Couture runway and collections, explore the Maison's Haute Couture wedding dresses, or meet some of the celebrities who have worn Julien Fournié. The house's luxury bags and accessories — first created to bring the handbags seen on the couture runway to a wider audience — are available in the online boutique.
The runway shows
The Runway Shows relive each collection as it was unveiled, look by look.
The look books
The Look Books capture those creations in their purest studio light, ready to explore in every detail.
The Wedding dresses
The Wedding Dresses gather the Maison's bridal couture — gowns made to measure for the most singular day.
The Red Carpet
The Red Carpet follows the actresses and personalities who have chosen Julien Fournié for their most visible moments.
The Shop
The Shop opens the doors to the house's luxury bags and accessories, crafted with the same savoir-faire and delivered around the world.
Beyond the runway: bags, belts and jewellery
Since December 2020 the Maison has made a line of bags and accessories. It began with the handbags carried on the runway, which couture clients had been asking to buy for years.
The line has since grown: Big Bang and Premier handbags, Pluton clutches, Pollux and Saturne totes, the Hexagon monogram line, haute couture belts and, since 2022, jewellery. Each piece is made to the standards of French leather craft, in limited numbers.
They are sold only through the Maison’s own online boutique.
Made to order, and only to order
The Maison holds no stock and produces nothing speculatively. A garment exists because someone ordered it. That is not a sustainability policy borrowed from ready-to-wear; it is simply how couture works, and it is the reason couture wastes so little.
Materials are traced: the Maison maintains a record of the origin and production conditions of its fabrics, leathers and embroideries. Natural fibres are preferred where the construction allows. Offcuts are kept and reused in accessories and in the studio’s development work.
A couture garment is also, by design, repairable. Seams are hand-finished so they can be opened; allowances are left in so the piece can be altered years later. The Maison alters and restores its own pieces for as long as they are worn.
Inside the House
Frequently asked questions
Who is Julien Fournié?
Julien Fournié is a French couturier who founded his eponymous Haute Couture house in Paris in 2009. His debut vision earned him the Grand Prix de la Création from the City of Paris in 2010, and in 2017 his Maison was officially granted the protected “Haute Couture” designation.
Is Julien Fournié a real Haute Couture house?
Yes. In January 2017, Maison Julien Fournié was officially classified as “Haute Couture” — a title protected by French law since a decree of 1945 and granted each year by a dedicated commission held under the aegis of the Ministry of Industry. Only a small number of houses are entitled to use it.
What is the “Haute Couture” label?
“Haute Couture” is a legally protected French appellation, created by a decree of 23 January 1945. Each year, a commission administered by the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, under the aegis of the Ministry of Industry, decides which houses may use the name. It guarantees made-to-measure creation and exceptional hand craftsmanship.
Where is Maison Julien Fournié located?
The Maison Julien Fournié is based in Paris, at 47 rue de Paradis, 75010 Paris, France. Its Haute Couture collections are presented in Paris each January and July during Haute Couture Week.
How can I commission a Julien Fournié Haute Couture piece?
Haute Couture is made to measure. Clients are welcomed by appointment and take part directly in the creation of their garment — often co-designed live on iPad — wherever they are in the world. To begin, contact the Maison.
When does Julien Fournié present its collections?
Julien Fournié presents its Haute Couture collections in Paris twice a year, in January and July, during Paris Haute Couture Week.
Does Julien Fournié make wedding dresses and bags?
Yes. Alongside its Haute Couture collections, the Maison creates bridal gowns and, since December 2020, a line of luxury bags and accessories — clutches, tote bags and structured handbags — available through the online boutique.
Discover the collections · Explore the boutique · Contact the Maison
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