Paris Couture Week · Lever Couture FW25/26 @lever_couture
Lessja Verlingieri took over Palais de Tokyo on 9 July with her Paris Couture debut, Anatomy of Identity. This isn’t just fashion—it’s an emotional blueprint stitched onto skin.
🧵 Sculpting the Self, Stitch by Stitch
Lever Couture’s Ukrainian-born designer, now LA-based, invites us into the raw and the refined. Think couture as personal archaeology—layers of identity revealed and concealed. Every mesh panel, every bandage-like pleat felt like a fragment of life lived, emotions worn proudly.
Dance as Couture’s Heartbeat
Katja Khaniukova, first soloist with English National Ballet, opened the show. She moved across the runway like a slow-motion unveiling—mud-smeared pointe shoes dragging a fabric-wrapped “boulder” behind her. Poetry? Performance? A vivid reminder: our baggage shapes us.
Sound and Vision Synchronized
Music by I Monster, especially their haunting track “Who Is She?”, paired with Sina Braetz’s creative direction, elevated the show. Light, choreography, and sound—each element whispered identity into the audience’s souls.
Couture That Speaks in Contrast
Verlingieri’s silhouettes blended lightness and structure—tutus met trench-esque cuts; mesh hung beside sculpted loops. Asymmetry ruled, from ballooning skirts to architectural ruffles. A gold-fringed cape felt like a cheer of defiance. Fabric was both shield and second skin.
Brand Snapshot: Lever Couture
Led by Lessja Verlingieri, Lever Couture is known for cinematic, sculptural couture. With celebrity clients like Lady Gaga, J.Lo, and Tems, she now brings her signature method to Paris—ready to rewrite the rules of red-carpet glamour.
Final Thought: Identity as Couture
“Anatomy of Identity” felt like couture with a conscience. It asks: who are you, behind the layers? And then answers: you are complex, visible, human.
Leave a comment under the IG embed—tell us which look resonated most. Was it the mesh masterpiece, the gold-fringed warrior, or another couture gem? Let’s dive into identity, together.
Written by the Fashionview Editorial Team for 24 Fashion TV
Photo: Courtesy of Lever Couture © Ph.Jun Sheng and Yolanda Leaney
Couture that questions: who are you behind the layers?