Get Into The Party Spirit With AZ Factory’s Audacious New Collection

Fashion has long been a portal for creative vision, but that notion really rings true for AZ Factory. Where most luxury labels pride themselves on house codes distinct to their own brand, A-Z Factory instead proposes itself as a hub – a place that brings together a community of talent to recognize and develop sartorial dreams.

Each season, AZ Factory, established by the late Alber Elbaz in 2019, collaborates with an emerging designer from around the globe to create go-to pieces that are sure to be conversation starters at any after-dark event. So whether it‘s a technicolor dress, an innovative pleated knit or refined eveningwear with frills, every piece is unique to its designer’s particular vision. And this innovative philosophy ensures that AZ Factory’s DNA is constantly evolving: that it remains as diverse and kaleidoscopic as the fashion industry itself.

Autumn/Winter 2022 sees Paris-based AZ Factory collaborate with Belgian brand Ester Manas on saturated, silky and whisper-thin chiffon pieces that draw from their inspiration from lingerie – think delicate ruching, subtle peekaboo cutouts and sculptural silhouettes that celebrate the female form. Midi dresses that hug the body feature halterneck details that create a sumptuous hourglass silhouette – replete with a rose corsage that imbues an air of romance. Such details are a quintessential homage to the label’s founder, Elbaz: mixing frills and femininity with androgyny became his sartorial signature.

Chiffons, too, are semi-sheer, which further fuels this after-dark mood, but in sorbet hues of pistachio and ice cream that offer trans-seasonal appeal. They’re a palate cleanser on dark winter nights: be rebellious and layer up with boyish tailoring and strappy black sandals or ankle boots to juxtapose the delicacy of more feminine details. Meanwhile, for summer, style with strappy sandals and raffia accessories: they’ll perfectly complement sunkissed complexions. Jolts of fuchsia-pink shock the senses, featuring angled shoulders and architectural lines that blend city-ready sensibility with a dance-floor mood.

Seamlessly straddling intimate, indoor influences with outdoor aesthetics – and mixing AZ Factory’s codes with Elbaz’s creative handwriting – Ester Manas has developed an innovative approach to sizing that reflects this cohesive, inclusive approach. It challenges the notion of ‘one size fits all’, and challenges our perceptions of categories and boundaries – a perfect tribute to the very ethos upon which AZ Factory was established.

Ester Manas is renowned for its comfortable-but-uncompromisingly sexy silhouettes: no matter how high octane the glamor, the brand’s dresses are designed to make women look and feel their very best. Whether you’re heading out for dinner or a cocktail party, in the countryside or under city lights, these pieces are designed to be loved and lived in. Effortless, elegant and undeniably enduring, these special pieces are guaranteed to satiate sartorial demands for the party season and beyond. In fact, they are guaranteed to be timeless closet classics for years to come.

The designer interview: Alber Elbaz

The best party dresses to shine in this season