confronted with problems in fabric deliveries and supplier closures during frances coronavirus lockdown fashion designer alexis mabille had to improvise to salvage his next collection turning to materials he had to handlike peers unveiling their creations at pariss haute couture showcase this week an onlineonly format mabille began confectioning his looks before restrictions on movement in much of europe were liftedthat derailed everything from the availability of madetoorder embroideries to the process of casting models who usually fly around the world for fittings but provided couturiers with novel forms of inspiration tooi worked in the opposite direction instead of working on the design the material and the colour i started from the colour of the fabric and then the collection mabille told reuters adding that he had sought to project a bright view on things with dresses that ranged from vivid purple to yellow and shimmering animalstyle printshaute couture week features oneofakind outfits stitched by hand presented by a select club of designerseven for the biggest brands with huge means however europewide lockdowns proved a challengemaria grazia chiuri who designs womenswear for christian dior owned by the lvmh conglomerate coordinated her collection from rome via video calls with seamstresses and production teams working at homethe label also faced some lost or delayed deliveries as it tried to bring its concept for a collection presented on minimannequins together and chiuri said she had had to readjust to life without office staffi used my daughter a lot she jokeddiors teams of taylors and seamstresses all wearing face masks came together in early july to put the final touches on looks in the brands atelier in parislingering uncertaintyfor some designers the uncertainty is far from over even as coronavirus lockdowns ease and paris prepares to host fashion shows again from septembercouture labels which sell a small number of outfits to the uberrich are unsure when their clients will be able to travel again or what demand will be as the pandemic rattles economies the world overwe must propose to the buyers a balance meaning a good price good quality and exceptional product and expertise said designer stephane rollanddesigning had proved an escape from the stresses of lockdown rolland added a sentiment shared by many peers including chiuriat one point i decided to listen to the news for only one hour a day because the risk was that i would spend a lot of time in front of the tv chiuri saidfor the other people of the atelier to work to have a project to make together was helpfuljulien fournie a french couturier who spent lockdown largely centered on his paris atelier said he was even relieved to have a moment to create a collection without distractionsfor the past decade i was like a hamster who didnt stop running fournie said ahead of unveiling his looks which include flowing silk gowns with kimonostyle sleevesi no longer had the time to enjoy my team not even to see a