SPOTLIGHT MOMENT: Forget backup dancers.
When French Malian hitmaker Aya Nakamura takes to the stage on Friday for the first of her three Paris concert dates at the Stade de France, it’s Yves Salomon who has her back.
“Aya Nakamura has an extremely unique presence,” said Salomon, president and the fourth generation at the helm of the eponymous family-owned brand. “She brings together visual strength, freedom and modernity in a way that called for a highly committed creative approach.”
The veteran fur executive called the stage outfits “the result of a true collaboration” with Nakamura’s stylist Ayoub Agourram.
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“The idea was to develop silhouettes designed for the stage, combining visual impact, technical precision and freedom of movement,” Salomon added.
Agourram took cues from “futuristic universes, the aesthetic of science-fiction heroines and sculptural silhouettes of the 2000s” for Nakamura’s on-stage wardrobe, the brand said.
It took some 20 people from the brand’s ateliers to develop the dozen looks in leather, fur and feathers developed for the occasion. Among them are a statuesque leather trench with exaggerated lapels and sleeves as well as a midriff-baring halter-neck top in shiny crocodile-embossed with matching trousers with lacing details running up the legs.
“We worked with materials that are part of the Maison’s DNA…adapting them to the demands of live performance,” Salomon added. “Some pieces required extensive technical development, particularly in terms of volume, lightness and finishing.”
Separately, a collaboration between the singer’s Nakamura Industry brand, streetwear label Baara and Nike is launching Saturday at the sports giant’s House of Innovation flagship store on the Champs-Elysées.
Comprising a jacket, T-shirt and pants like those worn by the artist backstage, the pieces will be available until Tuesday. Exclusive patches, part of the Nike By You offer, will also be available on Saturday and Sunday.
