The garments from the Old Port-Louis collection are a tribute to Port-Louis, capital of Mauritius, and its rich past. The traditional Creole houses, the beautiful colonial homes or the old Chinese shops that were once part of the capital and which have slowly but surely been replaced by sky-scrapers are what inspired the designer for this collection.
With the outfits of this collection, Annabelle Fleury wants to pay tribute to Port-Louis’ history, through its old streets, where we can still see some of the old walls and houses that are rarely noticed by passers-by who’re in a hurry.
The texture of the cracked, old-aged walls, where the paint is almost gone, washed-out or flaking is a source of inspiration for Annabelle Fleury. For her, the cracks on the walls become geometrical patterns from which she draws her inspiration for her dresses.
The screwed-up windows and handrails, the torn canopy, the old doors patched up using chunks of wood or metal sheets are what’s left of Port-Louis’ proud history. Annabelle Fleury’s collection is based on the remains of this past; her outfits are adorned with an assembly of strips, recalling the overlapping and interlacing of pieces of wood and metal sheets.
The designer’s collection is also based on the small Creole houses of Port-Louis, some of which are still proudly standing despite time and newly-built modern concrete houses. For Annabelle Fleury, Creole houses are fully representative of Port-Louis’ glorious history, with their roofs made of metal sheets and adorned with metal lace. Her collection is filled with gatherings, pleats and ruching, creating curved and vertical lines just like the fluted metal sheets of the Creole houses.
With this collection, Annabelle Fleury chooses to put in the limelight what remains of Port-Louis’ glorious past and charms.
