Apron dress, (untitled),

2015

The cleverly devised dress presents the familiar apron shape doubled, with distinctive shoulder straps, while the obligatory pockets are looped forward with their back side toward the front. Worn by a contemporary woman, this unusual variation on the apron takes on a whole new meaning. The wearer decides whether to wear it close to the body and surround and protect herself with the double layers, or instead fold the bib down to give the upper body greater freedom while, at the same time, doubling the skirt volume. The straps can also be tightened or loosened to further adjust the body volume. This creation thus combines Perriard’s high standards for comfort with the wearer’s own personal sensibilities. Perriard grew up in an inspirational household. As a trained dressmaker, she took the fashion class at the Kunstgewerbeschule Zürich and in the following years created—starting with hosiery and swimwear—her own fashion collections for women produced entirely in-house. Her work is shaped and influenced by her relationship with both the outside and her inner personal world, giving her garments, as the “outermost layer of ourselves,” a singular expressiveness. New pieces find their countenance in a lengthy process and “automatically and by destiny” blend in with the previous collections’ elements. (Sabine Flaschberger)