CARAN D’ACHE + GERMANIER: UPCYCLING IN HAUTE COUTURE

This partnership celebrates both craftsmanship and Swiss expertise, highlighting a shared vision of creativity and innovation. The relationship between Caran d’Ache and Kévin Germanier, a fashion prodigy and pioneer of upcycling, seemed destined. From childhood, Germanier swapped his knitting needles for Caran d’Ache pencils, forging an intimate relationship with the Maison’s products.

The upcycled creation was presented on Thursday, January 30th, at the Palais de Tokyo during the designer’s show, which closed Haute Couture Week. This fashion show, marking Germanier’s official entry into the Haute Couture elite, celebrated a new chapter in the history of upcycling, where every material finds a second life without compromising aesthetics.

Swiss designer Kévin Germanier pushes the boundaries of fashion with a unique piece: a spectacular dress crafted from coloured pencils and pens from Caran d’Ache. These materials, transformed into dazzling ornaments, form a vibrant kaleidoscope of pink, yellow, orange, and blue. Assembled by hand with meticulous precision, this piece merges luxury and sustainability, embodying avant-garde elegance where art meets design.

For this collaboration with Caran d’Ache, what I really wanted to do was a true celebration of colour, a pure explosion. I wanted to transform the Caran d’Ache products collected to the point where they were unrecognizable during the show. With my team, we reinvented them, shaped them, until they were transformed into beads and small rings," shared the designer after the show.

At the end of 2024, Caran d’Ache organized a product collection in its boutiques across Switzerland and internationally. For several weeks, fans of the Maison were invited to drop off unused pens and pencils. These materials, carefully handed over to Germanier, found a new life in his Parisian atelier.

This eco-conscious initiative aligns with Caran d’Ache’s heritage, where production processes are guided by a sustainable and environmentally respectful approach, seamlessly blending creativity with responsibility.

The alliance between Caran d’Ache and Kévin Germanier is more than just a collaboration: it is the meeting of two visions, two passions for sustainable creativity. This project is just the first step in an adventure that promises to be as inspiring as it is innovative.