The MASTERPIECES of Sepehr Maghsoudi

His vibrant personality, enthusiasm for craftsmanship and urge to experiment, it is all reflected in the collections of the now knighted fashion designer Sepehr Maghsoudi. Sepehr has received much international recognition in recent years and managed to bring Persian glamour to the Paris catwalk during Couture Week. This week, the fashion designer highlights three of his MASTERPIECES.Text: Fleur de Jong
Image: RvHfoto

The scaly dress

"For years I have had the desire to design a collection together with my father Bahram - who produced men's clothing in Persia. This year this wish came true. Together - when it was allowed again after a year and a half of corona - we presented my 24th Couture Collection: Father & Son... for women! The scaled dress weighing up to 30 pounds is our icing on the cake. This mega dress, which we worked on with our team for at least six months, is composed of scales, each of which in turn consists of 4 to 6 layers of fabric. Hidden between those layers, is my handwritten message in several languages: "Father and Son." The scales are outlined by thousands of Japanese beads. To me, the dress symbolizes the protection parents give to their children. It represents my father, the life artist who pushed the limits of his dreams to give our family a future in freedom. So that I was allowed to design this, if I say so myself Oscar- and museum-worthy dress. "Photo: RvHfoto

Water drops

"My goal was to bring a touch of Persian glamour to the Paris catwalk with my 15th collection "Scream under Water" during Paris Couture Week in January 2017. My first time in Paris! What an amazing experience it was; models flown in from Milan and even from Russia and Japan. Many people who helped me from home and abroad. The collection was inspired by a childhood memory. I love water. In Persia, I often went to train in the pool. Adjacent to this pool was a museum with plants from all over the world. There was also a laboratory here. Building on this memory, I wondered, "What if people found a way to turn nuclear waste into something miraculous? In the final dress, I and my team brought these concoctions together to create a dress constructed entirely of plastic combined with traditional handwork (thousands of beads and hand embroidery). The beads give the drop-shaped, matte plastic, the water feel I was longing for. "Photo: Petra Holland

Melted Construction

"Besides fashion and architecture, movies are my life. High on my bucket list is designing costumes for a major Hollywood production. In my futuristic collection Melted Construction, I give a taste of costume design. I indulged in geometric shapes and draped steel looks. My background in architecture came into its own in the making. Like all my collections, this one was inspired by a memory from my childhood. Together with my parents, brother and sister, we were staying by the Caspian Sea when a huge storm blew up. I imagined a castle threatened to be swallowed by the sea. This idea fascinated me and I incorporated it into the designs. Shortly after the show, I received an email from Tyra Banks' stylist, after which the item falling angel - which can also be seen in the beautiful photo by photographer Ivo Koops - was published. I remember well how I carefully packed everything in big boxes and I drove to the post office to ship it to New York. "Photo: Ivo de KokViewall of Sepehr's designs here .