Courrèges (1961) is a Paris-based fashion house whose Spring 1964 Moon Girl collection introduced vinyl as a defining structural fabric — stiff, reflective, non-draping — cut into geometric forms. In 1967, it shuttered its couture line and launched 'couture future', a ready-to-wear system. Yolanda Zobel later discontinued vinyl for sustainability, aiming for plastic-free production. Nicolas Di Felice’s debut collection attracted more than half new customers.
Vinyl was introduced not as novelty but as necessity — the core material of the Moon Girl collection.
2:25
Couture Future
Courrèges abandoned couture in 1967 to build a ready-to-wear system called 'couture future'.
4:02
Plastic-Free Pivot
Yolanda Zobel ended vinyl use at Courrèges to pursue a plastic-free direction.
5:32
New Audience
More than half of the buyers of Nicolas Di Felice’s debut collection were new to the brand.
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Worth your time?
Yes. Wear the whole thing.
3.5/ 5
What works
makes the body legible as architecture
declares its material allegiance before it declares its wearer
moves fashion from couture to ready-to-wear under the name 'couture future'
What does not
accommodate movement beyond its original cut
breathe
soften with wear
Wear it if
people who treat clothing as a manifesto of material choice and industrial intent
Skip it if
those who prioritise comfort, adaptability or quiet presence
Who should wear it, and who should skipHide who it is for
The written brief1 min read
What the garment is and where it came from
A vinyl garment from Courrèges’ Spring 1964 Moon Girl collection — the first major use of vinyl by the house, launched in Paris in 1961.
How it works, in terms someone would actually use
It uses vinyl as a structural fabric — stiff, reflective, unyielding — cut into geometric shells that hold their shape without lining or drape.
What it gets right
It makes the body legible as architecture — clean lines, exposed seams, no concessions to softness or tradition.
What it does not
It does not breathe. It does not soften with wear. It does not accommodate movement beyond the range of its original cut.
What it changed
It moved fashion from couture to ready-to-wear in 1967, renaming the shift ‘couture future’ — a claim about production, not aesthetics.
Who it is for, and who it is not
It is for people who treat clothing as a manifesto of material choice and industrial intent. It is not for those who prioritise comfort, adaptability or quiet presence.
Is it worth your time
Only if you need a garment that declares its material allegiance before it declares its wearer.
