During last Fall’s Prêt-à-Porter, in Paris, I had the great pleasure of meeting Yiqing Yin. She staged a fabulous presentation on the top floor of Galeries Lafayette, and I was both overwhelmed by the collection, and moved by Yiqing herself. I found it incredible that such a soft-spoken young woman could pour so much heart and soul into her work. Her romantic, sometimes insane designs inspire me, and I was eager to see this season’s couture show.

Unfortunately, traffic this season in Paris bordered on the unmanageable, and despite racing to the venue, I arrived too late to claim my seat. Luckily, Yin’s team whisked me backstage so I could watch the show from there–and it was thrilling to see the behind-the-scenes hurricane that’s a part of every défilé. I also watched Yin’s reaction to the pandemonium, and marveled at her ability to stay calm, cool and collected, even in the midst of the storm.

Once again, Yiqing’s presentation was one of the best I saw during the Haute Couture. Working with pleats of all sizes, she shaped necklines on coats and jackets; made patterns (some swirling, some symmetric); and used laser-cut strips to make body-hugging dresses. There was one fur coat-dress (with a matching hat) that was wild, but very beautiful–and a slim, low-cut black dress that was also a knockout. Later that week, I saw Yiqing at the Sidaction dinner: she was wearing the coat and looked stunning (as well as relieved that her show was over). I congratulated her again on an amazing collection. She’s a real talent, and I can’t wait to see what she’ll do next!

Photographs by Stéphane Israël