Photographer Olia Kolendo / Videomaker @LiniaParis
Share
Tony Ward’s “Whispers of the Dunes” is the Fall/Winter 2026–27 Haute Couture collection, presented on July 6, 2026, at the historic Réfectoire des Cordeliers in Paris during Haute Couture Week.
Inspired by the desert, the collection treats dunes as a living force shaped by wind, silence, and resilience rather than as a static landscape.
The show begins with soft draping, elongated silhouettes, and neutral tones that suggest sunrise over sand, then gradually moves into more complex constructions with veils, hoods, wrapped layers, asymmetrical draping, and sculptural mermaid gowns.
Details such as spiraling embroidery, suspended crystals, high slits, halter necks, and open backs add movement and a modern couture edge.
The palette follows the light of the desert, shifting from sand, beige, and earth tones into burnt amber, terracotta, and nomadic reds, before ending in champagne, ivory, and gold.
One of the collection’s standout innovations is an exclusive hand-braiding technique made with individually dyed silk threads, combined with traditional handwork, crochet, embroidery, and crystal embellishment.
Among the key looks were a sculptural gown with an architectural collar, a metallic gold column dress, a crystal-encrusted gown, and a sequined design fading from pink to black.
The finale was a sand-toned wedding dress, fully embroidered with crystals, which reinterpreted bridal couture in a softer, desert-inspired way.
