French designer creates 'wearable storybook' inspired by little French town. It's an homage to French history.

Artists can find inspiration in anything. From a flickering candle to an ocean or even a bridge—anything can become a muse for an artist. For French fashion designer Sylvie Facon, the historic city of Arras, her hometown, became the source of her creativity and artistry. Her new creation includes an elegant evening gown in honor of Arras called Hommage à Arras (Homage to Arras). The design combines Facon's appreciation for haute couture along with her admiration for the northern Hauts-de-France region. The dress, which includes intricate illustrations as well as "iridescent lace and pearls," puts a storybook spin on French fashion, reports My Modern Met.

Facon's creation, which looks like it's straight out of a legend, includes accurate representations of the architectural and artistic treasures of Arras. The intricate design on the dress reveals structures and patterns that are a significant part of the town's history. On the bust are the famous Baroque town square's façades with Flemish influences. The Lion of Arras, a symbolic sculpture from the town's belfry, is positioned on the shoulder, and the Angels of Saudemont, a group of gilded mediaeval statues, are perched on the hips. The dress incorporates not only these particular landmarks and recognisable locations but also the small characteristics of Arras, such as its pavement and plant life.

The world recognizes Facon as the fashion designer whose garments convey narratives. This Arras-born fashion designer is self-taught and produces splendid, unusual and magically beautiful dresses. The abundance of beauty in everyday objects is highlighted by dresses like Hommage à Arres. Facon makes dresses from fabrics she designs with such meticulous attention to detail that they would steal any catwalk.

Her hometown serves as one source of inspiration among many others for her. “I am increasingly keen on introducing the world to the city I love; this urge for advocacy is my common thread,” explains the fashion designer. Facon, who set up independently only 10 years ago, had a 30-year career in the social field before this. 

Facon creates clothing that combines outstanding art with custom-made fashion, striving to "perfect all steps, from the sketch to the final point." Her website reads: "Over the years, Sylvie Facon personalizes her style and develops her own technical palette. Lace appears there as obvious, worked alongside guipures, tulles and muslins which she juxtaposes to create subtle ranges of colors and daring sets of transparencies." Her creations are of an extremely diverse range from high fashion gowns made from book spines to very romantic lacework. 

With personality expression as its main purpose, fashion has provided us with some truly amazing examples of clothing design over the years. Many French designers have previously tried to interpret history in their work, such as interpreting the work of historic artists and painters.

Christian Dior interprets Monet in his works. In 1949, French couture pioneer Christian Dior created an haute couture collection for the spring/summer season. The iconic Miss Dior dress perfectly exemplified the two worlds of art and fashion and imitated Monet's aesthetic in this practical dress. It was entirely embroidered with flower petals in various shades of pink and violet.

Mondrian was one of the pioneers of abstract painting in the 20th century. Yves Saint Laurent, a French fashion designer and art enthusiast, incorporated Mondrian's artwork into his haute couture designs. The designer was first moved by Mondrian when reading a biography of the painter that his mother had given him for Christmas.