Exploring Hyères, Fashion's Balmiest Festival

Every springtime for the past 31 years, a small, sleepy town on the French Riviera has been descended upon by designers from the likes of Martin Margiela to Helmut Lang, John Galliano to Azzedine Alaïa. They arrive, set up camp in the same Villa Noailles that once served as a summer residence for Man Ray and Salvador Dali, and embark on a four-day festival in celebration of emerging talent across the fields of fashion and photography: this is Festival d’Hyères.

While the occasion specifically operates as a competition – a panel of industry judges select a designer from the presentations who is presented with €15,000, and certain fashion brands from Chanel to Chloé bequeath their own prizes – it is equally an opportunity for creatives all around the world to congregate in Côte d’Azur and mosey around its medieval architecture. "Hyères can be a bit like a sanitorium for those overworked in the winter", says Julien Pujol, who has religiously attended the event over the past five years. “But, working as a creative today, this festival gives meaning and form to what we do. I can think of few places that host such variety of talent, and while it gives creatives opportunities to brush shoulders, it also offers a platform for emerging talent to show their work, through expositions or networking. To make them feel special, to give them four days to relax and open up. It feels really democratic; it’s not as closed off as other competitions and it’s more about having a nice time and honouring the rhythm of the south."

Here, he presents his exploration of the experience, an immersive celebration of fashion, nature and nightlife. "That nature aspect is what connects people and what makes this festival special; it's not something happening on a phone," he explains. "Maybe I just never paid as much attention before, but this year it felt like the flowers were all blossoming at the same time."

Music by Fabien Girard; Thanks to La Villa Noailles and Antoine Asseraf