Christopher Zucco

More than one string to his bow

by Laurence Jacquet

At the tender age of 23, he is one of the up-and-coming designers. One of the most promising talents to emerge from the Start in Mode haute couture show at the Hôtel Martinez, winning the “Jury’s Favourite 2023” award. 

Last November, the Start in Mode show brought together some thirty young designers and eight brands for a journey through the urban ‘Nebula’, the theme of the 8^th edition. A signature event for the Avenue Montaigne association based on the Skema Business School campus, the evening was an opportunity to explore fashion’s future. Christopher Zucco – fashion designer, photographer, and former student of the Ecole de Condé in Nice – won the “Jury’s Favourite 2023” award. 

Fashion artist and artisan

“I first became interested in photography at the age of ten. This hobby has become a passion over the years. My interest in fashion came later, when I was 21, after finishing my BTS in Grasse,” he confides. “I now manage my creative fashion world from A to Z. My multi-disciplinary studies in fashion design and architecture enable me to create the set and lighting for a fashion show, produce technical models, experiment with textiles and materials, and drape patterns onto couture mannequins. Because I learnt about couture, how you photograph a collection – the creative stages as an artistic director sees them in the fashion industry.” 

For the time being, the style of his clothes is quite graphic and spectacular. “I like imposing volumes, big shoulders, or cutting silhouettes cleanly with material effects I create myself, complicated shapes, drapery, layering – like a deconstructed jigsaw puzzle. My collection’s overall mood is rather dark and very stylish. I work much like an artisan artist, far removed from industrial fashion. I vacillate between workwear for its raw look and streetwear for its urban style, which I make precious.”

Made-to-measure models

Christopher welcomes his customers to his showroom and couture workshop in the Old Town of Nice. He sketches designs for them and suggests one-day garments, often made as unique pieces for a particular event – wedding or evening dresses – and selects luxurious or rustic fabrics that suit perfectly, which he reworks to give them a more personal touch with coloured glue, for example, or materials that he tears, burns, or embroiders. He uses fabric scraps to create unusual details and unique accessories to avoid waste. “All fashion designers inspire me, but Alaïa is my favourite,” he says. His next campaign, to be shot in Milan, will be created by another professional photographer to give him a fresh perspective on his work and broaden his network. Christopher will also represent the region in a new competition in Paris in April. Looking good!