Parisian bag brand Côte&Ciel is rooted in form and structure, stepping away from traditional pencil and sketches during a product's conception and instead folding and twisting materials to reach the desired shape. As a result, the brand – which was founded in 2008 – has created bags synonymous with travel and design, often designed to adapt to the shape of the wearer’s body.
Continuing to explore material's structural boundaries, Côte&Ciel has released its new A/W 2025 collection, titled ‘Stratus’. To mark the occasion, the Parisian brand has collaborated with Milan-based architect Alberto Simoni of Aspro Studio and art director and photographer Gabriele Rosati on an installation and editorial titled ‘Soft Sculptures’.
The creative collaboration between Rosati and Simoni came naturally, the pair having been first and foremost friends. ‘I want to emphasise this,’ says Rosati. ‘Because, for me, empathy is the foundation of any work. We share many passions – from sculpture to fashion, and even football – so every time we work together it feels like sitting down for a coffee: everything is quick, immediate, and above all transparent.
‘The idea of documenting the installations came almost naturally: the objects Alberto had created already looked to me like museum pieces, true installations,’ he continues. ‘I felt it was my duty – or rather my need – to treat them as real works of art: to care for them, to give them context, to frame them with the utmost respect. And that is exactly what we did.’
‘Soft Sculptures’ is a visual narrative between contrasting compositions, from solid to fluid, structure to malleability. Rosati translated this abstract concept through his imagery. ‘The tactile quality of an image is at the core of everything,’ he says. ‘I always strive to convey the sensation of something alive within my photographs, and to achieve this, I try to understand what I have in front of me, analysing it from every angle.’
‘One of the most important reflections I had on how to capture these images was to try and photograph the sculptures as if they were being spontaneously shot by a member of the audience – by a visitor inside a museum.’
Within the installation there are new Côte&Ciel additions. The ‘Yalu’ is a backpack with a ‘cocoon-like’ shape; ‘Minho’ is a weekend duffle; and ‘Uva’ is a crossbody bag with a drawstring closure. These bags are available in Côte&Ciel’s ‘carbon black’ material (a double-layered nylon inspired by stratus clouds), in addition to new seasonal fabrics and colours, such as ‘cargo green’, ‘slate grey’ and ‘onyx black’.
‘I hope that those who encounter, view, or even scroll through these images can physically imagine the softness of the material. It becomes, in a way, its true home.’ says Rosati. ‘I hope I have managed to document and honour this feeling, this need to be embraced… just as each of us does when we open the door to welcome someone into our own home.’
Côte&Ciel’s A/W 2025 collection is available globally on coteetciel.com, the brand's stores worldwide, and at selected retailers.
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