PARIS, A STUDY IN ARRIVAL
madre natura in Paris — Australian Fashion Rooms, SS27
In September, madre natura travelled to Paris to present our SS27 collection at Australian Fashion Rooms during Paris Fashion Week.
Titled Sketches of Noir, the collection explores womanhood, architecture and reinvention. It draws on the women who came before me, the quiet rituals of getting dressed, and the contrast between structure and softness.
There is a little nostalgia in it, alongside something more modern pieces designed to feel considered, but never overly formal. So much of what I design is shaped by memory. My Italian heritage, the women in my family, old photographs and the way clothing can hold a feeling long after a moment has passed. I wanted this collection to carry that sense of familiarity while continuing to explore what madre natura can become.
The journey didn’t quite go to plan. Our collection was delayed in transit and arrived on the first day of the showroom. After months of preparation, we went straight into unpacking and setting up, with little time to pause.
And then, suddenly, we were there. Presenting the collection in Paris felt like a full-circle moment. Fashion had always taken me overseas in my imagination, from the time I spent in Italy with my nonna to the years I spent studying and working towards a career in design. To bring a collection of my own to an international audience felt quietly significant.
Over the following days, we welcomed buyers, press and new faces to the collection. The response was varied in the best way. The beaded pieces caught the attention of press, while the Tessa bomber and Tessa skirt resonated with buyers. Other styles, from the denim to the softer, more fluid silhouettes, offered different expressions of the collection.
It was interesting to see which pieces people were drawn to, what they wanted to know more about, and how the collection was interpreted beyond the studio. As a designer, you spend so much time with each garment before it leaves your hands. Seeing someone encounter it for the first time offers a different perspective. There were new connections, thoughtful conversations and the beginning of relationships that we hope will continue long after Paris.
Beyond the showroom, there was the city itself.
The architecture, the streets, the old façades, the way people dress and the small details that make you stop and look twice. Paris has a particular way of making the everyday feel considered. It was inspiring to be somewhere where fashion, art, history and daily life sit so naturally alongside one another. On our final day, with the showroom behind us and no meetings to rush to, we spent the day exploring. Walking, looking, taking photographs and letting the city unfold without a plan.
It was a welcome moment to slow down and take it all in. Returning to Sydney, I came home with new connections, a fresh perspective and a renewed sense of possibility for madre natura. Paris was a reminder of why I started, and of how much there is still to explore. A small but meaningful chapter in the story we’re continuing to build.
Merci, Paris.
Jackie Galleghan
Founder & Creative Director, madre natura
Thank you to:
@ausfashioncouncil @catinella.pr @robyncatinella @creatensw