For autumn/winter '26 couture, ArdAzAei looked beyond fashion history, reimagining the Wildean poem and Persian motif of The Nightingale and the Rose
For her fifth couture collection, ArdAzAei Swedish-Iranian founder and designer Bahareh Ardakani looked to literature for her founding inspiration. Specifically, she turned to gol o bolbol (The Rose and the Nightingale), the celebrated 14th-century Persian poetic allegory of beauty, longing and devotion that has inspired countless artistic interpretations, including Oscar Wilde's 1888 short story The Nightingale and the Rose. Yet rather than translating these references literally, the Iranian-born designer expressed them through silhouette, craftsmanship and movement.
"Like many others with Persian heritage, I grew up with the rose and the nightingale – gol o bolbol," Ardakani says. "I could find these celestial beings woven within the carpets of my parents' house in Gothenburg," she goes on. "The body has long been a carrier of poetic and symbolic imagery, and this collection is a contemporary continuation of that tradition," Ardakani says. That philosophy formed the foundation of 'The Nightingale's Rose' collection, shown in Paris this week, where couture became less of a platform for spectacle and more of a vehicle to reimagine centuries of artistic heritage.
The collection's strength lay in its beautiful restraint. Although inspired by a motif that has adorned Persian arts, such as carpets, for centuries, Ardakani moved away from turning symbolism into costume. Instead, references revealed themselves gradually. Wing-shaped corsetry and ‘A’-shaped back closures were reminiscent of a bird in flight, while exaggerated hips, elongated skirts and precise tailoring echoed the proportions of the nightingale without being too overt.
Throughout, the clothes moved with distinctive fluidity. Evening gowns swept across the runway with feather-like lightness, while cocktail dresses saw architectural precision come together with softness. A warm palette of oxblood, crimson and copper, drawn from the vegetal dyes of Persian carpets, added richness without overwhelming the collection's sculptural clarity.
Whilst silhouettes established the poetic narrative, craftsmanship brought it to life. Mathematical pleating created folded plumage on skirts and arms of coats, whilst geometric smocking on the hips of gowns recreated the architectural awnings of Persian gardens. Bespoke lace, intertwined with nightingale and rose motifs were layered over flou fabrics, such as red-to-orange moisseline, to create a sense of depth. Heavy guipure lace, also laden with roses, gently gave way to dozens of swirling, silk chiffon petal appliqués, appearing to bloom from the body itself.
In a collection inspired by birds, there were no feathers. Instead, texture, construction and embroidery carried the illusion. Climbing roses emerged through intricate arrangements of glass beads, sequins and crystals, while traditional Zardozi embroidery framed hems, creating the image of the illuminated borders of Persian manuscripts. And, through this all, there is the thread that has come to define ArdAzAei’s work – the space where Persian ornament and Scandinavian modernism are realised through French savoir-faire.
Below, discover ArdAzAei's full autumn/winter '26 Haute Couture collection.
