AZ Factory, the Richemont-owned brand founded by the late Alber Elbaz, has chosen its next guest designers within its own in-house team. After scouting designers of different origin, gender, culture and age over the last two years, the French house selected Norman René Devera and Peter Movrin. The collection will be presented during Paris Fashion Week on October 2, 2023.

"Sometimes you just decide to stay home and enjoy the wonderful family you belong to," the house said in a statement. "'Az Factory by Them' is a celebration of AZ Factory’s roots and of its future. This time AZ Factory will focus on celebrating the extraordinary in-house team and their endless capacity to combine different influences within a new and multi-faced aesthetic."

Both designers boast significant experiences within fashion luxury companies.
Born and raised in Stratford, East London, Norman René began his career working as a creative pattern cutter at Vivienne Westwood, after he worked at Giles Deacon as Design Studio Assistant. In 2009, Norman René worked between Paris and London as Head of London 3D Design studio Ready-to-Wear at Céline, where he creates and heads the first 3Dimensional studio within Lvmh. 2015 Norman Joined Lanvin with the late Alber Elbaz, only to work for two weeks alongside Elbaz before his departure from Lanvin. In the same year, Norman René joined Louis Vuitton Working directly for Natacha Ramsey Lévi and Nicolas Ghesquière on women’s Ready-to-Wear as Senior Designer Flou. In 2017, he moved to New York to work for Calvin Klein for Raf Simons. After the departure of Raf Simons from Calvin, Norman René moved to Milan to Design for Versace.

Peter Movrin, hailing from a small town in Slovenia, graduated at Central Saint Martins in London presenting a graduation collection brimming with exaggerated volumes and sensuous silhouettes. The collection became an instant sensation, catching the attention of the fashion insiders. Movrin's daring and larger-than-life creations were embraced by icons including Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Bjork, Marina Abramović, and Zaha Hadid. Movrin initially relocated to London, where he worked as an image consultant and fashion designer for esteemed luxury brands like Alexander McQueen, Burberry, Celine, Aesop, JW Anderson, and others. One day, Movrin received a call from Alber Elbaz, prompting his move to Paris, where he now holds the position of senior designer at AZ Factory.

Since 2022 the Paris-based company has opened its doors to a series of guest talent, called “Amigos” to interpret the vision of the brand, starting with the South African designer Thebe Magugu as first guest designer.

Photo: Peter Movrin, Mauro Grimaldi and Norman René Devera. Courtesy image of AZ Factory