On the 26th of August, the opening day of Norwegian fashion week (@oslorunway) Cohmé Atelier unveiled its latest collection designed by Mads Søreide—who was only 18 years when he debuted his first collection for the label. His pieces quickly made their way onto celebrities on the red carpet and into fashion magazine spreads.

The presentation was a display of six glamorous styles, all inspired by the chic allure of Paris “The City of Lights” was presented at Hotel Continental’s Teatersalen in Oslo to over a 100 people— dazzling the crow with couture-like shimmery maximalist elegance featuring sultry cut-outs, silver sequins and sculpted black tulle.

"This is my first time presenting my work to a bigger audience, and I wanted to make sure that I left an impression," Søreide explains, noting that the choice of location was deliberate. The collection’s Parisian inspiration is quite literally reflected in the luxurious hall of mirrors and gilded walls, aiming to immerse guests in the world of Cohmé Atelier, which, according to Søreide, is "all about glamour and drama." He continues, "I want the guests to not only see but also feel and experience the essence of my creations."

The Sultry Sequin Dress

It’s no wonder the designer was inspired by The City of Lights after his visit to Paris. In an interview with Mads for Vogue Scandinavia he notes "after coming home, I went straight to my desk and started sketching – I knew exactly what I wanted to do for my next project." Søreide wanted to capture the city’s sparkly aesthetic: "glamorous, but also edgy and dramatic," he says. The collection features artful cut-outs, sparkling silver sequins, and black tulle, sculpted to emphasize and celebrate the form of a woman’s sultry bodyform. One of the standout pieces is a long silver sequin dress with padded shoulders and an open back, which, according to Søreide, embodies the essence of this collection. "It's a dress that would be sure to turn heads, in my opinion." (as seen above).

According to Vogue, “the fitting process is central to Søreide's” vision. "I think a lot of people don't understand what goes into the process of creating a piece – a dress is simply not just a dress," he mentioned. Each look in this collection took three to four fittings. "And I still think they could have been better," he admits. From fittings in "wool socks and messy hair" to being "on location in full glam, capturing the moment you have been envisioning for so long," Søreide embraces every aspect of Cohmé Atelier's journey. "I design clothes because I love it," he says. "There is so much excitement in giving your vision life, seeing it form and become reality. Fashion is fun, and it doesn't always have to be so deep."