INDIANAPOLIS — Paris has the sites, the Seine River and style.
"I believe that historically Paris is known as one of the fashion capitols of the world," Sabrina Marzaro said. "I think the typical French-Parisian look is different and very unique."
But if you travel two hours north of Paris, you will find a woman carefully crafting a new chapter of French fashion.
Sylvie Facon spent 30 years as a social worker who became a dress designer in Arras, France.
"I learned how to design these dresses by myself," Facon said. "In all my free time, I was making dresses. Then I quit my job and started designing. That was 12 years ago."
Dresses hand sewn with lace for parties and weddings. But, the gowns drawing the most attention are inspired by paintings, music and literature.
One gown features poetry.
"I created this dress for the city because someone was doing a book about my work and the city," Facon said. "That dress was made for the book. That dress is really interesting because it's fluffy and at the same time, it's empty on the front. During the pandemic I wrote on my social media, I asked people what poems from [Francois] Villon do you want to see on the dress? So, I used those poems. That way, everyone could participate."
Another dress looks perfect for a library photo shoot.
"Those are real books. These aren't history books. I know some people don't like that I am destroying books," Facon said.
Facon created this open book dress out of leather, old paper and lace.
"It's 26 pounds. It's really heavy. I'm really happy to wear it. It's fun to be an open book. It's not everyday that we can wear this kind of dress," said model Pauline Seilier. "I'm really proud. I know a lot of girls would love to wear this kind of dress. I realize how lucky I am to wear this dress."
Sylvie Facon draws inspiration from poetry.
Some of the incredible dresses made by Sylvie Facon
"I created this dress for [Arras] because someone was doing a book about my work and the city. That dress was made for the book. That dress is really interesting because it's fluffy and at the same time, it's empty on the front," Facon said. "During the pandemic, I wrote on my social media asking people what poems from [Francois] Villon do you want to see on the dress? So, I used those poems. That way, everyone could participate."
She creates dresses with musical instruments.
"I made this dress because I love the violin. It's feminine shape," Facon said. "This dress is actually made with a real violin. I bought it at an antique store. I cut the violin and made a puzzle out of the pieces and then remade the violin on the dress. Most of the time this dress is shown in exhibitions and on the runway. It's really interesting on the runway because the girl who wears it has the bow in her hand, so she can play with it. the music that plays at this moment is also the violin."
Another gown features music notes written on a silk dress.
"I really like that piece of music," Facon said. "don't like things to be simple. It has to be meaningful."
Another dress features a garden scene.
"This dress comes from my series of flowery dresses," she said. "It features a flower you can find in Arras. It's really smooth and light. When someone wears this dress, there's all this light on it. There's alot of spots that reflect with the light. When we walk with that dress, it's like really shiny."
Each dress takes 200-300 hours to create.
"If you want the dress to have a soul, you need to stay with it for a long time," she said. "Many hours don't count. I want the dress to be exactly what I want."
Facon says some of her dresses cost between $5,000-$6,000.
Others gowns are not for sale.
"They're not for weddings or parties," Facon said. "These are dresses used on the runway and social media. It doesn't have to be wearable for everyday life. A lot of American and French girls buy my dresses. Most people know about my dresses from Instagram."
Some of Sylvie's dresses are a tribute to her hometown of Arras, France.
"You can see the Belfry from Arras and the important paintings in the museum and all the houses that are a signature of the city," she said. "It's like a postcard of my city and all the items that I love the most in my city."
"This dress is my city," said model Violette Delabre. "It's a really important city for both of us. I feel really proud. I don't want to mess up when I wear this dress."
The models rave about the unique gowns they are able to wear.
"Some have beautiful flowers. Others feature the city of Arras. Sometimes she's painting. Sometimes she's sewing," said Sellier.
"I knew Sylvie when I was 10," Delabre said. "I saw a lot of evolution in her work. I'm really impressed. From the beginning she had a lot of imagination and her creation art gets better and better with time. I'm still impressed, even 15 years later."
Stunning creations that turn heads on the runway and generate a buzz on social media.
"Yes, each dress has a story and reflects Slyvie's emotion at the moment she made it," Delabre said. "She puts herself into her dresses and you can see when she's not feeling well, you can see on the dress how they're more dark. When she's really happy, really in love, you can see it in the dresses, too."
It proves some of the most amazing fashion trends come from a small town in the Olympic host country.
"I never wore dresses like this. I love fabrics. I love the harmony of how it comes together," Facon said. "The inspiration is inside me. It's like a gift."
