LEVER COUTURE entered the Paris Haute Couture calendar with its latest collection, “Anatomy of Identity,” unveiled at the Palais de Tokyo on July 9, 2025. The Fall Winter 2025 collection, designed by Ukrainian-born Lessja Verlingieri, introduced a sculptural vision charged with emotional and conceptual depth. Known for her cinematic silhouettes, Verlingieri used this debut to reflect on the construction of selfhood through couture.
The show opened with a solo dance performance by Katja Khaniukova, first soloist of the English National Ballet. Her piece drew on themes of resilience, transformation, and identity. The choreography’s emotional weight matched the collection’s conceptual framework, setting a somber yet powerful tone that continued through the entire presentation.
Original music by I Monster accompanied the show, with the track “Who Is She?” forming a sonic frame for the experience. The sound design surrounded the audience in a cloud of mood and memory, anchoring the garments in a space that felt both intimate and otherworldly. This score, paired with Khaniukova’s performance, created a rhythm of tension and softness that mirrored the garments themselves.
Creative direction by longtime collaborator Sina Braetz brought cohesion to the presentation. The choreography, lighting, and space worked in unison with the fashion to form a narrative that examined the layering of identity. Braetz orchestrated each element into a fluid experience that emphasized the relationship between body, fabric, and expression.
Verlingieri’s designs explored contrast in construction and meaning. Soft green mesh appeared throughout the collection, offering a whisper of transparency that hovered between delicacy and disappearance. Gold fringe added motion and luster, energizing the silhouette with every step. Silver Swarovski stones, applied by hand, introduced a quiet shimmer that refracted light in a restrained way. Nude sequins followed the natural tones of skin, producing a glow that stayed subtle rather than theatrical.
More structured pieces grounded the collection. Black sculptural garments brought weight and edge, countering the airy fabrics with strength and clarity. Cream waben mesh added architectural form, its honeycomb pattern creating depth without heaviness. These pieces embodied contrast through material choices that remained focused and deliberate.
“Anatomy of Identity” is a couture collection defined by contrast and construction. Verlingieri built each garment to explore personal tension – the push and pull between strength and softness, exposure and protection. The result was a series of pieces that embraced complexity through fabric, form, and motion.
