Biography

Valerian HUGHES was born in Saint Barthelemy and lived there several years until moving to Paris to complete a formal education. Early on, he was fascinated by art and architecture; studying at the Beaux Arts, all signs pointed to a career in these fields.

His focus shifted, however, due to a childhood spent captivated by his grandmother, his mother, and his aunts when they dressed up in their Sunday best, fascinated by the dresses and the ceremony that accompanied them. He did not waste any time and began creating sketches, soon evolving into fully-fleshed designs with one ultimately finding its way onto the desk of a professor at ESMOD who applauded his talent and encouraged him to pursue it.

Having completed his studies, Valerian then began interning in the most prestigious houses: first with Dries Van Noten as a temporary only to be asked to stay for several seasons. He then worked at Saint Laurent under the tutelage of Tom Ford, Christian Lacroix, and Paco Rabanne, from whom he drew know-how and precision.

What stayed with him the most, however, are the resonating words of the grand master himself: "elegance is, first and foremost, a woman. It is up to us to showcase this elegance through the garments we create."

This is the foundation upon which Valerian builds his creations: understated, demure, sophisticated, and elegant.