Hyères Festival 2026: 5 young designers embrace linen
Brais Albor Rodriguez, Dieter Vlasich Obermann, Jennifer Milleder, Farnia Salim and Loïs Cousin competed at the 2026 International Festival of Fashion, Photography and Accessories in Hyères (Hyères Festival). These five finalists, including two eventual award winners, chose to work with linen provided by the Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp (Alliance).
FashionUnited met with the designers to discover why they selected this material, which is cultivated from Brittany to the Netherlands, and how they processed it.
What do they have in common? These emerging designers do not view linen solely from an ecological perspective. They are drawn to its sculptural properties, textures, structural capabilities and potential to be combined with other materials.
Not all of them presented their linen creations on the catwalk at the Forum du Casino. However, the showroom at the Villa Noailles offered an opportunity to meet the five designers and discover the pieces they crafted from the fibre.
Brais Albor Rodriguez: raw masculinity defying catwalk conventions
Prior to his introduction to the Alliance, Albor Rodriguez, who won the 2026 City of Hyères Public Prize and received a special jury mention, primarily associated linen with shorts and summer clothing.
During the 2026 Hyères Festival, he discovered previously unfamiliar properties and finishes, even though linen holds a personal cultural significance for him. Whilst based in Milan, he is originally from Galicia in northern Spain, where linen is traditionally used for regional costumes.
He utilised linen yarn in multiple ways: a 100 percent linen jacket resembling boiled wool; a paper-like textile; waxed linen; and torn, blended linen offcuts used to edge a recycled fur coat.
Dieter Vlasich Obermann: aesthetic bridging humanity and nature
Originally from Yucatán in Mexico, Vlasich Obermann looks beyond linen’s environmental benefits—such as sustainable farming, durability and thermoregulation—to explore its wider creative potential.
This is evidenced by an experimental bust crafted from soil and linen yarn, which Vlasich Obermann describes as a “regenerative” approach, paired with a linen voile skirt.
After receiving several metres of fabric, he used the material to create textures and relief effects.
His organic compositions blend plant fibres with textiles, fixing flax fibres onto an embroidered base, or incorporate human hair to create surfaces that evoke the interdependence between humanity and nature.
Taking his eco-design approach a step further, Vlasich Obermann used chia seeds as a natural binder to secure certain fibres.
This textile research earned him the Métiers d’Art Prize, which rewards the best collaboration between a Hyères Festival finalist and one of the Maisons d’Art within the Chanel ecosystem.
Jennifer Milleder: when linen meets Austrian sartorial heritage
Milleder, an Austrian designer based in Vienna, was unaware of the wide variety of linen-based textiles before the Alliance offered them to her for the competition. Through this initiative, she discovered that Austrian suppliers were among the organisation’s partners.
As her six looks are rooted in a reinterpretation of traditional Austrian dress, she deliberately sought out a domestic supplier to strengthen the synergy between the provenance of the materials and the narrative of her collection.
She sourced a jacquard fabric from Rechberger Weberei, an Austrian weaver and member of the Alliance. Milleder used this textile to craft wide-leg trousers with pronounced volume. For a sculptural coat, she also paired it with fabrics featuring regional motifs.
Farnia Salim: from Iranian cultural heritage to Milano Unica trade show
Salim, an Iranian designer based in Milan, was already familiar with linen as a material, though she knew little about the Alliance. She discovered the fabrics on offer at the Milano Unica trade show and was particularly drawn to the natural hues, such as cream and beige, which align with her signature colour palette.
Her six looks express a desire to move beyond exclusively negative representations of Iran. She aims to assert a proud, joyful cultural identity whilst blending it with Western references. Her goal is to strike a balance between the two.
The textile interpretation of this mindset is reflected in a linen-blend fabric that features a subtle reddish undertone whilst maintaining a neutral palette.
Loïs Cousin: shifting linen from rustic codes to urban aesthetics
Although Cousin had previously worked with linen, he mainly associated the fibre with warm, often yellowish canvases. Discovering waxed linen allowed him to explore a different aesthetic.
The centrepiece of his experimentation is a pair of wide-leg linen trousers coated in a synthetic material. This finish alters the fabric’s hand feel, drape and light reflection.
Supplied for the competition by Alliance partner Linea S, this waxed linen contrasts with the eco-design principles typically associated with the fibre. Nevertheless, it successfully embodies Cousin’s desired aesthetic.
The trousers incorporate repurposed curtain heading tape. He removed the cords from the tape, stitched the bands onto the garment and gathered the fabric to create volume.
This upcycling approach aligns with his affinity for weathered buildings, concrete surfaces and the urban environment. He seeks to highlight the culture and vitality of the suburbs rather than focusing solely on their clichés.