Fashion's New Architect: Digital Design Revolution

Steven Passaro, a French-Portuguese designer, is making waves at Paris Fashion Week with a unique approach that fuses architecture with fashion. His background in architecture, particularly its focus on 3D visualization, deeply influences his design process. This has led him to extensively use digital 3D modeling, a technique that significantly accelerates pattern creation compared to traditional methods.

Passaro's collections often feature structured silhouettes with an underlying fluidity, exploring dualities in design. For his Spring-Summer 2026 collection, 'Moonlit Lover,' he delved into themes of 'toxic love,' while the Fall-Winter 2026 collection, 'Ethereal Shift,' focused on personal transformation. These themes are presented as a continuous narrative, with each season offering a new perspective.

The designer prioritizes sustainability, using virtual sampling and pattern cutting to minimize environmental impact. He also sources fabrics from Europe, including those from LVMH. Passaro advocates for conscious consumerism, critiquing ultra-fast fashion brands for their environmental and ethical implications and supporting regulatory measures.

Regarding the increasing use of AI in fashion, Passaro expresses concern about job displacement for models and creatives, emphasizing the value of human collaboration and exchange in the creative process. He advises aspiring designers to be patient, focus on smart product design, build a strong support network, and listen to feedback selectively.