The couture shows are coming and with them, an exciting first: Hussein Chalayan has hooked up with Vionnet to create the Demi-couture collection that it will unveil on 21 January.

‘I’m extremely happy about this collaboration because I think that Hussein is a super-talented, forward-thinking designer,’ says Vionnet chairman and creative director Goga Ashkenazi. ‘He is a true artist, very conceptual, he thinks out of the box and has a strong architectural approach. He represents what Madeleine Vionnet represented in her era.’

It’s a lot of for fans to get excited about – not least Chalayan himself.

‘The combined elements of Goga Ashkenazi’s creative energy and entrepreneurial approach together with the unparalleled heritage of the house makes this an exciting collaboration for me,’ he tells WWD.

Vionnet’s demi-Couture line was established in September 2012 to mark the 100th anniversary of the house, and features one-of-a-kind dresses at a more affordable price point to its full-blown Couture pieces (though, alas, we’re still not talking Topshop ballpark).