"Countdown" – A Ready-to-Wear Collection by David Gil, Winner of the 1.2.3. Award in Collaboration with Maison 1.2.3.

Maison 1.2.3. is an affordable luxury brand, founded in 1983 by the French fashion group Etam. In partnership with the Festival of Hyères, the 1.2.3. Award offers emerging designers a unique opportunity to have their work produced and sold in select stores across France and Belgium.

The objective of the 1.2.3. Award is to bridge the gap between avant-garde design and the fashion market.

After winning the 1.2.3. Award for my haute couture collection, I was invited to collaborate with Etam's team to create a ready-to-wear line.

I was inspired by a quote in a 1992 Eurostaf market research titled The Imperative of Creation in the Face of the Trivialization of Markets.

“Fashion is threatened the moment it becomes the expression of a significant number of people. The success of fashion implies its own death. The only way out resides in the anticipation of death, in a sort of constant suicide, allowing fashion to move from one trend to another.”

Guided by this thought-provoking statement, I named my ready-to-wear proposal Countdown. The collection weaves together desire and mystery and portrays an empowered woman who boldly embraces the cyclical nature of her destiny by fearlessly reinventing herself with unwavering resilience.

The designs feature draped cotton zephyr tops, fluid hourglass chiffon dresses, screen-printed t-shirts featuring vibrant pop art bombs, and a dynamite handbag with a pivoting 3.2.1. buckle—each element echoing the dynamic tension between inner strength and timeless elegance.

Maison 1.2.3.

Ready to wear

The objective of the 1.2.3. Award is to bridge the gap between avant-garde design and the fashion market.

“Fashion is threatened the moment it becomes the expression of a significant number of people. The success of fashion implies its own death. The only way out resides in the anticipation of death, in a sort of constant suicide, allowing fashion to move from one trend to another.”