By Cheryl Tay

One of the invited members to the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture to showcase during Women's Fashion Week 2011 Singapore from 26 to 30 October 2011, Maxime Simoens is a designer destined for success and making good on all the early expectations placed on his young shoulders.

SENATUS looks at the designer fondly known amongst circles as the "Hollywood Couturier" for the movie starlets who love his dresses.

One of today’s most promising young designers, Maxime Simoens was born in Lille, France, in 1984 and grew up wanting to be a filmmaker.

He only realized that he wanted to become a fashion designer at Madonna’s Drowned World Tour concert in 2001, after being enthralled by the elaborate costumes by Jean-Paul Gaultier that she wore. He resolved to work for the esteemed couturier one day, and later alized that dream by designing accessories for Jean-Paul Gaultier himself.

Maxime attended the prestigious Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, graduating with top grades. In addition, he also won the first prize for Lace Fashion at the International Competition I-Design, as well as the first prize for Incentive in France and the François Lesage prize both at the International Competition For Young Fashion Designers.

Later, he went on to work for fashion houses such as Elie Saab, Christian Dior and also apprenticed under Nicolas Ghesquiere for Balenciaga, where he took a particular interest in embroidery and prints.

Simoens’ brand was launched in 2009 and in the true spirit of haute couture, he endeavours to achieve a sense of timelessness in every piece.

Maxime also became the first designer to ever be accepted into the Fédération Française de la Couture, without having presented an haute couture show previously.

His pop culture-influenced collections are particularly memorable; examples include the "White to Black" collection inspired by Michael Jackson and Louise Brooks, and his latest Autumn/Winter 2011/2012 collection, inspired by the film "Nosferatu".

The logo of the Maxime Simoens Couture brand is a barcode, using the symbol of the mass market as a playful assertion that "a young designer can also do commercial things and be distributable", as Simoens says.

Most recently, Maxime has been making headlines and winning nods from the fashion press with his star-studded clientele of "IT-girls" – Leighton Meester and Blake Lively of the "Gossip Girl" TV series are fans, as well as actress Beth Ditto. Notably, Astrid Berges and Rachel McAdams have famously worn his creations to the Cannes Film Festival with numerous photographs of them on the red carpet seen on publications worldwide.

A gorgeous purple Maxime Simoens number, known as the "Millefeuille Beaded Organza Dress" is one of the highlights from his Spring/Summer 2011 collection, gracing the cover of Beyoncé Knowles’ deluxe album "4".

It is no wonder this designer is fondly called the "Hollywood Couturier".

In his Spring/Summer collection earlier this year, he presented what he called a “new couture” that was not made-to-measure (it came in many sizes), but couture nonetheless in that it is fully handmade. He described it as "fresh, young, living in the moment" and inspired by Marie Antoinette, but “a little bit more rock and roll”.

The allure of Simoens’ style lies in its chic juxtaposition of subtly contrasting fabrics that have won fans all over the world, from Canada to Uzbekistan.

Blake Lively and Leighton Meester have both been dressed in Maxime Simoens in episodes of "Gossip Girls"

On 20 October 2011, Maxime was announced as the new Creative Director of french label Leonard, taking over Veronique Leroy who had served eight years with the fashion house. Promising to give Leonard's designs "sophistication and modernity", Maxime will look to inject some freshness into the signature fabric and prints.

"Leonard was originally a house of fabric—they made it for Chanel and Dior—and then they began doing fashion. I would like to use their vintage fabrics and prints and give them vibrancy and youth", adds Maxime.

The young designer will balance his responsibilities managing his Couture house as well as Leonard, which will debut in March 2012.