Embroidered poster for the Montreux Jazz Festival - by fashion designer Kévin Germanier
Valais-based fashion designer Kévin Germanier designed the poster for the 60th Montreux Jazz Festival, which will take place from July 3 to 18, 2026. Inspired by haute couture garments, this colorful work is the first embroidered poster in the festival’s history.
The Montreux Jazz Festival is celebrating its 60th edition with a haute couture creation. Kévin Germanier was the first fashion designer to create a poster for the festival. The Valais-born artist now lives in Paris and has established himself as one of the most promising talents on the international scene. After dressing Björk, Beyoncé and Lady Gaga, he most recently designed the costumes for the 2024 Olympic Games ceremonies in Paris and the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest in Basel.
A work of 60,000 beads and sequins
The radiant opulence of the work is revealed in the wealth of its details. Kévin Germanier has made upcycling his trademark: all the elements of the poster come from previous creations and have therefore been recycled. Over 60,000 sequins and beads made of glass, wood and plastic were carefully embroidered onto a velvet fabric. Wool and even parts of electric tubes can also be seen. The explosion of color appears all the more intense as it stands out against the absolutely black background.
Inspired by Jean Tinguely
Kévin Germanier listened to a lot of music for inspiration. He also studied the festival's historical posters, as his aim was to blend in with the heritage while leaving his own signature. From this, he developed preferences in terms of color design and made his first sketches with pencils. He was particularly inspired by Jean Tinguely's poster: The colors, the black background and the motif of the feather can all be found here.
Kévin Germanier says: "My favorite posters are the ones that depict the festival in a more abstract way. Music is not just a saxophone or a guitar - music is a feeling. I tried to reflect the explosion and emotion of the body and heart. I wanted something generous, dynamic and vibrant.
The physical model will be on display at the MUDAC in Lausanne from November 7, 2025 to March 22, 2026 as part of the exhibition " Les Monstrueuses. Carte blanche à Kévin Germanier ". It will then be exhibited in the Montreux Jazz Festival store from July 3 to 18.
