As the guest couture designer for AZ Factory's Spring Summer 2024 collection, Helsinki-born designer Jenny Hytönen presented a vision of the future that goes beyond conventional ideas of blank canvases and sterilised Space Age aesthetics. Embracing the idea of time as layered, Hytönen created a couture design that skillfully blends delicate and severe components by drawing influence from the late creator Alber Elbaz's autumn 2009 collection and the metal bar accents from spring 2015.

The delicate-meets-brutal beauty of Hytönen's creative vocabulary was seen in full during the AZ Factory couture exhibition. A wild yet refined style was displayed with filmy organza dresses layered over metallic hoops vests, military shearlings collaged into majestic capes, and off-the-shoulder outfits embellished with millions of needle beads. 

As a result of Hytönen's infatuation with the post-punk and cyberpunk movements—where a younger generation, traumatised by violence, expressed themselves via unusual creations—the outcome was a post-apocalyptic red carpet feel.

A wide range of people, including members of the press, other designers, and celebrities like British singer-songwriter Celeste and actress Camille Lelouch, expressed their enthusiasm for the collection. Notable people including Tennessy Thoreson, Lora Sonney, and Lutz Huelle highlighted how Hytönen's work resonated in the context of the AZ Factory. Mauro Grimaldi, an executive at Richemont, commended the company for its dedication to helping independent designers and developing creatives, emphasising the need to stop treating young talent as throwaway goods.

In Hytönen's case, AZ Factory's goal of assisting creatives in moving to the next level was embodied. Grimaldi underlined the necessity for large corporations to foster independent designers and create long-term professional networks. 

Hytönen conveyed her appreciation for the opportunity to collaborate with the AZ Factory studio, taking in knowledge from their association with Elbaz. This partnership not only helped shape her collection but also highlighted how important it is to take one's time while creating in a society that sometimes wants instant gratification.