ByVidyun Singh

October 8, 2019 (IANSlife) Paris closed the International Spring Summer 2020 circuit and as always it stunned with its high powered line up of the Big guns of Fashion as well as disarmed with the whimsy of the rising stars. 

Once again like Milan unusual locations as show venues charmed and delighted and a number of designers and design houses reinforced the ethos of sustainability underscoring the Fashion ethos for the season. 

 

 

The weather Gods played truant with a wicked ‘ can’t tell from one hour to the next ‘ unpredictability, but while it may have drenched models and spectators on occasion, it did not dampen the spirit. 

Dealt with a cheerful ‘can’t beat it brave it spirit’, it saw designers like Marine Serre sending out umbrellas along with the invite for the show held in a racecourse in the outskirts of Paris. 

Rick Owens had his show on the Terrace of Palais de Tokyo and had made provisions for providing ponchos at the venue and in the case of Lanvin show in the Musée du Quai Branly gardens, along with umbrellas, guests were actually provided with headsets to listen to the show soundtrack while models walked in the rain to silence!!

On the sustainability front, the Dior show set used over a 150 trees as their scenography, which were then pledged to be planted the next day in keeping with the zero waste commitment. Stella McCartney, a green initiatives ambassador and advisor, also used “zero impact” fabrics, hemp and raffia for a large part in her collection.

 

 

Indian designer Manish Arora is a Paris Fashion Week staple and presented his collection at the event. 

Manish Arora is a well known name on the International circuit with a loyal and high profile fan following. A Paris Fashion Week veteran with over two score seasons over the last 12 years under his belt.

Instead of a runway show, his Spring Summer 2020, was presented as a walk around through a series of theatrical and striking human cluster installations, inspired by the spirit of the traditional Paris Cabaret shows. 

Titled ‘We are Family’, it was a family that was bonded beyond the biological. A borderless, gender fluid, inclusive assemblage that embraced the creative energies of LGBTQAI artistes, performers, instagram activists, club kids and beauty monsters.

The collection itself, with the exception of a few striking new additions,  was more of a reimagining and refreshing of his best loved and successful signature designs . It was (not surprisingly!) an explosion of colour that traversed from vivid to lurid. 

Fabrics and textures juxtaposed opacity and transparency and the silhouettes blurred the boundaries between street style edge and couture cool. Sharply styled into a strong style statement by Laurent Dombrowicz. 

 

 

This is the age of social media and Manish Arora  showcased with a single minded focus to create a powerful digital imprint. 

One look at the pictures and the star line up of reigning transgender influencers known primarily only by their instagram identity and you know that it must have extrapolated to mind boggling viewership. His model cast included Hungry@isshehungry, Berlin based drag queen known for powerful performances and futuristic distortions. Ryan Burke@ryburke, instagram wonder kid known for his three dimensional portraits combining technology and cosmetics; Miss fame@missfamenyc American model, drag queen and recording artist; Maison Klaus @klaus_wiekand iconic Parisian club kid, queer photographer etc.

Unbelievably intricate and imaginative make up by Kabuki and as extraordinary if not more face art by some of the drag queens themselves had the audience and press cameras going non- stop through the showing. 

As if that was not enough, coming to his show as a guest and wearing a Manish Arora outfit was Aquaria(@ageofaquaria) the current winner of theRuPaul’s drag race with an instagram following of 1.5 million at the last count. An unforgettable cast if ever there was one!

 

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Edited by Deepika Bhan and N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe