Fashion often takes itself very seriously. Maybe too seriously. For example, nobody ever attempts to laugh while sitting in the front row, to give the impression that what is happening on the runway is tantamount to a sacred celebration, but probably quite a few people occupying those glorious seats are thinking "What the f*ck have I just seen?"
At the same time, while laughing in public at a fashion show is out of the question, there is also a lot of bitching and joking in the industry that goes unseen and unheard by ordinary people.
KidSuper founder Colm Dillane decided instead to turn his brand's A/W 23 runway in Paris into a fun event.
Showcased last Saturday, two days after Louis Vuitton's, where he was guest designer, the collection wasn't presented with an ordinary runway show but with an evening of stand-up comedy, something that aligned with Dillane's out-of-the-box thinking, the collective frame of mind reigning at KidSuper, the New York scene where the brand was founded and America's passion for comedies.
Entitled "Funny Business" and taking place at the iconic Casino de Paris, the one-hour tongue-in-cheek show was hosted by America's Next Top Model's Tyra Banks and featured comedians Fary, Andrew Santino, "Roastmaster General" Jeff Ross, YouTube sensation Stavros Halkias, actress Yvonne Orji, Andrew Schultz, Theo Von, Matteo Lane and J Balvin. Each of them sported one ensemble from KidSuper's A/W 23 collection, while Banks changed several outfits.
Compere Banks donned a variety of suits and coats, many of them with Dillane's illustrations and his trademark embroidered sketches with unravelling faces, while telling stories and recounting tales of her life as a model in Paris.
The jokes - about a variety of topics, people and stereotypes, fashion in general and, more specifically, KidSuper's founder ("KidSuper's clothes are a conversation starter and that conversation usually starts with 'what the fuck are you wearing?'" cracked American stand-up comedian and actor Jeff Ross; Andrew Schultz reminded the audience instead how Dillane, who doesn't have a formal fashion education, started selling T-shirts to people queuing outside the Louis Vuitton flagship, "Now he sells his shirts inside the store," he concluded).
As it happens with real comedy shows, the jokes were rude and filthy, at times unspeakable (well, stand-up comedians are a bit like jesters in a Medieval court, who were the only people allowed to take the piss out of the king…) and there were also jokes about Balenciaga's advertising-gate, Alexander Wang and Kanye West, among the others. Fearing legal issues, most outlets decided not to reprint them, while Dillane will edit the video before putting it online to avoid any problems of a legal nature.
Dillane's camouflage face print, already seen at Louis Vuitton’s appeared also on this stage, as did the arty motif for his successful "kissing" bag with two faces kissing, a trick replicated also on coats and on a puffer, while Dillane sported a burgundy suit embroidered with the Casino de Paris' facade.
The show - that also launched a shoe line in collaboration with Stuart Weitzman, and an edition of jewelry with Vuitton's Artistic Director of Watches and Jewelry Francesca Amfitheatrof's own line, Pauer - was high on body positivity.
Indeed, Dillane had to adapt his garments to the shapes and silhouettes of the comedians involved, but it wasn't so high on the looks that were often repeated, maybe betraying a lack of time as the designer was busy working on Vuitton's show.
The designs also posed a dilemma: some pieces were made with the same techniques seen on Louis Vuitton's runway. Now, while materials may be different and Vuitton's quality may be higher, the essence is more or less the same, which takes you to the question, if you're a fan of this style, why should you buy a piece from Vuitton's collection when you can buy a cheaper one by KidSuper? The dilemma remains even though some motifs for Louis Vuitton will be exclusive to the fashion house.
Though this is the first time a collection is presented via a comedy show, some critics complained about the fact that, in our age, concept is pushed over clothes. Yet, this is Dillane's modus operandi: the designer always eschewed the conventional runways, coming up with disruptive presentations such as an art auction, a pilot TV show, and a stop-motion show.
The one-hour comedy format actually fits perfectly to our times as it is popular on streaming services like Netflix and you get a feeling that Dillane's idea may have the potential of turning up into a mini-series poking fun at the fashion industry.
After all, there would be several hours of comedy about the pretentiousness of modern press releases (but don't dare criticizing them as a scholarly elite of super educated people would get offended…), obnoxious fashion press officers and bizarre runway shows. Looks like Dillane may be in fashion right now, but he may be simply using it as a vehicle towards other outlets or as a way to expand into other industries.
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