Weird highlights from Schiaparelli's 2023 Paris Fashion Week Show
What's the story
The Paris Haute Couture Week, Spring Summer 2023 is in full swing. Italian fashion house Schiaparelli presented its latest collection on January 23 to kick-start the fashion extravaganza. From faux taxidermied lion, wolf, and leopard head hand-crafted gowns to an out-of-the-box all-red appearance, the show left fashionistas shocked and stunned. Check out some captivating looks from the Schiaparelli runway, at the Paris Fashion Week.
Lion head dress
Kylie Jenner's lion-head dress
Kylie Jenner took the internet by storm as she dressed in Schiaparelli's latest piece featuring a strapless bodycon black velvet dress. The dress had a fake taxidermy lion's head on the bustier completed with real hair, fangs, and glassy eyes. The dress was designed by Daniel Roseberry whose collection was inspired by 13th-century Italian poet Dante Alighieri's "Inferno" and the nine circles of hell.
Snow leopard dress
Model Shalom Harlow's snow leopard printed dress
There were a total of three hyper-realistic animal-head dresses made of hand-sculpted foam, resin, wool, and silk faux fur. The event showcased a bustier leopard dress worn by Canadian model Shalom Harlow featuring a head of a snow leopard at the chest. Like the other two dresses, this leopard-printed outfit was also embroidered by hand, to celebrate the beauty of nature.
She-wolf head
Naomi Campbell's wolf head coatdress
British actress and model Naomi Campbell walked Schiaparelli's spring haute couture show wearing an ankle-length faux fur coatdress with a wolf head attached to the shoulder. Her ensemble had an extravagant shoulder pad design featuring a hem made of a shaggy material. The she-wolf's head was fixed to the coat's left collar. She completed the look with gold-toe heels.
Red dress
Doja Cat's red body paint dress
American Rapper Doja Cat stunned viewers as she arrived at the show in a red gown with a beaded skirt from the house of Schiaparelli. According to makeup artist Pat McGrath, Cat's Inferno look took four hours and 58 minutes to create and required immense patience and dedication. Covered in red body paint, she had 30,000 Swarovski crystals applied by hand to her body.
Explanation
Roseberry and Schiaparelli's clarification
Vogue reported that Roseberry's collection notes said that the animal designs celebrate "the glory of nature and guarding the woman who wears it." "In this collection, you're never quite sure who made the piece you're looking at — was it nature? Or was it man?"Schiaparelli clarified on Instagram, that the animal designs represent the "lust, pride, and avarice in Dante's iconic allegory."
Controversy
Some praised the looks while others condemned them
Although many fashion enthusiasts lauded the collection, some said that the animal-inspired outfits promote trophy hunting. Model Christie Brinkley commented on Schiaparelli's Instagram post, "It's sickening to see the images of these endangered animals in the form of pelts." She further called it "a huge fashion FAUX 'PAW'‼️" Other comments pointed out that the collection is in "bad taste", and called the concept "repulsive".