01PARIS COUTURE, 6 TO 9 JULY, KEPT CIRCLING ONE SUBJECT: THE BODY.
SHEER FABRIC RAN THROUGH NEARLY EVERY SHOW, AND THE STRONGEST
COLLECTIONS TREATED BARE SKIN AS THE MATERIAL ITSELF, SOMETHING
TO BUILD, NOT SOMETHING TO COVER UP.
02DANIEL ROSEBERRY PUSHED IT FURTHEST AT SCHIAPARELLI. HE SENT OUT
CORSETS MOLDED INTO LIFELIKE TORSOS, SILICONE GILLS RUNNING UP A
BARE BACK, AND A LATEX JACKET RIGGED WITH INFLATING TENTACLES.
SKIN WAS SCULPTED, NOT DRAPED OVER.
03THE METHOD IS STRANGER THAN THE LOOK. THOSE SILICONE BODIES
WERE BUILT WITH A PARIS WORKSHOP THAT MAKES PHOTOREALISTIC
INFANTS FOR FILMS BARRED FROM USING REAL NEWBORNS. THE PALETTE
WAS DRAWN FROM MATTHEW BARNEY'S CREMASTER FILMS.
04OTHERS REVERSED THE IDEA. AT ARMANI PRIVE, SILVANA ARMANI
SLIPPED EMBROIDERED TEDDIES UNDER SHARP TUXEDO JACKETS,
REVEALING THROUGH TAILORING. PICCIOLI AND IRIS VAN HERPEN WENT
THE OTHER WAY AND ERASED THE BODY INSIDE ARCHITECTURAL VOLUME.
05THE TIMING IS NOT RANDOM. IN AN AGE OF AI-GENERATED IMAGES,
FILLER AND SURGERY, AND NEAR-NUDE RED CARPETS, COUTURE IS
ARGUING ABOUT WHAT A REAL BODY IS, AND WHO DECIDES HOW IT
SHOULD LOOK. FLESH BECAME THE SEASON'S WHOLE IDEA.
06REVEAL-EVERYTHING READS AS SHOCK, BUT THE CRAFT UNDERNEATH IS
THE REAL ARGUMENT. HAND-MOLDED SILICONE, ILLUSION TULLE, BONED
CORSETRY: COUTURE ANSWERING A SCREEN-DEEP CULTURE BY MAKING
THE BODY SLOWLY, BY HAND, IN A WAY NO ALGORITHM CAN FAKE.