Paris Fashion Week 2022 | A call for peace
published in enya Fashion Queen issue #184, find the original interview in Chinese here; cover photo © 2022 Balenciaga, all rights reserved
Fashion inspiration ranges from life, nature, environment to daily events and objects. After a two-year long pandemic, brands are turning clothing into a form of language to deliver comfort and the yearn for a beautiful Utopian world. As the Russia-Ukraine war continues, Paris Fashion Week also proceeds. However, to show their support towards world peace, designers, brands and luxury conglomerates have chosen to step up and voice their opinions in the hopes of achieving actual change in this time of crisis.
With warfare and fashion week simultaneously happening, it almost feels like we are living in a world with parallel universes. Our quotidian now feels like a blessing to the oppressed. What follows war is never celebrations of victory, but a tragedy of humanity that is filled with destruction and sorrow. In fashion and art, we are accustomed to loudness in every level, whether through tangible or intangible methods, direct or subtle ways. As the first designer to directly use his show to mourn the atrocities, Giorgio Armani decided to pay his tribute to all Ukrainians with a show with no music. As the models walked on stage silently, only the sound of ruffling garments and footsteps could be heard. “The best thing to do is send a message that we don’t want to celebrate because something very disturbing is happening around us.”
Joining forces to support Ukraine, Balenciaga once again cleared out its Instagram feed with only one image of the Ukrainian flag remaining. Turning its social platforms into a medium for providing information about the situation, the Spanish brand also made a donation to The World Food Programme, calling to people to offer all the help they can provide. An hour before the show’s kickoff, creative director Demna Gvasalia posted a letter addressing the current situation: “The war in Ukraine has triggered the pain of a past trauma I have carried in me since 1993, when the same thing happened in my country and I became a forever refugee. Forever, because that’s something that stays in you. The fear, the desperation, the realization that no one wants you. But I also realized what really matters in life, the most important things, like life itself and human love and compassion. This is why working on this show this week was so incredibly hard for me. Because in a time like this, fashion loses its relevance and its actual right to exist. Fashion week feels like some kind of an absurdity. I thought for a moment about canceling the show that I and my team worked hard on and were all looking forward to. But then I realized that canceling this show would mean giving in, surrendering to the evil that has already hurt me so much for almost 30 years. I decided that I can no longer sacrifice parts of me to that senseless, heartless war of ego. This show needs no explanation. It is a dedication to fearlessness, to resistance, and to the victory of love and peace.”
With defiant steps, the models began their procession round the runway as they battled against the blizzard. The chaotic scene sure took everyone’s breath away. Known for drawing inspiration from an apocalyptic future, Demma strayed away from our dreamy Utopian aspirations. As his somber collection heavy with black clothes appeared on stage, the long trailing lace dresses in yellow and blue served as adornments of hope, bringing positivity and bravery to the world even amidst the darkest time.
Besides showing support through social media and paying tribute through their shows, brands under luxury conglomerate KERING - Gucci, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Saint Laurent and more - had also made significant donations to the United Nations Refugees Agency (UNHCR) in the hopes for a peaceful resolution. Through their official LinkedIn account, Hermès announced that they will be closing all stores in Russia and pause all commercial activities for the foreseeable future. Luxury conglomerates, LVMH and KERING, took the same measures. So did Chanel, who took a step further and closed its online shop and deliveries in Russia as well. On top of that, LVMH pledged a €5 million relief to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to help those affected by the war and promised to offer financial and operational assistance to its employees in Ukraine. The company will also be offering financial support to three Ukrainian designers - Anna October, Paskal, Anton Belinskiy - who have attended the LVMH Prize in the past. Despite the fact that fashion has its roots in business, the commercial value becomes worthless under the relentless ravages of war. It is undeniably respectful and inspiring to see brands taking their stand against the atrocities as a unity. So let us hope under the light of unity, world peace will once again be restored.