Thom Browne Introduces Paris to His Wild Imagination

by Paige Reddinger

Thom Browne pulled out all the stops for his show during Paris Fashion Week, and now that the French have had a taste of Thom’s theatrics on their own turf, they would be foolish not to want to hang on to him (but hopefully, New York will call him home for Fall 2018). In perhaps one of the most Instagrammable moments at Paris Fashion Week (Donatella Versace lays claim to Milan’s moment), Browne closed his show with a giant white unicorn puppet with a white tulle mane and golden hoofs and horn, set into motion by two male models beneath. Fashion is about fantasy, but Thom Browne truly takes his audience to a new world—one replete with a wickedly dark sense of humor, surrealism, and plenty of exquisite craft. His trippy fairytale this season was set to the tune of “Part of Your World” from Disney’s The Little Mermaid soundtrack. Ballerinas in large body suits that looked not unlike pagan fertility sculptures—drooping breasts, rolls, and all—opened the show. Or was that a vague Ursula reference? Either way, it’s not the kind of thing little girls or women dream of, but it was spectacularly imaginative, as were the clothes that followed. There were beaded mermaid tails paired with signature Thom Browne suiting, coats, and skirts with tentacles, a dress wrapped in octopus tentacles, rolled dresses with hoods that looked like some kind of sea creature, and yes, anchor nipple pasties. Plus, a skeleton dress was thrown in for good measure. The construction in each garment was the stuff that fashion dreams are made of, like a plaid sport coat rendered in tulle, a particularly beautiful twist on an American essential. After the parade of the unicorn, a pale-faced model crowned in a white orb and dressed in a unicorn-encrusted fur coat with fluffy white organza tentacle cuffs that covered the hands closed the show. This might have been Edward Scissorhands’ bride had he not fallen in love with the American girl next door.

 

 

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