The most viral and bizarre moments from Paris Fashion Week
At the recently concluded Paris Fashion Week, the runway played host to some bizarre and viral moments. Here is a look at a few that deserve some appreciation.
Fly, fly, fly away
Mugler’s debut presentation under creative director Miguel Castro Freitas leaned fully into showgirl glam. Among the guests were Showgirls star Elizabeth Berkley and Pamela Anderson, dressed in full Las Vegas regalia. On the runway, models strutted in vinyl skirts, low-slung padded trousers, and nude bodystockings. A standout look featured a structured bodice adorned with bird feathers — a striking juxtaposition of entrapment and ornamentation, as the model appeared both caged and exquisitely dressed.
Guard your mouth
Maison Margiela lived up to its extravagant reputation with a haunting runway where models walked with mouths held wide open by strapped metal mouthpieces to emulate the brand’s logo. This unsettling detail echoed themes of anonymity and submission, their signature concept. Even veterans like Guinevere Van Seenus, Saskia de Brauw, and Hanne Gaby Odiele wore the metal straps. The show served as a striking reminder that fashion, while liberating, can also confine, a reflection of life itself.
Salt rock as a jewel
Schiaparelli knows how to hold attention. While Kendall Jenner’s naked dress moment drew headlines, the real surprise was the glowing jewellery. Models wore illuminated salt rock pieces powered by LED batteries, styled as pendants, earrings, and discreet back chains.
The hairy business
Duran Lantink’s Jean Paul Gaultier debut made a bold statement with futuristic pneumatic silhouettes straight out of a sci-fi fever dream. But the real attention went to the NSFW hairy bodysuits featuring fully naked male bodies in lifelike detail, including a realistic phallus. The internet buzzed, calling it less of a runway show and more of an anatomy lesson.
Shaded compound eyes
Pierpaolo Piccioli, who succeeded Demna as creative director of Balenciaga, opened the show with a reimagined sack dress paired with opera gloves, black pumps, and oversized bug-eye sunglasses. The sunglasses appeared throughout the collection in various forms, including styles that wrapped around the head, resembled honeybee eyes, or formed a sleek, futuristic line. Each variation is tied into the collection’s nature-inspired theme.
