Zootopia at the Schiaparelli Couture Show
It’s the worst feeling in the world when you walk into an event to find that someone is wearing the same look as you. So, how do you think Irina Shayk felt when she walked down the Schiaparelli haute couture runway to find out that someone in the audience was, at that very moment, wearing the same hyperrealistic lion head she was modeling? And not just any someone, but Kylie Jenner.
Yup, Jenner has done it again—worn a look to a show as it walked the runway. Daniel Roseberry’s spring 2023 collection seemed to pay homage to Elsa Schiaparelli herself, a woman who loved animals and was known for at least one hat that boasted a cheetah’s face. Roseberry, then, continued on in the tradition of the historic house, sending three different animals down the runway. Each head was hand sculpted and embroidered, but so life like the security guards at the National History Museum likely shared a moment of panic when the runway images came through this morning. A she-wolf, leopard, and lion—frozen in various stages of expression— topped the shoulders of Naomi Campbell, Shalom Harlow, and Shayk. The creatures come from Dante’s Inferno, the three animals he meets on his journey, which represent the three divisions of hell and the sins of greed, lust, and pride, respectively. To Roseberry, though, each creature also celebrated “the glory of nature and guard[ed] the woman who wears it.”
And to Jenner, the lion that shared her front row seat at the show likely meant something else as well. The reality star caused a stir this weekend when she officially introduced the world to her son with Travis Scott, Aire, via Instagram. Of course, many were intrigued to hear the new name after Jenner initially dubbed him Wolf following his birth last February only to later take it back. Jenner seemed to stick with the animal theme, however, as a quick Google of the name Aire (pronounced “air” by the way), reveals the name means “Lion of God” in Hebrew (the Arabic, translation, however, is reportedly much less poetic). How fitting, then, to step out just days later with nothing less than a giant, lifelike lion head resting on your shoulder? When Jenner kept the name of her son from us for almost a year, it made sense that she would wait for the perfect moment to reveal it, but who knew she would use it to further implant herself in the world of high fashion?
But back to the issue of Shayk and Jenner wearing the same dress, because technically this wasn’t the case. The model walked the runway with her lion perched on the breast on a velvet, one-shoulder gown, which featured some ruching on the bodice, but a simple, column skirt. Jenner’s lion, meanwhile, adorned a strapless dress, also velvet, but ruched from head-to-toe, not unlike the custom dress Roseberry just created for Rihanna to wear to the Golden Globes earlier this month. The look was simple and elegant, a suitable backdrop for the show-stopping head on her shoulder. Jenner (who, by the way, is a Leo) then opted to accessorize with some of Roseberry’s quintessential Schiaparelli pieces, including the gold toe pumps, and studs featuring eyes almost as realistic as the lion’s.
Once inside the show, Jenner sat next to Marisa Berenson, actress and granddaughter of Schiaparelli herself, as well as Doja Cat, who also had the pleasure of wearing a look similar to one that simultaneously debuted in the new collection. The singer arrived to the show in head-to-toe red, looking like a modern day Leigh Bowery. Her skin was covered in what can only be described as a bubonic texture, mimicked on the skirt of her dress. It wasn’t long until another similarly textured skirt walked the runway on a model.
This occurrence, of celebrities attending shows in looks from that specific show has been happening with more and more frequency as of late, begging the question. Will, at some point, runway shows become obsolete, with designers skipping the step (and the immense cost) to instead debut new collections right on the celebrities? Maybe one day, but likely no time soon. Runways are still an integral part of the fashion industry, engrained in both the culture and the business operations. Celebrities have been integrating themselves further into this process for years, however, so it wouldn’t be surprising (albeit highly disappointing), if one day, the need for full-time models just disappears.
