The Paris Couture Week started on January 23 and got off to an exciting start as Schiaparelli opened the show with an animal-head-inspired Spring 2023 Collection. However, Kylie Jenner gave the audience a sneak peek at the show as she arrived at Schiaparelli’s couture runway in a black velvet strapless gown adorned with the life-size head of a lion—a pre-release from the brand’s Spring/Summer 2023 collection.
The whole of Jenner’s right shoulder down to her waist was covered by the incredibly lifelike false lion head, which included a well trimmed tuft. She added a pair of black ankle-strap shoes with golden-imprinted toes by Schiaparelli to her look.
Jenner's Lion Head Outfit Inspired by Dante's Inferno
Jenner’s bizarre lion costume was seen on the runway again shortly after she took her seat, along with several other animal-inspired outfits. The collection’s creative director, Daniel Roseberry, drew inspiration from the nine circles of hell in Dante’s poem (Inferno) which served as a simile for the doubt and creative suffering all artists go through.
In taking actual inspiration from the three monsters that are in the 14th century poem, Daniel Roseberry reinvented the leopard, the lion, and the she-wolf as a representation of the three deadly sins; lust, pride, and greed, respectively.
Shalom and Naomi Grace the Runway In Schiaparelli Animal Head Outfits
While Shalom Harlow, a Canadian model, donned a strapless snow leopard tube dress with a roaring feline head bursting through the bust, Naomi Campbell wore a square, black artificial fur coat with a wolf’s head peeking out from her left shoulder.
Animal Cruelty Criticism Taints Show?
Despite the artistic creation of this collection, the makers of the designs were criticized by people who believe the creation promotes animal cruelty.
However, the maison of these eye-catching items insisted that no animals were harmed while creating the dresses and that each animal head was individually crafted by hand using adhesives and other synthetic materials.
The life-like look of the animals and the criticism the dresses generate shows that fashion is ever evolving and we have to keep up with it.
A final word
As long as the world hasn’t ended,
fashion will be an ever revolving and evolving art form. Styles will come and go out of trend only to resurface at some point in time again. This is the case with the Schiaparelli Couture House with its bold, in-your-face and daring animal head outfits inspired by Dante’s Inferno.
Without a doubt, this will not be the first and last time a fashion house dazzles and shocks audiences in equal measure with seemingly outlandish and somewhat bizarre outfits. So get ready to be dazzled by more brow raising designs from the always innovative and inventiv couture houses around the world this year and beyond.
