SCHIAPARELLI FAUX ANIMAL FIASCO
Schiaparelli Faux Animal Fiasco
The Parisian brand Schiaparelli’s faux animal fiasco has got the brand into hot waters. Their Spring Summer 2023 Inferno Couture show had some amazing looks on the runway and it certainly would be a resounding success if it was not for a few very questionable looks.
The designer Daniel Roseberry’s inspiration was supposedly Dante’s Divine Comedy, specifically the part where the poet encounters the wild beasts as he descends through the nine circles of hell. Sounds all nice and very creative, until you see the models walking on the runway “wearing” a lion, a wolf, and a Panther.
Roseberry simply missed the point that this perpetuates the idea of animal suffering that has been long going on in the fashion world. Faux or not these majestic animals. And are not meant to be some random. Accessory for a rich woman. They are not trophies to be worn. It is not art but rather a celebration of dominance, barbarism, and mutilation of these wild animals. It also encourages the killing of endangered species.
Daniel Roseberry is certainly a very talented designer and his creations are marvelous but you would really have to be hiding in a cave for decades to not know that the industry has been facing a backlash on the use of fur and animal abuse for quite a while now. How would you think that it will be acceptable to have severed heads of animals on the runway? Unless it was done intentionally. To get some attention. But this isn’t really the kind of attention you want to get. It goes on to show the ignorance and indifference of fashion creatives.
Another interesting aspect of this whole drama is how different the response of the mainstream media was as compared to those who showcase the voice of the masses.
According to CNN news “Nothing says fierce like using an apex predator as a brooch.” Vogue ensured that the lion head was not real, completely missing the point. Clearly, it’s not just some designers but also the media outlets that got it so wrong.
The good thing about this whole drama. It will result not only in more conscious design choices by the designers and their teams. But will also discourage the use of animals by the fashion industry.
The fashion industry alone murders 2.5 billion animals annually. In spite of the growing pressure from customers and the public. While many major labels have taken big steps in the right direction. Its far from sufficient and we have to go a long way still.