Paris – Many did not dare to laugh, some did. How the models at the VTMNTS show a few days ago dangling so absurdly and ran through the set at breakneck speed was just too funny. And those scratches on their faces like they just stepped out of a mosh pit. Then a woman in a black leather outfit with a light brown poodle on her arm and the light blonde guy with a commemorative Eminem hoodie! This show was by far the funniest at Paris Fashion Week. The at least that’s what Guram Gvasalia had done
The new Vetements creative director does not have an easy time at the moment. When he took over the creative direction of the fashion brand after his older brother Demna switched to Balenciaga, lips puckered everywhere in the fashion community. As the managing director of the family business, Guram had previously stood in the creative shadow of Demna, on whose genius the success of the anti-brand Vetements was based a few years ago.
But who would want to deny Guram from the outset that he couldn’t bring the brand to life in a different way? The first step last year was the founding of the sub-label VTMNTS, which wants to open up to many different designers as a kind of national platform for fashion. In itself, that’s an exciting idea, and it also means that Guram defines creative leadership differently than is commonly understood. Clearly the former Vetements fans have switched camp with Demna to Balenciaga who is indeed doing an excellent job there.
Nevertheless: Guram also deserves a chance, simply as a matter of principle. The American fashion designer Rick Owens has given it to him before, he and his wife Michéle Lamy were sitting in the “First Row” at the Paris VTMNTS show a few days ago. Speaking of which, the elite front row was for everyone because there was only one. Anyone could also apply for a spot on the show via Instagram. Once again, VTMNTS breathed the early Vetements spirit of ignoring unwritten laws and turning a sacred industry event into happy theatre. And the fashion? Sustainable, boxy, layered and most importantly, gender neutral. It always fits in with the times, even if it’s not the reinvention of the wheel. If Guram Gvasalia would now lower the prices for the collections, that would be the last consequence in this game.