This year's Paris Fashion Week kicked off with L'Oréal's annual ritual, the 'Walk Your Worth' showcase. Alia Bhatt for one, now also global ambassador to the brand of the hour, walked the PFW ramp for the very first time, marking her debut. Alia's ensemble for the night was a far cry away from her usual, simplistic silhouettes.
The steeled in likeness of a svelte torso not only stole the show on the ramp but also allows us to throw it back to times when anatomy-inspired ensembles have had their moment in the public eye. But first, a little fashion history crash course on the niche aesthetic. Clothes mimicking the arches and bends of the torso is not unheard of.
We have the booming business of fast fashion dupes to thank (or blame) for that. But Jean Paul Gaultier was among the first to bring this vision to life on the ramp. The designer used body-illusion graphics for his Spring/Summer 1996 collection, Cyberbaba.
From blazers to bombers to lose-fit button downs — light, digitally-placed tracings of shapely chests and abs made for the USP of these one-of-a-kind pieces. If you're looking for a more ornate, original take on this, look no further than Vivienne Westwood. Thoroughly beaded silhouettes stood ever-so-slightly lined with darker hues to mimic the likeness of a torso were the statement pieces from her 1987 Autumn/Winter show.
What you weren't expecting here however, is a sharp slash across the chest leading to a flow of red beads dripping down like blood. It isn't h.
