The contradiction was so obvious that even the designers themselves acknowledged there was something uncomfortable about the scene.
Matières Fécales presented its spring-summer 2027 collection during Paris Fashion Week under the name “The 99 Percent”. The idea was to make room for those who, according to its creators, are usually left out of the luxury world: immigrants, working-class people, and historically underrepresented communities.
To do so, they chose Place de la République, one of the places most closely associated with protests and popular demonstrations in Paris. And that was no coincidence: Steven Raj Bhaskaran, one of the brand’s founders, explained that he wanted to move away from the bourgeois settings usually associated with high fashion.
The show featured 99 models, all people of color, garments bearing messages such as “RESIST”, and even hyperrealistic figures of wealthy white men with banknotes covering their eyes.
But there was a small problem with the concept.
For legal and security reasons, the space had to be cordoned off with barriers. Some of the audience watched from outside while industry guests were inside. And when Rihanna appeared wearing the brand and shoes from the collaboration with Christian Louboutin, the contradiction became even more obvious.
The designers said they were aware of the irony and even allowed some members of the public into the restricted area.
They wanted to put the “99%” at the center of fashion and ended up raising a rather uncomfortable question: how easy is it to rebel against luxury when you’re still walking the runway within it?