Ask any fashion journalist about the glamour of attending the shows and they’ll look at you like you’re insane. Schlepping from venue to venue, enduring interminable waits, skipping meals – it’s not exactly the kind of activity that over-the-top Vogue spreads are made of. Sisi Wasabi’s show at the Hotel de Rome was an entirely different affair, and for this weary fashion scribe, a breath of fresh air. The evening started off with a cocktail and after most of the invitees had streamed in, the assembled guests shifted into the venue itself: a stunning atrium banquet hall laid out with three tables set with crystal, linen and china. When the show began, I expected the models to walk amongst us, but instead they appeared projected on a screen at the end of the room. At first it seemed like one of the short films that have become so trendy in the fashion world, but then I realized they were walking on a platform extending along the atrium’s glass roof. The journalist seated to my right kept craning her neck, trying to see up their skirts, but unfortunately (or fortunately?) it was drizzling.
The collection itself was a much more street-conscious effort than what we’ve come to expect, but it’s a refreshing direction for the label to pursue, perhaps casting a wider commercial net. And the mood was eerily spot on, as model after model channeled a Michael Jackson influence in blue and red metallic jeans, black sunglasses and ankle socks paired with gold men’s shoes. Shapes ranged from waistcoats to vests to bombers with brass buttons and military details.
After the show lobster and coffee sorbet were served, accompanying the copious cocktails that had been flowing since we arrived. Sometimes, it’s a glamorous life.
Runway photos by Stefan Knauer, event photos by Karl Anton Koenigs.
