At Paris Fashion Week, influencer-led “watch parties” are bringing runway glamour to the masses. With giant screens, live reactions, and no front row exclusivity, fans are experiencing high fashion with the energy of a sports game.
A giant screen, lots of cheering and applause: the scene inside La Caserne venue in trendy northeast Paris might feel like a sports bar. But the crowd there was watching live fashion, not football.
With Paris Fashion Week in full swing, a well-heeled group of mostly 20-somethings has been gathering every day near the Gare du Nord train station for "watch parties" of the biggest shows from Saint Laurent to Dior.
It is a concept created by Lyas — aka Elias Medini — a 26-year-old French influencer with more than half a million followers on Instagram and TikTok.
"The goal is really to democratize an elitist scene and make it super inclusive," said Medini when AFP dropped by to watch the show of French brand Courrèges on Tuesday evening.
His idea stemmed from frustration. Not one of the lucky few invited to Jonathan Anderson's first Dior Homme show in June, Lyas decided to organize his own broadcast in his local bar.
"I really wanted to see this show, but not alone," he said.
In the end, 350 people came to comment on the first creations of the Northern Irish designer.
Buoyed by the success, Lyas developed his idea to be ready for this season.
No Front Row
His events are largely funded through partnerships with major brands, including MAC Cosmetics, and he enlisted the services of influential Paris fashion PR agency Lucien Pages.
His live fashion "watch parties" have also taken place during London Fashion Week, and there were two in Milan.
La Caserne in Paris can accommodate up to 1,200 people and was full to capacity on Wednesday, with hundreds queuing outside when Anderson unveiled his first Dior womenswear collection.
"There are often events for football fans, but never anything for fashion lovers," Agathe, a 26-year-old content creator, told AFP.
There's no invitation card nor front row: everyone is treated equally, first-come, first-served. The only requirement — wearing red lipstick, the influencer's trademark.
"I think it's great," said Mateus Rodrigues, a 27-year-old Brazilian journalist.
Compared to traditional runway shows, "there's a better atmosphere," added drag queen Keiona. "It's much younger and fresher."
A Huge Opportunity
As a true showman, organizer Lyas announced several games offering prizes to participants in the run-up to the Courrèges show.
A guy called Aldo won the top one — tickets for the actual Courrèges show — and had to hop onto a motorcycle taxi to reach it on time.
Lou-Agathe, an 18-year-old artist who usually follows all the shows on social media, won a jacket after performing a dance to Gloria Gaynor's disco standard "I Will Survive."
"I'm completely stunned. It's amazing!" she said. "It's a huge opportunity for us who don't have the chance to attend these shows," added the Yves Saint Laurent fan.
Like almost all the Paris shows, the Courrèges one ran fashionably late.
Some attendees settled onto couches next to Lyas to scrutinize the collection, while others sat on the floor or remained standing. Some looks got more enthusiastic praise than others, but overall the collection impressed.
At the end, all were invited to vote on the show with a QR code on the giant screen. Courrèges got an average of 3.8 out of five, better than the Saint Laurent show the previous night, which garnered 3.2.
Paris Fashion Week ends October 7.
By Marine DO-VALE / AFP
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