The 20th annual Sidaction benefit dinner in Paris had a dress code of “glittering night birds,” which may have been too much of a request for some members of the bedraggled fashion flock. The annual fundraiser, which took place at the end of multiple fashion weeks and had a disco theme to celebrate the glory days of the iconic Paris nightclub Le Palace, was attended by a large number of people who donned the color black. The guests, who included Whitney Peak, Margaret Qualley, Adut Akech, Clémence Poésy, and Iman Perez, as well as designers such as Julie de Libran, Coperni’s Arnaud Vaillant and Sébastien Meyer, Simon Porte Jacquemus, Sara Chrabi, Charles de Vilmorin, and Elie Top, divided themselves into two groups: those who adhered strictly to the dress code, and those who did their own thing.
Mugler’s creative director Casey Cadwallader admitted, “I just show up the way I’m going to show up,” despite the fact that his “normal me, wearing black and white” wardrobe contained a vintage Mugler jacket that he’d been fortunate to score for a song on Vinted. “I just show up the way I’m going to show up,” he said. “I enjoy it when you stay true to your character.” Bilal Hassani, a singer and songwriter, has stated that he was not one to respect an outfit request, saying, “I always do me.” That is an absolutely stunning black Alexander McQueen garment; one can only daydream about the glitter.
As the face of Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle fragrance, Peak, who attended the event wearing a costume designed by the French luxury label, rose to the occasion by wearing a silver-threaded lace piece. On the other hand, she admitted that she was once perplexed when a friend requested her to dress up as a “alien cowboy” for the birthday of another buddy. Amanda Lear, a singer, arrived at the lower floor of the Pavillon Cambon, which was being transformed into a lounge-club for the evening, showing off her Roger Vivier shoes and bag. Lear described her style as “glittering from A to Z,” and she showed off her Roger Vivier accessories. “That information was printed on the invitation,” the speaker said.
She recalled that she had been invited to a party at which all of the guests were required to dress up as a vegetable. “People dressed as broccoli, salads,” she reported to me. It turns out that dress regulations as unusual as these are much more prevalent than one might initially expect. Alexandre Mattiussi, a designer for Ami Paris, recalls a birthday celebration he went to a few years ago where the host demanded guests dress in circus garb. “I tried to make myself into a clown, so I wore a red jacket, green shirt, yellow trousers, and blue shoes,” he related. “I also tried to make my shoes look like clown shoes.” “I did the very best that I could.”
Ludovic de Saint Sernin, a designer, stated that the greatest fun he’d ever had was when the event’s theme was “not yourself tonight.” He was wearing a naked mesh top that was glistening with Swarovski crystals. “So for that one night, I dressed up as Rick Owens, and I sported one of his signature looks. My partner, who was Rick Owens’ muse and model, went by the name of Tyrone, and he looked just amazing. It was the happiest night of my life.”
