Marie Benoliel: Friend or Foe?
By: Izzy Hermelin
“Strut like you mean it” was the slogan of this year’s Paris Fashion Week. From Balenciaga's beautiful floor to ceiling blue velvet room, Alexander McQueen’s spiked dresses that looked like walking pieces of art, and Issey Miyake’s dresses that magically floated down onto their models, there was not a show to miss. Although each of these shows displayed amazing works, if you type in to google Paris Fashion Week, there is only show that pops-up: The 2020 Chanel Show.
Yes, the Chanel show was a spectacular display of fashion, how could it not be? With the light spring setting in the Grand Palais, top runway models, and fashion’s finest clothes there is little room for error. However, Chanel’s spectacular Spring 2020 Ready-To-Wear Collection is not why everyone is talking about it. As the models prepared to walk down the runway for the grand finale, a dark haired woman in a checkered tweed skirt and blazer appeared from the crowds and stepped on to the lit stage. This woman was Marie Benoliel, a YouTube comedian known for her boundary-pushing stunts. Due to her outfit’s resemblance to many Chanel pieces, Benoliel was able to camouflage herself until she stepped on to the catwalk. Benoliel’s catwalk moment was stopped short when supermodel Gigi Hadid swiftly escorted her from the stage. This publicity stunt flooded every media and news outlet instantly.
This comedic stunt is inherently controversial in the realm of couture fashion. On one hand, this stunt challenges the unfair beauty standards perpetuated by runway fashion and on the other, the extreme method Benoliel used disrespected the creative vision of the designer. In an interview with the New York Times, Benoliel says “It goes too far to take seriously something that is not serious.” While Benoliel’s intentions may be good on the surface, she simultaneously dismantles the essence of fashion and turns it into a frivolous joke. We must establish a balance between recognizing the unchecked power of the industry, while also challenging the ideals and values that each model and piece of clothing is selling. The comedian’s pure intentions are spoiled by her inappropriate execution, along with her naive claim that fashion is not serious. If fashion wasn’t a powerful entity, then why did Benoliel feel the need to intervene in the first place? To this end, the comedian undermines her own claim- she becomes the joke, not the industry. Fashion is serious, and that’s why these incidents create global discourse.