A Tale of Three Debuts
The Spotlight and The Sherwani
PARIS — There is a moment when a model reaches the end of the runway, a fleeting second for a pose that can define a career, stop a heart, or break the internet. On Sunday, that moment belonged to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.
The Indian actress and former Miss World opened the L’Oréal Paris show not in a gown or a mini-dress, but in a powerful, androgynous reinterpretation of a sherwani, a traditional Indian garment. Designed by Manish Malhotra, the indigo outfit was a masterpiece of modern craftsmanship, featuring a raised bandhgala collar, a body-hugging silhouette, and 10-inch diamond-embroidered cuffs. Layered diamond scallops cascaded down the back like an extravagant necklace, recalling the opulence of a “nau lakha haar”.
With her hair in soft, blow-out waves and her lips painted a signature bold red, Rai’s walk was a masterclass in presence. She concluded with a graceful “Namaste,” a move that one popular fashion Instagram account, Diet Sabya, declared was pure “muscle memory.” The account raved, “This isn’t a selfie star this is a global phenomenon, babes… Sorry to your fave…they don’t have this in their DNA”. In a single walk, Rai demonstrated how global fashion increasingly embraces and redefines cultural heritage, making it feel regal and radically contemporary.
The Duchess’s Return
If one debut celebrated cultural fusion, another, happening across the city, signaled a carefully calculated return. For years, Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has been a subject of fashion fascination, but her attendance at the Balenciaga show on Saturday marked her first-ever appearance at Paris Fashion Week.
Her choice of venue was no accident. She was there to support Pierpaolo Piccioli, the new creative director of Balenciaga, with whom she has collaborated for years on key sartorial moments, including the white Valentino suit she wore to open the 2022 Invictus Games. A spokesperson for the Duchess told People, “This evening reflects the culmination of many years of artistry and friendship, reflected in her support for his new creative chapter at Balenciaga”.
Her outfit, a dramatic white cape draped over a silky shirt and flowing, floor-skimming trousers, was both elegant and statement-making. It was a look that understood its assignment: to show support for a friend, to command attention without saying a word, and to mark her re-entry into the high-stakes world of fashion week after more than a decade away. Notably, the trip was solo, with a source noting that she and Prince Harry make sure “either mum or dad is at home to put the kids to bed”.
The Provocateur’s Opening Act
While Rai celebrated tradition and Markle navigated diplomacy, a third debut was busy tearing up the rulebook entirely. In the basement of the Musée du Quai Branly, Dutch designer Duran Lantink presented his first collection as the official creative director for Jean Paul Gaultier.
The collection, titled “Junior,” was a rave-inspired frenzy that aimed to resurrect the raw, club-soaked energy of a cult Gaultier line from the late 80s. The clothes were less about wearable art and more about chaotic energy. The show included a bodysuit with a printed, anatomically correct and very hairy male body, leotards cut like ’80s Jazzercise wear, and scuba suits sliced into near-invisibility.
Lantink said he wanted to be “playful,” embracing Gaultier’s legacy of “nudity and sexuality and provocation”. But the question lingered: in an era where little seems shocking anymore, does provocation for its own sake still have power? The New York Times‘s fashion critic Vanessa Friedman questioned the impact, suggesting that at a time when “norms have been trampled,” such blatant tactics can come off as “puerile” and a “halfhearted ploy for attention”.
A Global Stage for Different Dreams
In the end, Paris Fashion Week is not one story, but thousands. Yet, these three debuts on the same weekend painted a compelling portrait of an industry at a crossroads.
- Aishwarya Rai demonstrated the power of embracing one’s heritage on a global stage, turning a traditional garment into the week’s most talked-about look.
- Meghan Markle’s appearance highlighted the quiet power of strategic alliances and the narrative of a friend supporting a friend on a new creative path.
- Duran Lantink’s chaotic showcase wrestled with fashion’s oldest dilemma: how to be truly new, and whether shock alone can still get you there.
They asked different questions about identity, power, and the purpose of fashion itself. In a world that often demands a single narrative, Paris offered three, proving that there is more than one way to make a moment.
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