Kanye West and Bianca Censori bring a wind of madness to the Prototypes fashion show

The Prototypes show, held at the Consulat as part of Paris Fashion Week Men’s, will likely remain the most spectacular event of this season: underground, avant-garde and fast-paced. Yet, the attraction that everyone will be talking about is undoubtedly the apparent surprise arrival of Kanye West and his wife, Bianca Censori.

Such an event may not have been so if it wasn’t for the incessant celebrity bidding war initiated by brands each season trying to beef up their front rows in order to optimise their brand image. Where Prototypes transgresses is that, as far as fashion journalists can remember, we have never seen so many smartphones or professional cameras pointed at a man whose face is entirely covered by a white mask. Conversely, the interest aroused by Bianca Censori, her hair dyed pink and molded into a barely-there bodysuit, was predictable.

The front row presented an avant-garde and arty scene, a feat every professional strives for each season, and a one that Autrement’s PR has the gift of bringing together. All the guests were dressed up in the cutting edge of trends, including one initiated by Demna Gvasalia (artistic director of Balenciaga, ex-Vêtements), who was present at the show. This is not surprising since the founders of Prototypes are also former members of Vêtements.

Prototypes or the prototyping of what SS25 fashion could be

The star-studded front row built on the image of a collection that was, by principle, “unfinished” – otherwise the brand may not be called Prototypes. To the sound of industrial and experimental music, the models paraded at full speed, giving the impression that they had just taken off their clothes (or put them on).

The airline Emirates was appeared in upcycled logos. This was akin to representation of the sports world, from which Prototypes is largely inspired, sometimes to simply mock it, yet often finding the right balance between ‘show’ and ‘wearable’ design. Many masked faces, many transparencies (ripped tights or otherwise a muslin veil) and a tight color palette of black, red, white and denim were defining factors.

To the reimagined tune of “Life is Life” by the Slovenian neo-classical group Laibach, the models accelerated the pace for the finale. And it was just after that the crowd, unleashed, rushed towards West and Censori, as they made their way to the exit.