Who Jumped on the Catwalk During a Chanel Fashion Show?
Meet the Chanel Crasher
A tweed-clad woman clambered onto the track, security guards scrambled and Gigi Hadid took action. Tag yourself !
For the fashion commentariat, the front end row used to be everything. But these days, if you have something to say, yous're better off infiltrating the rails itself.
That was the thought of Marie Benoliel, a 28-yr-old professional person gate-crasher who clambered onto the catwalk at the Chanel testify in Paris on Monday just to find herself in a confrontation with the model Gigi Hadid. In an interview, Ms. Benoliel, who prefers to go past her stage name Marie S'Infiltre, explained her intention: to have fun.
"It goes too far to take seriously something that is non serious," she said of the fashion earth. "We're talking most clothing. It has to be joyful, it has to be funny, it has to brand people happy. And I think nowadays fashion doesn't make people happy. It makes people ridiculous and pretentious."
(Chanel was the 2d show she crashed over the course of this fashion week. Etam, a French lingerie brand, was starting time.)
For the stunt, Ms. Benoliel borrowed a Chanel suit that her mother had purchased in 1986 "with her first bacon, because she's a fashion addict," she said.
Lacking an invitation, which unknown guests are typically compelled to produce at the entrance, she waited until information technology was as busy equally possible. 3 times, she was turned away. She almost gave up, but decided to endeavor one more gatekeeper, and acted every bit stressed out equally she perchance could. She was let in, along with a friend, Elena, who just wanted to watch the show.
"I'm really used to lying," Ms. Benoliel said. "It's part of my piece of work."
Once close to the catwalk, surrounded past mode editors and a smattering of famous people including Cardi B, Sting and Anna Wintour, she hesitated. And so, as the cease of the show appeared imminent, she thought "why not." Ms. Benoliel walked as slowly as possible to the front end, then made a nuance and climbed up to the catwalk. There was a momentary disruption but she soon fell in line. Her houndstooth conform fit seamlessly enough into the show's aesthetic that manifestly even security guards had trouble identifying her as an impostor. (Tweed suits have long been a Chanel rails staple.)
Her intention was to accept out a cigarette and smoke it, until Ms. Hadid stepped in and pulled her aside, leading her offstage. (A publicist and agent for Ms. Hadid did not immediately respond for comment.)
"She was rude," the prankster said. "Then, after, there were iii models that wanted to fight. I didn't understand why she was similar this, so ambitious. Of course she doesn't know me. I can understand that she wanted to protect her friends."
She added: "I think it'southward really funny and I love Gigi and I think at present we tin can be close friends. She thought I was a crazy girl. But she's correct. She's right really."
Chanel offered a argument: "This person is a comedian known for this blazon of prank. She had crashed another runway recently. Her presence on the catwalk was not planned."
Ms. Benoliel was not the starting time person this mode flavor to utilize the rails as a metaphorical platform. During Milan Fashion Week, the model Ayesha Tan Jones, who identifies as nonbinary, staged a silent protest while walking for Gucci, holding their palms up with the phrase "mental health is not manner" scrawled in mark. (The bear witness featured several models wearing straitjackets.)
Information technology is non easy to sneak into a way prove, said Dan Mathews, the senior vice president of PETA.
"We've crashed dozens of shows, in that location'southward a whole routine," he said. "We decide in advance, similar 'Are nosotros going to hit the runway afterwards the 7th model?' Information technology's very planned out."
Mr. Mathews, who once dressed as a priest to get into a fashion bear witness, said sneaking in ordinarily involves planning a week in advance and compared it to " a 007 functioning."
He noted that PETA'southward motivation in crashing the runway is to publicize brute rights, while runway crashers today seemed more intent on drawing attention to themselves.
Ms. Benoliel, who studied at the The Paris Constitute of Political Studies and who in 2017 infiltrated a rally for the far-right leader Marine Le Pen, said she is not a moralist.
"I detest people who say 'you're good, you're bad,'" she said. "I don't intendance about this."
Alissa Khan-Whelan, part of the team behind the epitome of the egg that in January bankrupt the tape for nigh liked Instagram postal service, said that it was constructive that the Chanel burglar avoided stating a message outright.
"Instead of going out there with a big sign and saying, 'This is what I think and this is what y'all should remember,' she's just causing anarchy and people are questioning it themselves," said Ms. Khan-Whelan, who on Midweek was engaged in a stunt involving an ice sculpture of the climate activist Greta Thunberg melting in London's Trafalgar Square.
With a post-obit of 231,000 subscribers on YouTube and 219,000 followers on Instagram, Marie Southward'Infiltre is moderately well-known. She gained a surge of attention after the stunt but seemed most excited well-nigh the human action itself.
"I'g not going to tell you it'south something that makes me more powerful," she said. "Chanel is of course the most prestigious brand. I wanted to get inside the bear witness to put my little touch to say 'yeah this is important, this is fine art, but we can be joyful.'"
She added, "I look like a grandma with the adjust but I don't care, it'south Chanel," addressing her outfit. "Bye good day, Lily Rose. Farewell bye, Cara Delevingne. I'thou here."
Daphné Anglès and Elizabeth Paton contributed reporting.
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