Kidill AW24
Walking around the grounds of the Louvre is always a surreal experience for me. It is where the ghosts of royalty past live and the remnants of the splendor they left behind is extraordinary. My head was far away in Fantasyland when I remembered that I was there to see a show. Kidill AW24 is starting in a few minutes and I best get Google mapping.
I took a couple of escalators down to the carousel level. Wasn't really sure where I was going but I saw what I sensed was a "fashion person" and just followed her. A slight, 20 something-year-old girl with straight hair, center parted of course. Cargo plants that slightly flooded the floor and a nylon black jacket. She was also hauling an oversized tote bag, the rumored return of the large bag seems to be true. Like following the white rabbit down the rabbit hole, suddenly the fashion crowd emerged. Brightly dressed attendees taking pictures at the apex of the underside of the Louvre pyramid and many aptly accessorized street wear enthusiasts all gathered in front of the show entrance.
I made my way through the various micro interviews happening throughout the venue, amongst influencers and those who are fittingly dressed for the attention of the paparazzi. I settled into my seat and was happy that I could probably get some pretty decent images. The music started to pound and immediately it shifted the mood from an excited frenzy into a focused presentation.
Models one after another stomped down the runway with the purpose and aggression of the '80s punk vibe. And I cannot stress this enough, the music truly made the show. The energy was electric and forceful. The looks were nostalgic in a reinvented way. For example, the tartans and kilts were paired with whimsical prints and cutaway utility jackets that are very much of today. The days of the torn sweater and safety pins are still ahead of us as it seems.
Hiroaki Sueyasu, the artistic director of the brand paid homage to the late Jamie Reid of the Sex Pistols who passed in August of 2023. Paying homage to Reid is paying homage to punk. The message of this season is that punk has long since departed from the music but has carried on the spirit of protest and rebellion on its own. It has evolved into a modern independent culture and is the foundation of a value system that respects individuality through freedom and expression. In this 360° return to the roots of punk's origins, Kidill's AW24 collection proclaims the rebirth and renewal of punk.