“The One Percent”

Matières Fécales made its debut at Paris Fashion Week last week. Behind this unforgettable name (English translation: Fecal Matter) lies a visionary duo unafraid to redefine beauty and grotesque aesthetics, imposing their avant-garde vision on the most prestigious runways. Hannah Rose Dalton and Steven Raj Bhaskaran met at LaSalle College in Montreal in 2016 while both studying fashion. At first glance, they seemed completely different. Hannah, born in New Zealand, came from an affluent background and attended a private school, which starkly contrasted with Steven, a queer and non-binary individual who grew up in Guyana and later Canada under precarious circumstances, facing multiple layers of discrimination.

The show titled “The One Percent” opened inside the Palais Brongniart, Napoleon’s former Paris stock exchange, a venue that spoke volumes before a single garment appeared on the runway. 

Dalton and Bhaskaran have never been subtle about their targets, but this season, they came closer than ever to naming names. The collection studies luxury as both aspiration and exclusion. Access to wealth can empower individuals while also creating distance from those outside that circle. Fecal cash accessorizes and is knitted together expressing the epitome of extravagance. White lamb leather couture opera gloves titled “Guilt Gloves” feature red palms and accompany organic claw heels created with Christian Louboutin.

Artist Michèle Lamy appeared in a shaggy-sleeved knit dress. Millionaire heiress Daphne Guinness wore a narrow, metallic gown so long and unwieldy that audience members helped her navigate the runway. Bryan Johnson, the American tech entrepreneur who has spent millions pursuing radical life extension, appeared in a fitted rib knit and slacks. Oversized bow ball gowns worn by women recovering from cosmetic procedures addressed the physical aftermath of surgery pursued in the search for idealized beauty. Celebrity shape shifter Alexis Stone then appeared bringing realism connected to her own engagement with transformation.

Posted by: admin on March 16, 2026