High fashion has, not infrequently, infiltrated internet culture, though the forays are almost always unflattering. Avant-garde (read: ridiculous) looks become social media jokes, controversial runway moments fuel Tweets and think pieces, tripping models earn their place in mean-spirited YouTube montages for eternity.
But as the internet becomes more and more ubiquitous, it's certainly begun to inform the modes of "higher culture" it so often pokes fun at. At Viktor & Rolf's Spring 2019 Couture presentation in Paris, for example, it wasn't the clothes that became memes. Rather, the memes became clothes, which, in a meta twist, have led to the memes-turned-couture turning right back into memes.
Gorgeous gowns, complete with exaggerated silhouettes, dramatic details, and voluminous, brightly-colored tulle, also boasted phrases you're more likely to see on a cheeky Instagram page or as a viral Tweet, than on the catwalk: "Sorry I'm Late I Didn't Want To Come," "Trust Me I Am A Liar," and "I'm Not Shy I Just Don't Like You." Though the design house is no stranger to a sort of tongue-in-cheek humor, this collection made a literal statement in language we would instantly recognize. (Is it just me, or are these sayings also reminiscent of those irreverent bunny stickers we would stock up on from Hot Topic and post all over our binders? Certified memes in a pre-social media world.)
Click through for a look at the collection - and let the Instagram memes commence.
[Photo via @trippinonthreads_]
.jpg "How Comms Guru & Founder Of The PR Net Lisa Smith Put Her Stylish Stamp On The Industry")
.jpg "Who Are The Assoulines? Meet The Chic First Family Of Luxury Publishing")
.jpg "Who Is Nats Getty? The Oil Heir & Trans Activist Is Living Life Loud & Proud")
.jpg "Worldly Socialite Haya Maraka's Elegant Etiquette Tips For The Modern Lady")
.jpg "Haute Hostess Christine Chiu's Guide To Throwing The Most Fabulous Fête")
.jpg "The Chicest Celebrity Looks From Paris Fashion Week 2022")
