I've been wanting to do a post about this topic for a couple of years and just never got around to it.  
The topic Fashion.   Specifically Haut Couture.     
Haut Couture basically means "hand sewn" and is typically synonymous for "one-of-a-kind", "one offs" with little or no practical use other than the theatrical setting of the runway show.   It's all about design, feel, mood, texture and concept.  What most people think of when they think of "high fashion" is usually  called Pret a Porter (ready to wear) stuff you can buy in high end stores that eventually get's knocked off for the masses.    But that's a whole different world.   

In the internet age Haut Couture has exploded.    Designers preview their collections typically twice a year.   Spring/Summer collections are previewed in the Fall and Fall/Winter collections are shown late Winter or early Spring.    So coming out right now are shows for designers Fall/Winter '24/'25 collections.    
Most runway shows are rather predictable but once in a while a designer has a full blown visual concept for their work that it becomes a theatrical/cinematic experience.  

The video, featuring designs by Maison Margiela, I'm posting here is one such marvelous example.   Titled Maison Margiela Arisanal Collection 2024 - from the opening musical theme to the closing credits it is a complete concept.   The setting is a Noir/Mystery landscape of the Paris underbelly with shady characters that are almost cartoonish but at the same time seem more realistic than many models in a typical runway show.   Only 30 minutes long.   This short film will leave you amazed, baffled and maybe a little horrified.   At the end you may say, "What the hell did I just watch" but one thing is certain...  it will stay with you.   You will not easily forget what you have seen.  

Maison Margiela is the name of the fashion house started in 1988 by Martin Margiela and Jenny Mairens and is headquartered in Paris. 

The opening description of the video by Maison Margiela states, "The ritual of dressing is a composition of the self. With the body as our canvas, we build an exterior expressive of the interior: a form of emotion."  A perfect expression of what you will see.   Oh and corsets for everybody (you'll see what I mean LOL)

The models are more than the expressionless figures one typically sees in a runway show.   They are performers.   The video opens with an interesting live musical number then switches to a cinematic Noir that morphs into the live experience.    Enjoy the video.   Leave your comments below.