Whether or not you think fashion shows or Fashion Weeks are still relevant, there’s little denying that September’s runway sprint has been nothing short of thrilling.
Between inflatable balloon designs, twin models dominating the long walk to fashion and models stumbling on purpose, ‘The Shows” had executed their plan to turn heads beautifully.
Celebrity appearances — for the most part —were for once not the main source of excitement. Well, except for one, and no it wasn’t Kim Kardashian.
Kim’s Dolce & Gabbana collection may have received a lot of attention (some controversial) but it wasn’t exactly a surprise given that the Kardashians have been promoting D&G looks throughout 2022.
Then Y2K icon Paris Hilton walked the runway in a hot pink veil for Versace. Fun and on brand, but not entirely surprising either.
Who actually stole the show?
Of all the famous faces, there was one celeb appearance that was nothing short of remarkable and surprising. Who could it be? None other than Cher — the godmother of fashion iconography.
Closing the Balmain show for Olivier Rousteing at Paris Fashion Week, the 76-year-old queen dominated the catwalk in a metallic spandex suit that oozed feminine strength, complemented by platform boots to boast, and of course her magnetic stage presence.
With her 1999 hit ‘Strong Enough’ blazing over speakers, Cher and Rousteing strutted together with all eyes on the duo as cellphone cameras lit up the audience.
Cher and Olivier Rousteing closing the @Balmain SS23 show. A perfect ending for such a magnificent show pic.twitter.com/NXmZf8eYLr
— sofia (@SOFIssticated) September 28, 2022
In a tweet, Cher gushed about her appearance, sharing that the show was “probably [the] best fashion show” before adding that the models were “beauty from another universe.”
For Cher, her cameo also pleased her urge to come home — said home being the stage, naturally.
JUST HAD BEST TIME,
ON STAGE…FELT GREAT‼️
SHOW WAS PROBABLY
BEST FASHION SHOW
“EVER”‼️MODELS WERE BEAUTY FROM ANOTHER UNIVERSE🪐.CLOTHES 2 DIE 4..OLIVIER 2 DIE 4‼️
STAGE WAS CALLING ME
cher…..oh cher….come
Home….I HEAR YOU pic.twitter.com/roBUCRqSYk— Cher (@cher) September 28, 2022
If Cher’s catwalk moment said anything, it’s that the pop culture spotlight still belongs to her, no matter which era of life she may be in.
The original fashion icon
If you’ve followed the timeless muses’ fashion journey, you’ll know that it was never about who Cher was wearing, but rather who got to be worn by Cher.
As Vogue’s Janelle Okwodu once wrote, “Cher’s ability to command attention in any format is what makes her great,” a sentiment that still holds true today.
The queen of frills, flares, colour, sequins and textures; much of modern fashion wouldn’t exist without Cher’s influence… one that has spanned over six decades.
Cher largely cultivated the original “make them do a double take” and “bizarre made beautiful” fashion concepts, especially when it came to red carpet moments. Beyond this, what Cher inspired was confidence with conviction — something that shifted women’s fashion in the 20th century from dressing for society to dressing for no one but the self.
Perhaps her most influential look, the Bob Mackie naked dress adorned for the 1974 Met Gala influenced the ‘barely there’ look that’s been replicated time and time again. She gave prose to the feminine form and power to a woman in bold garments.
Ron Galella/WireImage
The most fascinating part about anything that Cher wears, or any space she lights up, is that the garment or the moment automatically belongs to her — and Balmain couldn’t have picked anyone better to remind the world who the original influencer is.
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Feature Image: Getty Images
