PARIS – As premium partner of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, luxury conglomerate LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton was omnipresent at the opening ceremony, but the globally televised event provided equal exposure to independent French fashion brands operating on shoestring budgets.
Daphné Bürki, the styling and costumes director of the opening ceremony, is close to the new generation of Paris-based designers, having walked the runway for the likes of Victor Weinsanto and Jeanne Friot. The TV presenter was also a juror on the first three seasons of “Drag Race France.”
As part of the core team of creatives working with Thomas Jolly, artistic director of the opening ceremony, she made sure small brands, many promoting a gender-fluid aesthetic, were showcased at key moments of the ceremony watched by an estimated 1.5 billion people worldwide.
Victor Weinsanto, one of the 15 emerging designers selected, said he couldn’t believe his luck.
“I was thrilled and surprised at the same time. It’s a fantastic opportunity for us young designers. It’s a huge platform, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said the designer, who created a look for Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour last year.
He was keenly aware that LVMH spent a reported 150 million euros on sponsoring the event.
“We’re grateful to Daphné, to the Paris 2024 Olympic Committee and also to the LVMH group, because they were happy for us to be included, which is really super nice of them,” he added.
Aerial dancers perform in outfits designed by Charles de Vilmorin during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
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Charles de Vilmorin dressed more than 150 participants for a tableau titled “Liberté,” which portrayed a throuple wearing his colorful designs in a tribute to François Truffaut’s classic French New Wave film…