New York-based Patric DiCaprio and Bryn Taubensee brought their Vaquera brand to the Paris runway for the first time.
Their angry-looking models stomped down the runway to a hardcore techno soundtrack, creating tension to set off a tongue-in-cheek collection that combined fetish-wear with nostalgic touches nodding to childhood. It was almost as if the buzzy design duo were rewriting “Little Red Riding Hood” — with its dark subtext — for the streets of a sinister urban metropolis, and having a lot of fun in the process.
They used black patent latex to create catsuits inspired by the 1996 vampire movie “Irma Vep,” and cleverly usurped lingerie references, overlaying satin slipdresses with transparent plastic in what they termed “preserved” designs.
Above the elbow padded mittens, leg warmers and balaclavas accessorized many looks — reinterpreting familiar childhood staples — in red satin, for example, to match a cropped bomber and a rosette-adorned thong, or elsewhere in frizzy Lurex or tartan.
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Outsized silhouettes channeled that same sense of naivety with a twist, as on a studded denim pinafore or a dropped-waist dress with a pleated skirt that nodded to school uniforms, and with fluffy knit pieces. Their skill with juxtaposition made for a lineup that skillfully walked a fine line between edgy and charming.
Right out of the gate, there was a digital component to the PFW runway, too. Bubblehouse, billed as a social, accessible eco-friendly NFT marketplace for crypto beginners, created three NFTs that are graphics of pieces in the collection. They were available via QR codes in the show notes and on the seats, with each guest receiving one randomly based on their seat. Think of it as non-fungible swag.
“NFTs are important to Vaquera because they connect the digital with the physical. This feels like a new chapter for us — the show in Paris, a new more commercial vision for our brand, the fantasy has become a reality,” Vaquera said in a statement to WWD. “And we’re so excited to partner with Bubblehouse in this moment because our fans exist everywhere and now there is a new way for them to connect to one another and to us.
“NFTs also feel very current and we are interested in reflecting the now in our world. An NFT is a time capsule, what will a Vaquera NFT look like in 20 years?”