By schiaparelli / Instagram
Paris Haute Couture week opened Monday, January 23 with the traditional Schiaparelli fashion show, a presentation inspired by "Dante's Inferno" that left no one indifferent. The dress, makeup and hair of the American rapper Doja Cat, seated on the front row, caused a similar stir, and appears even to have triggered an anxiety disorder called trypophobia in some internet users.
Paris Haute Couture week opened Monday, January 23 with the traditional Schiaparelli fashion show, a presentation inspired by "Dante's Inferno" that left no one indifferent. The dress, makeup and hair of the American rapper Doja Cat, seated on the front row, caused a similar stir, and appears even to have triggered an anxiety disorder called trypophobia in some internet users.
Four hours and fifty-eight minutes. That's how long Doja Cat's look for Schiaparelli's spring-summer 2023 haute couture show took to create, according to famous makeup artist, Pat McGrath. Meanwhile, it took just a few seconds for the said outfit to work its way around the internet, sparking the surprise -- and sometimes the indignation -- of social network users. The reason for this is especially unexpected, since it relates directly to an anxiety disorder triggered by the rapper's dress and makeover. It goes by the name of trypophobia, the fear of small holes.
Anxiety and tachycardia
Identified in 2005, trypophobia reportedly gives rise to feelings of excessive distress, panic or fear triggered by repetitive patterns or clusters of small holes or bumps, as you might find on a lotus seed pod, or honeycomb, foam bubbles and sponges, or indeed, the outfit worn by Doja Cat at the start of Haute Couture Week. The French telemedicine service Qare reports that around 15% of the population could be affected by this disorder, including 20% of women, and that it could result in anxiety, nausea, headaches, chills or tachycardia.
As a result, as soon as they were posted on social media, pictures of the American rapper drew strong reactions from people all over the world. "Developing debilitating trypophobia as we speak," "praying for people with trypophobia," "this is so hard to watch for us who suffer of trypophobia," "how the people around her didn't throw up...my trypophobia is triggered," read some of the user comments on Twitter regarding the star's look. Comments that, while praising the remarkable work undertaken to achieve this look, sorely regret the effects induced by such an outfit.
A veritable work of art
As we've seen, Doja Cat's makeover is the result of meticulous work, giving rise to an exceptional creation that is more like a work of art than a simple fashion look. "Such a pleasure working with the gorgeous Doja Cat and the amazing Daniel Roseberry on the ‘Doja’s Inferno’ look for Schiaparelli’s FW23 Haute Couture collection. Doja’s sublime patience during the 4 hours and 58 minutes it took to create the look with #TeamPatMcGrath, which was covered in over 30,000 hand-applied Swarovski Crystals, was inspiring. The final product was a magical, mesmerizing masterpiece of sparkling brilliance," said Pat McGrath on her Instagram page.
If one thing is sure, it's that the rapper did not go unnoticed at this fashion show, which nevertheless sparked its own share of discussion. Not because of trypophobia this time, but because of the life-sized animal heads worn by some of the show's models -- and guests, including Kylie Jenner. A choice that the president of the PETA animal rights association, Ingrid Newkirk, appears to support, telling TMZ that "Kylie's look celebrates lions' beauty and may be a statement against trophy hunting, in which lion families are torn apart to satisfy human egotism." The PETA president continues: "These fabulously innovative three-dimensional animal heads show that where there’s a will, there's a way." PETA France, meanwhile, took a slightly different stance, sharing a statement stating that: "Anyone who fears that these dresses glorify trophy hunting -- a perverse practice of a minority group not heavily involved in the world of haute couture -- should spare a thought for the animals who actually suffered for this look and for the countless sentient beings who are confined, mutilated, abused and killed for fashion."
Inspired by "Dante's Inferno," this spring-summer 2023 haute couture collection made particular reference, through these leopard, wolf and lion heads, to the animals of "The Divine Comedy." For its part, the Schiaparelli fashion house simply said on its Instagram account that "no animals were harmed in making this look." The fact remains that the show, the first of this latest week of haute couture, has already grabbed headlines worldwide, and roused many and varied emotions that have certainly not left anyone indifferent.
