The Vestoj Salon On Fashion and Shame was an intervention where performers interacted with guests by acting out some of the most archetypal scenarios associated with fashion and social embarrassment.
On the surface, appearing like any other fashionable magazine launch, upon closer inspection this evening was anything but. Hostesses greeted guests with lipstick stains on their teeth, a guest had her skirt tucked in her underwear and another had the price tag on her trousers still attached. An immaculately turned out man reeked of sweat and a woman was constantly tripping in her too high heels. Making our guests question the event itself and pushing them to deal with this type of social discomfort, this evening was an exercise in mixing the high with the low, good taste with bad, and in the process questioning the validity of the values themselves.
Produced by Vestoj and Palais de Tokyo in Paris, June 2012.
In collaboration with Clémence Poésy and Ava Hervier
With Antoine Bibiloni, Pierre Antoine Chevalier, Caroline Arrouas, Sophie Mourousi, Jacinthe Cappello, Ophelie Legris, Raouf Rais, Lucas Bonnifait, Pierre Deniel, Sarah Stern, Morgane Poucet, Christine Armanger, Alexis Gilot, Elisa Benslimane, Celia Kirche and Floriane Pautasso
Installation by Nini Gollong
Scent by Sissel Tolaas
Music by Pit Spector
All photographs by Linus Ricard