Actress Demi Moore fulfils ‘teenage dream’ on the Paris catwalk

If there was ever a case study in bringing out the big guns, surely designer Kim Jones’ debut for Fendi, which took place overnight in Paris, was it.

Actress Demi Moore and supermodel Kate Moss and her daughter, Lila Grace, led the cavalry of stars that also included Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington and Bella Hadid in the closed-door presentation (thanks again, COVID-19).

In echoes of J.Lo’s stunning turn for Versace at Milan Fashion Week 18 months ago, Moore opened the presentation in a pant suit comprising an off-shoulder peplum top with oversized sleeves and sleek, black trousers, her look capped off with bosom-grazing earrings, which could be an early trend for Zoom dressing in 2021.

Family matter ... Kate Moss (left) and daughter Lila Grace Moss.Credit: AP

On her Instagram account, Moore wrote the gig was the fulfilment of a “teenage dream”.

She was followed by Hadid, in a beaded organza gown that was more Game of Thrones than Bridgerton, although romance was still a strong theme throughout the show, as it has been all Paris Couture Week courtesy of Dior and Chanel.

Bella Hadid walks in the Fendi presentation.Credit: AP

As if securing Demi Moore, who has modelled for Jones in his parallel role at Dior menswear, wasn’t a big enough coup, the designer also featured Moss and Lila, 18, in their mother-daughter catwalk debut.

Influenced by the 1928 gender-blurring Virginia Woolf novel Orlando, Jones also included several male models in the show of just 19 looks (a COVID coincidence?) as he stepped into the role that was vacated in early 2019 following the death of Karl Lagerfeld.

Asked about any similarities between the two designers, whose birthdays coincidentally fell one day apart, Jones told The New York Times: “I’ll read about [Lagerfeld] and think: ‘I did that, I do that.’ Except I arrive at 9[AM] and leave at 7[PM], and he would come very late and keep everyone waiting all night.”

In casting so many ’90s-era supermodels in his show, Jones also made a powerful statement about age diversity, something the industry, with some exceptions including Versace, has battled for decades.

Christy Turlington (left) and Naomi Campbell outside the Fendi show venue.Credit: Getty

Dior also seemingly addressed criticism of its overly-white presentation last season with a tarot-themed short film that featured at least two black women in leading roles. And in his return to the international fashion stage, former Lanvin designer Alber Elbaz’s AZ Factory had models of different ages, sizes and colours presenting his capsule range of bodycon dresses.

The only small disruption to the Fendi show came in the form of protesters from People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) over the house’s longstanding prevalence of fur. Since 2018, several high-profile brands including Gucci, Chanel and Giorgio Armani have stopped using animal fur in their garments.

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