History of a Parisian phenomenon: between art and lingerie haute couture
In Paris, they talk about it far too much. From the most popular and sensational tabloids, to the culture page of the newspapers, from the gauche-caviar salons to the hottest boîtes de nuit, with the everlasting Mathis, where I personally attended, a few days ago, to a wild discussion on this subject: the Zahia phenomenon rages thus everywhere.
She’s very young, distant and impenetrable like an antique goddess, Zahia, a minute and statuary body, rotund, perfect and surrealistic poitrine and back, that seems to be well-defined like a comic creature by the Japanese Takashi Murakami. She’s definitively sexy, but of a cold, camp and almost allegoric sexiness; Zahia is the talk of the city of the French capital city more than ever. Her dreamy fashion show of exclusive and imaginary lingerie at the Palais de Chaillot, since last 25th January, has switched on the spotlight on her.
Today, just in her twenties, among the general admiration, she makes her debut in full splendor with her line of lingerie couture. It seems that an arcane Chinese sponsor from Hong Kong, called "First Mark Investment", has paid the whole very expensive launch operation.A collection that is summarized exactly in its first creator and inspirer, Zahia: there are impalpable embroideries everywhere, delicate flowers which drift on tulle tops, butterflies that rest on fairy souliers, on bras and body suits as the dreamy princesses wear, naughty and cerebral rose and cyclamen clusters in a XVI century-like satin, to hide the "embarrassing parts" of millionaire odalisques, underclothes of an Oriental favourite lady, mistress of an audacious and limitless boudoir idéal, for the sake of omnipotent and capricious satraps.
The antiquarian, or else "modernaria"” Parisian cult Pierre Passebon, demiurge of the Galerie du Passage and close friend of the Saint-Laurent’s Überdecorator Jacques Grange, with a good amount of courage, in his critic and hagiographic contribute included in the luxurious fashion show’s press folder with the pink cover, manages to compare its relation with Zahia’s art with the teaching of centuries of legendary ladies such as Lady Hamilton, the Marchioness Casati, the Countess of Castiglione and even to Gertrude Stein. Is this real glory or the umpteenth consuming bluff? We’ll see…
