Kylie Jenner has made quite the statement at Paris Fashion Week.
The 25-year-old mogul, whose birthdate conveniently falls under the Leo astrological sign, began the week with a roar when she arrived at the first show of the season wearing a lifelike lion's head.
The beauty baron was one of several celebrities who attended Schiaparelli's Haute Couture Spring/Summer show at the Petit Palais on Monday (local time), marking the beginning of the week's festivities. Emily in Paris star Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Doja Cat and Diane Kruger were among the stars seated in the front row.
To celebrate the event, Jenner donned a custom Schiaparelli velvet black gown decorated with a wild addition: a true-to-life recreation of a lion's head from the fashion house's latest collection, attached to the right shoulder.
The lion's head was later modelled on the runway by Irina Shayk, paired with a different floor-length black gown. Schiaparelli's 'Inferno Couture' collection - inspired by Dante's nine circles of hell - featured a number of other animal-themed looks, including a black faux fur coat with a wolf's head on its shoulder, modelled by Naomi Campbell. Shalom Harlow also wore a strapless dress resembling the hide of a snow leopard, with a realistic leopard's head snarling on her chest.
According to the French fashion house, the incredibly detailed - and eerily convincing - replica of the lion was created using wool, foam and silk faux fur, "hand-painted to look as lifelike as possible".
To clear up any speculation, the brand added on its Instagram: "NO ANIMALS WERE HARMED IN MAKING THIS LOOK."
"Embroidered lion in hand-sculpted foam, wool and silk faux fur, and hand-painted to look as life-like as possible, celebrating the glory of the natural world," the fashion house said in an explanation of the inspiration behind the look.
Elaborating on the line, the brand added: "The leopard, the lion, and the she-wolf – representing lust, pride, and avarice in Dante's iconic allegory."
Showcasing the daring design to her 379 million followers on Instagram, Jenner captioned a carousel of photos: "BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Thank you @danielroseberry and @schiaparelli for such a special morning. Wow I loved wearing this faux art creation constructed by hand using manmade materials. Beautiful beautiful."
But the gown has sparked an uproar on social media, with several people on Twitter appearing to mistake the head for genuine taxidermy. Many have criticised the fashion house for promoting poaching or encouraging animals to be viewed as desirable 'products', commentary that has taken off on the likes of Twitter and Instagram.
"We have to stop showing animals as luxury 'products'. [The designs] may be made from foam but these are endangered species that have historically been killed for their pelts to be turned into garments," one commented on Schiaparelli's Instagram.
"The only thing this is glorifying is the killing of these animals, even if this is fake. The lion, cheetah and the wolf seem like they are literally meant to look as if they were killed and used for clothing," a second user wrote. "How is this celebrating the glory of the natural world. Make it make sense," another lambasted the brand.
Critics of the collection also took to Jenner's Instagram in their droves, with one commenting: "This ain't fashion, just promotes animal abuse."
Another weighed in: "Animals are not fashion accessories!"
"This is a promotion of poaching, not fashion. Very wrong," another added, while one branded the creation "disturbing" and "in bad taste".
Maison Schiaparelli is a haute couture house founded by avant-garde fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli in 1927, before moving towards luxury ready-to-wear upon its purchase by Diego Della Valle in 2007. The current creative director, American fashion designer Daniel Roseberry, has been at the helm since 2019.
The brand is famous for its eccentric and unconventional themes, such as the use of Surrealism in its collections, amusing prints and its depictions of human anatomy. Like many luxury fashion houses in the 20th century, Schiaparelli incorporated exotic furs and animal skins in its clothing, but has since ceased using real fur.
However - perhaps surprisingly - animal rights nonprofit PETA has defended Jenner's polarising ensemble, with president Ingrid Newkirk praising the bold look. She told TMZ the collection of animal heads "may be a statement against trophy hunting, in which lion families are torn apart to satisfy human egotism".
"These fabulously innovative three-dimensional animal heads show that where there's a will, there's a way."
Outside the show, Doja Cat also turned heads with her intricate look. Her entire body, including her face, was painted red and covered with 30,000 Swarovski crystals. The look, the brainchild of celebrity makeup artist Pat McGrath, took more than five hours to apply.
