This collection, Venus as a Boy, is about reimagination. We take our name for the collection from the Bjork song of the same title, which in of itself points towards a reimagination of the idea of Venus, where Venus herself was a Roman reimagination of Aphrodite.
For the peace
Autumn-Winter 2023
AW23
Show
“It’s easy to see the world in black and white. Good or evil. Happiness or pain.
War or peace. But in reality, we are surrounded by nuances, colours and shades.
Last year, my friend Maya told me an incredible story about some young people in Syria who risked
everything to find joy. They were doing something you and I would find ordinary: partying.
Except they were trapped by the fear of bombardment. So for them, partying was
an act of courage and resistance. Inspired, I visited Damascus — a living paradox.
In between the devastation and ruins, I found the kindness of humanity. Generosity, relationships
and renewal in the oldest capital in the world. It was a great reminder to celebrate life in all
conditions, and something we should all learn from. Let’s not think of refugees as numbers, but
as human beings. As equals without hierarchy or discrimination. Refugees carry so much from the past.
The homes they left and the loved ones they lost.
But today we have a simple choice. To accept their tragedy, or use our platform to spread an important
message. We’re not saying that fashion is the solution, but we should use our voices to raise issues
and shout loudly, and do anything we can to create a better world.
That’s the purpose of this collection.
A piece of theatre inspired by courage. A reflection of the pain and beauty I witnessed in a war zone.
If I talk about it, then maybe you will talk about it too. And maybe you will be touched by what you see.
Then together, we can infuse change. For the peace”.
- Charaf Tajer
Credits
Thank you to our Casablanca© team for making this show possible.
Founder & Creative Director: Charaf Tajer @charaftajer
Art Director: Steve Grimes @steviegrimes
Production by: La Mode En Images @lamodeenimages
Show styled by: Helena Tejedor @helenatejedor & Ola Ebiti @olaoluebiti
Casting by: Midland Agency
Make-up by: Bryant Artists @bryantartists
Hair by: Cyndia Harvey @cyndiaharvey
Show publicity by: KCD Paris
Press by: Purple PR US & UK