Inside Soko’s Epic and Ethically Minded Paris Fashion Week Adventures
How do you have an epic Paris Fashion Week? Just ask Soko. The always innovative French singer-songwriter spent the fall 2020 season firmly on the front row, taking in the beauty of collections like Miu Miu, Giambattista Valli, and Celine. While countless stars breeze into the city to enjoy a show or two, Soko approaches the experience differently. A Paris resident since the age of 16, returning home after months spent filming in Croatia meant reconnecting with loved ones, enjoying the best in vegan cuisine, and taking in the latest ethical designs. “Well, the first stop is my brother’s house! Fashion week is a good excuse to come back and see my friends and family,” she shared during a mid-week break. “It is also about supporting designers, some I’ve known for years, and others are new to me.” Regardless of the relationships, she was moved by Paris’s push towards sustainability. “We’ve witnessed a real change in mentality,” she says. “[People are] realizing that we all need to stick together and make collective efforts to protect our planet.”
Her season began with a collection that embodied those environmentally conscious principals: Marine Serre. The Dune-influenced futurism Serre presented at Le Centquatre offered a hopeful view of a dystopian scenario, asking the question: How does one dress when the world is in turmoil? “That was my first time, and I loved meeting her and discovering all her clothes,” says Soko. [“Marine] is doing a lot of upcycling and cares a lot about the planet in the way that she’s designing.” Serre’s diverse cast of models from all walks of life also appealed. “There were people of all ages, sizes, races, and genders and a real celebration of family and unity,” she says. “It was a real reflection of what’s going on in the streets. You had mothers, daughters, fathers, siblings; it was beautiful because it felt like the whole world was coming together.”
At Chloé, the creative community cultivated by designer Natacha Ramsay-Levi proved equally as inspiring. “Deniz Erguven, the director of Mustang, was modeling in the show, and we’ve been friends for eighteen years,” says Soko. “She’s an awesome Turkish director and a beautiful cool woman, so it was great to see her there. Now there are artists on the runway; it’s not just models.”
That inclusive spirit extends beyond the runways, a fact the star finds heartening. After seasons of dealing with brands that expected their front row attendees to wear the restrictive runway looks or fit a specific mould, she’s seen a sea change behind the scenes. “I used to go to fittings and feel like they were going to try and force me into samples, and I am not a sample size,” she explains. “When I began working with Gucci, they were one of the first houses that didn’t do that. They’ve always seen me as a real person and always had clothing in my size, so I’ve never felt body shamed.” The welcoming vibe isn’t limited to Alessandro Michele’s team—these days luxury houses have begun to embrace the beauty of uniqueness. “There’s less room for nasty, judgmental bitchiness—that’s what used tear me up about fashion,” she says. “[Now] it is about coming together and celebrating our differences.”
To that end, Soko brought a sense of excitement to the week’s front rows, switching from slicked-back hair and tailored suiting to take in Hedi Slimane’s latest Celine collection, to anime-influenced glamour for Alessandro Dell’Acqua’s final Rochas show. Each fashion choice was dictated by her mood. “At Rochas, I had an oversized outfit that was all pink, and I was like, “Okay, I’m going to dress like a Manga goddess.” And so, I had like crazy hair and pink hair extensions and insane makeup,” she says. “For Marine Serre, I wanted to dress like Sailor Moon, so I drew her logo on my forehead to look like a superhero. I thought it would be cute. Everything is always very different, and I try to fit in with their vibe and mood, but still trying to be myself.” We wouldn’t have it any other way.
On the best way to spend a rainy day in Paris
“When I moved here, I was 16, and my favorite thing was all the movie theaters because I was already a movie nerd, and I love going to matinees by myself. There are theaters at every corner, and that was always my favorite thing to do. Just wake up, see a movie at ten a.m., every other day.
My favorite film set in Paris is Les Amants Du Pont-Neuf, it’s a beautiful love story. And it has this fantastic scene with fireworks on the Pont-Neuf bridge, which is supposed to be one of the most expensive scenes ever shot in Paris. And it’s epic. It’s like a total freak out on the fourth of July type of thing.”