On Tuesday, Chanel presented its third collection after Karl Lagerfeld's passing. The late creative director was known for his theatrics on the runway — there was a rocket, a miniature iceberg, and the one fashioned after a river canyon in Provence, France — and the Chanel spring 2020 show lived up to that legacy with its own set of hijinks.
At the Grand Palais, Virginie Viard presented her first solo ready-to-wear collection, pieces she said aimed to reflect “French girl” style. There were cap-toed flats, tweed jackets, loose cardigans, and pleated skirts. Much like her debut couture collection, Viard's pieces brought to mind a simple, quieter elegance. Even the set was tame, mimicking a roof top.
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During Viard's finale, however, one attendee was so moved, she charged the runway, inserting herself into the line-up. The crasher wore a houndstooth tweed suit and a flat-topped hat, presumably to blend in with the models. She posed next to Gigi Hadid who then helped to escort her off the runway. Later, the crasher was revealed as Marie Benoliel, best known as Marie S’Infiltre, a comedian and YouTube personality with 195,000 followers on Instagram. Benoliel has a one-woman show that is currently running at the Comédie des Champs Elysées theatre in Paris. She also crashed the Etam show.
Hadid is rightfully being called a hero for stepping in to diffuse the situation. But it should be noted that both she and sister Bella don't play around. Four seasons ago, Bella defended Refinery29's street style photographer, Cris Fragkou, after someone in the model's surrounding security pushed Fragkou. Immediately, Hadid grabbed the security guard, yelling “Can you please not touch her?” twice, before asking Fragkou if she was okay.
In a statement released five hours after the show, Chanel tells WWD: “This person is a comedian known for this type of prank. She had crashed another runway recently. Her presence on the catwalk was not planned. Security guards simply led her to the exit at the end of the show.”
Cardi B, sitting front row at the show, commented on the incident. “I loved the show. I got a little scared when homegirl flew out there,” she said.