Saint Laurent’s Desert Fashion Show in Morocco Will Be Carbon-neutral
WELL OFF: Capping off an active period of destination resort shows and high jewelry presentations, Anthony Vaccarello and Saint Laurent are staging a spring 2023 menswear show Friday night in the Agafay Desert near Marrakech, Morocco.
Vaccarello conscripted English artist and set designer Es Devlin to collaborate on the staging of the sunset display around a well that emits a haze, adding to the otherworldly ambience of a rocky landscape often described as moon-like.
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According to Saint Laurent, Vaccarello referenced “The Sheltering Sky,” the 1949 novel set in North Africa that probes existential despair. “We think of life as an inexhaustible well. Yet everything happens a certain number of times, and a very small number, really,” author Paul Bowles writes.
Editors, influencers and VIPs who jetted in for the event have already had their share of memorable happenings, with a rare sandstorm engulfing Marrakech on Wednesday and a brief thunderstorm sending Champagne flutes flying off trays and tables at a welcome cocktail on Thursday night.
Saint Laurent said it took numerous steps to reduce its environmental impact, and is billing the event as carbon-neutral.
“The carbon footprint of the event is calculated and all greenhouse gas emissions are offset through verified REDD+ projects, which not only conserve critical forests and biodiversity but also support the livelihoods of local communities,” the Kering-owned fashion house said in a statement released to WWD.
Courtesy of Saint Laurent
It noted that materials and equipment are rented where possible, while new items are either reused, recycled, or donated to support local associations, including women cooperatives in Marrakech that will take back fabrics to make carpets. Water employed for the set is nonpotable and will irrigate olive trees in the Agafay area afterward, Saint Laurent said.
The desert region is not classified as a protected area. Nevertheless, Saint Laurent said it hired local experts to perform an environmental impact study and provide recommendations on the management of biodiversity, fauna and flora on site.
In addition, Saint Laurent said it would fund various philanthropic actions in the region through nongovernmental organization, including planting thousands of fruit trees and installing an irrigation system in the village of Achbarou; digging a water well and solar systems in the village of Akrich, and setting up a garden in the Zerkten area to educate children about sustainable practices and local biodiversity conservation.
SEE ALSO:
The Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Marrakech Has New Director
Saint Laurent to Produce an Almodóvar Movie
Anthony Vaccarello’s Saint Runways Are About One Thing: Sexy Dressing a La Francaise
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