Matières Fécales S/S27 The Ninety Nine Percent
Freedom was never meant for someone like me. Growing up, no one who looked like me felt free. Yet I chased it every day.
My name is Steven Raj Bhaskaran, and I’m half of Matières Fécales. I drew and envisioned this whole collection. My creative and life partner, Hannah Rose, supported me at every stage of creating this personal vision.
This collection focuses on empowering those most marginalized within the 99%: the marginalized.
99 models of color and 99 looks by a designer of color. The casting is a reflection of all the people I grew up with in low-income housing and aims be an homage to the families of color chasing freedom and opportunity. A message of hope for all immigrants under attack, for people of color too often denied the chance to thrive, and for the working class tired of building pyramids of power that suppress them. I want to prove our stories, our cultures, and our perspective on beauty are just as valuable as the ones championed in luxury spaces.
I wanted to do the show at Place de la République, a sacred place for Parisians to voice their opinions and celebrate togetherness. It’s a place of revolution.
The first section of the collection is titled “FAMILY”. The opening drapé look embodies the loving nature of my mother, Grace, and her endless strength to walk through difficulties all while carrying her children on her back. She was born in Guyana but has an Indian heritage. She had to stop school at 9 years old to help raise her 7 siblings, all while living in extreme poverty. She was just a girl when life robbed her of education, independence and choice. Unable to read or write, she relied on intuition and faith.
A stream of white looks peacefully walks out, drawing a parallel to the purity and multiplicity of my religious upbringing. My family moved through Hinduism, Christianity, Islam and Mormonism before I began building my own faith at 14.
Closing this section are my mother, my sister, my niece, and me, all in white ensembles.My real family, the women that shaped me.
The “TRIBE” section then storms the Place de République with all the passion and intensity of a bubbling revolution. When I left my religious home, I found belonging in Montreal’s punk scene while also experiencing extreme racism and exclusion. Seeing new generations of people of color largely embracing alternative aesthetics and cultures reminds me I was never alone.
To end this section, the Liberté, Égalité and Fraternité of the Blue, White, and Red are embodied by three strong women in twisted, draped gowns, walking out proudly. For a lot of communities, Mothers are often the pillars and frontline leaders protecting our rights.
The conclusion of this collection is titled “GODS”.
During the toughest times of my journey, all I had was hope. Each couture look in the lineup has its own intention. Whether it’s the Déchiré skirt suit made entirely with cotton woven by hand in Burkina Faso or the draped sarees hand-embroidered in Varanasi, India, reimagined as decayed 1950s dioresque ball gowns, my message is clear: diversity is power.
What I once viewed as disadvantages, poverty, difference and marginalization, became my greatest strengths. This collection is our manifesto of liberty.
The finale embodies the defiance and strength of the marginalized within the ninety nine percent, models walking out defiantly carrying life-like billionaire figures reminiscent of our FW26 “The One Percent” on their backs. Our intention is to signal our hope that, if we unite across differences, we can challenge corrupt power structures and move closer to freedom in its purest form, equality.
"Tomorrow is my turn
No more doubts, no more fears
Tomorrow is my turn"
A portion of sales from this collection go to support La Maison d’Allanah, a non-profit program helping LGBTQIA+ refugees in urgent need of housing in France.
Film Adrien Gontier / Famous Production
Make-up Matières Fécales for Mac Cosmetics
Hats Stephen Jones Millinery
Jewellery Parts of Four
Crystal beads Preciosa
Hair Gabriel de Fries using Überliss and Cecilia Hair
Nails Lora De Sousa using Peggy Sage
Enhanced Beauty by Catalina Sartor using Kryolan SFX
Shoes Christian Louboutin for Matières Fécales
Casting Tanguy Gavignet & Tom Goddard at TG CASTING
Music Jonathan Massiala
Mixing, Mastering & Additional Production by Sam Welch
Set and Light Design Matiere Noire
Movement Direction Nicolas Huchard
Production Premier Cri
Public relations Lucien Pages Communication
Original Music composed by Jonathan Massiala
« No Love » Death Grips
(Death Grips are Stefan Burnett and Zach Hill)
« Tomorrow is my turn » Performed by Nina Simone at the Mickey Theatre in Loenersloot, Holland, on December, 1965
Lyrics by Yves Stéphane
Adapted by Marcel Stellman
Music by Charles Aznavour
© Editions Musicales Djanik
Courtesy of Editions Raoul Breton
Music clearance by Astral / Valentine Feoux
New arrangement and production by Jonathan Massiala
My name is Steven Raj Bhaskaran, and I’m half of Matières Fécales. I drew and envisioned this whole collection. My creative and life partner, Hannah Rose, supported me at every stage of creating this personal vision.
This collection focuses on empowering those most marginalized within the 99%: the marginalized.
99 models of color and 99 looks by a designer of color. The casting is a reflection of all the people I grew up with in low-income housing and aims be an homage to the families of color chasing freedom and opportunity. A message of hope for all immigrants under attack, for people of color too often denied the chance to thrive, and for the working class tired of building pyramids of power that suppress them. I want to prove our stories, our cultures, and our perspective on beauty are just as valuable as the ones championed in luxury spaces.
I wanted to do the show at Place de la République, a sacred place for Parisians to voice their opinions and celebrate togetherness. It’s a place of revolution.
The first section of the collection is titled “FAMILY”. The opening drapé look embodies the loving nature of my mother, Grace, and her endless strength to walk through difficulties all while carrying her children on her back. She was born in Guyana but has an Indian heritage. She had to stop school at 9 years old to help raise her 7 siblings, all while living in extreme poverty. She was just a girl when life robbed her of education, independence and choice. Unable to read or write, she relied on intuition and faith.
A stream of white looks peacefully walks out, drawing a parallel to the purity and multiplicity of my religious upbringing. My family moved through Hinduism, Christianity, Islam and Mormonism before I began building my own faith at 14.
Closing this section are my mother, my sister, my niece, and me, all in white ensembles.My real family, the women that shaped me.
The “TRIBE” section then storms the Place de République with all the passion and intensity of a bubbling revolution. When I left my religious home, I found belonging in Montreal’s punk scene while also experiencing extreme racism and exclusion. Seeing new generations of people of color largely embracing alternative aesthetics and cultures reminds me I was never alone.
To end this section, the Liberté, Égalité and Fraternité of the Blue, White, and Red are embodied by three strong women in twisted, draped gowns, walking out proudly. For a lot of communities, Mothers are often the pillars and frontline leaders protecting our rights.
The conclusion of this collection is titled “GODS”.
During the toughest times of my journey, all I had was hope. Each couture look in the lineup has its own intention. Whether it’s the Déchiré skirt suit made entirely with cotton woven by hand in Burkina Faso or the draped sarees hand-embroidered in Varanasi, India, reimagined as decayed 1950s dioresque ball gowns, my message is clear: diversity is power.
What I once viewed as disadvantages, poverty, difference and marginalization, became my greatest strengths. This collection is our manifesto of liberty.
The finale embodies the defiance and strength of the marginalized within the ninety nine percent, models walking out defiantly carrying life-like billionaire figures reminiscent of our FW26 “The One Percent” on their backs. Our intention is to signal our hope that, if we unite across differences, we can challenge corrupt power structures and move closer to freedom in its purest form, equality.
"Tomorrow is my turn
No more doubts, no more fears
Tomorrow is my turn"
A portion of sales from this collection go to support La Maison d’Allanah, a non-profit program helping LGBTQIA+ refugees in urgent need of housing in France.
Film Adrien Gontier / Famous Production
Make-up Matières Fécales for Mac Cosmetics
Hats Stephen Jones Millinery
Jewellery Parts of Four
Crystal beads Preciosa
Hair Gabriel de Fries using Überliss and Cecilia Hair
Nails Lora De Sousa using Peggy Sage
Enhanced Beauty by Catalina Sartor using Kryolan SFX
Shoes Christian Louboutin for Matières Fécales
Casting Tanguy Gavignet & Tom Goddard at TG CASTING
Music Jonathan Massiala
Mixing, Mastering & Additional Production by Sam Welch
Set and Light Design Matiere Noire
Movement Direction Nicolas Huchard
Production Premier Cri
Public relations Lucien Pages Communication
Original Music composed by Jonathan Massiala
« No Love » Death Grips
(Death Grips are Stefan Burnett and Zach Hill)
« Tomorrow is my turn » Performed by Nina Simone at the Mickey Theatre in Loenersloot, Holland, on December, 1965
Lyrics by Yves Stéphane
Adapted by Marcel Stellman
Music by Charles Aznavour
© Editions Musicales Djanik
Courtesy of Editions Raoul Breton
Music clearance by Astral / Valentine Feoux
New arrangement and production by Jonathan Massiala