The first model soon came around the corner and walked on the grey carpet. It was a bck skinned woman wearing the most sumptuous sky blue suit, with an embroidered coattail lined with white ce. The man in the front row almost stopped breathing.

  ‘What is this ? It almost feels pedestrian, but at the same time it looks so elegant and stunning… I can't put my finger on it, it’s a strange feeling.’

  When the woman reached the first quarter of the carpet, another model appeared. This time, it was a very skinny pale girl, with an Edwardian looking skirt maintained by suspenders. Her lemon colored blouse fluttered when she walked, as her steps revealed a stoned petticoat underneath. It was subtle, but once you noticed it, the outfit became that much more gmorous.

  ‘It’s here again ! That feeling… It’s as if I’m watching a normal outfit, but with formal wear hidden underneath. Or maybe is it the contrary ? Formal wear disguised as casual ? Whatever it is, it’s a concept I’ve never seen before.’

  Little by little, clothe by clothe, the audience started to understand Cyrielle’s vision. The description of her collection said ‘formal wear’, but it was misleading. What the designer was showing them was a special type of clothes that everybody could wear, no matter their body types or colors, and that would make them fabulous in a subtle way. The feeling was ‘evening outfits, but you can wear them to work’. Most of the giants in the industry wouldn’t be able to understand, but the middle css would absolutely get it. It’s that outfit, the only one in your wardrobe, that looks absolutely stunning and you will wear it for every formal occasion, or when you have a meeting with your boss. You can only afford one, so you have to make sure it’s really good. It was exactly what Cyrielle had in mind. Her collection wasn’t made for industry professionals, but for normal people.

  The grey haired man put a hand in front of his face to hide his opened mouth.

  ‘It’s stunning. Everything, the idea, the vision, the presentation… Everything is incredible.’

  When half of the models had already turned back and walked away, the music changed to Mademoiselle Cyrielle’s title song ‘To my weak self’, and the man immediately understood.

  ‘The entire album is about healing from the wounds caused by others, and finding the courage to stand up for oneself and choose their happiness. It’s perfectly reflected in that collection, normal people with appearances that aren’t always favored by the fashion industry wearing high fashion clothes that have a feel of an everyday life. It’s telling a story, the story of every single person who has been hurt but has decided to rise and become the better version of themselves. It’s beautiful.’

  Finally the closing model entered, and to everyone’s surprise it was Coline Fntier. The blonde model walked calmly with confidence, in an outfit that was a clear inspiration from the famous apple green dress that Mademoiselle Cyrielle had made for her. The top was off shoulders, with tulle beautifully gathered at the top of the sleeves and expanding behind her to form a splendid apple green aureole behind her braided blonde hair. The bottom part of the top was fitted and tucked under white velvet bell bottom pants, in which a strip had been cut and repced by the same apple green fabric as the top. Even the shoes were incredible, short heels braided in green and white. The entire outfit was regal, and at the same time, it felt almost mundane, like the rest of the collection. It seemed to be made for Coline, but also everyone in the room could easily imagine themselves wearing it. It was the perfect conclusion of the runway.

  Once Coline finished her walk, every model came back on the carpet and the audience stood in ovation. It was probably the best runway they had seen, in the way that every single one of them could enjoy these clothes and imagine wearing them, but also could perfectly picture the outfits on a red carpet or a fashion event.

  The appuse doubled when Mademoiselle Cyrielle came out and bowed before them. She may not have been part of the official Fashion Week schedule, but she had probably made the biggest impact.

  The man in the front row couldn’t stop staring at her. The runway was incredible, for sure, but the woman herself felt imposing and her gaze had a weight, like someone who has lived a hundred lives. It was mesmerizing.

  At that moment, a high pitched voice resounded next to him.

  “Oh my, aren’t you Emilio Gabasace ? I’m gd you came to see Mademoiselle Cyrielle’s show !”

  He turned to find a small woman with bck hair and a big grin.

  “Excuse me, you are ?”

  The girl opened her eyes wide and put a hand in front of her mouth.

  “Did I forget to introduce myself ? I’m sorry ! My name is Julie Minet, CEO of Angel-Minet talent agency, and manager of Mademoiselle Cyrielle.”

  Hearing that, the man immediately smiled.

  “Oh, is that so ? Nice to meet you, this runway was truly incredible ! Mademoiselle Cyrielle is an incredible artist, how can she create an album linked to a collection ? Without even talking about the theme of the outfits ! It was outstanding.”

  Julie grinned, happy to receive the praise, but inside she was scheming.

  ‘Emilio Gabasace, the famous italian designer, liked Cyrielle’s runway ? I have no idea about what he is talking about with the link to the album and the theme, but I know nothing about fashion so maybe I’m being dumb here. Anyway, if he is showing that much enthusiasm, I can probably try something, right ?’

  While Cyrielle was returning backstage with her models, Julie had set her sights on her next target.

  ***

  The runway was broadcasted live on Mademoiselle Cyrielle channel, thanks to Vincent and his team, so it instantly blew up. It may not have been part of the official program, but it had reached as much popurity as the big names of the industry. The group ‘Angel’s Horseboys’ in particur, was bustling.

  -omgomgomg I’m shaking

  ?same

  -did y’all see that????

  ?You aren’t dreaming, I saw it too !

  -Take my money and give me every single one !!!!!

  -Damn, I’m a man but I want to wear the blue suit !

  ?I’m a man and I want to wear Nébuleuse’s outfit

  ??I’m a man and I want to wear Coline’s outfit

  ???I’m a girl and I will fall for you if you wear any of those clothes

  ????frfr mdrrrr

  -outfits buy when

  ?+1

  ?+1

  -The way the outfits were linked to the music I just can’t…

  -Gonna watch this runway 10 times like a TV show, it’s just too good !

  -Can we stop and talk about Coline ? Because MADAME ???????

  ?I had the same reaction when I saw her appear, she looked so Fing good !

  Reporters were equally as busy, churning articles every second. They had learned to keep an eye on Mademoiselle Cyrielle, since she would be the talk of the town almost every week, creating issues after issues. Some journals even had a whole team dedicated to following Mademoiselle Cyrielle’s every move and her social media accounts. So it was no surprise that her runway was the subject of articles before it even ended.

  However, the press and the public weren’t the only ones with strong opinions about the collection. Professionals all around the fashion industry were engaging in passionate debates.

  “Is it really formal wear ? I think she chose the wrong category, it’s definitely casual.”

  “No, it is formal wear ! Would you go around shopping with the apple green aureole ?”

  “Of course not, but you can’t tell me any of those dresses were considered gowns or cocktail dresses ! It’s clearly not evening wear.”

  “Formal wear is not evening wear.”

  “But it’s implied ! If you can’t wear it to a social party, it’s not formal wear.”

  Everybody had their own opinions on the bel Cyrielle had chosen, but none could refute one thing : the collection was fantastic. Even if they tried, none of them could design clothes quite like those, it was a unique take on fashion with some incredibly creative ideas that they would have never imagined.

  “I mean, using white ce as a lining ? Stoning a petticoat ? Using tulle to form an aureole ? You must admit, you would have never thought of that.”

  “You’re right, I’m not that creative. I think I only saw those types of things in costumes or stage outfits. Did she get inspired by the drag artists she performed with ? By her music career ? She has so many talents that she can mix and match inspirations, she is truly remarkable.”

  Cyrielle had solidified her reputation as a talented designer, as well as an artist with multiple talents. And it was not about to change, with the announcement that appeared not long after, on the website of a famous TV channel.

  “Looks like ‘Noble mayhem’ has revealed your involvement. I swear, I hate those guys ! They should have contacted us first to coordinate the promotions ! They are so unprofessional…”

  Cyrielle was listening to Julie’s passionate rant while looking out the window. She wasn’t really listening, she was trying her best to hide her joy.

  ‘Show me again !’

  She felt the annoyance of the system, but eventually a list appeared in front of her.

  -Make an album

  -Concert in front of a thousand people

  -Make a collection

  -Fashion book

  -Home decor book

  -Makeup lookbook

  -Model for a runway

  -Win a rosette in horse jumping

  -Having 5 diplomas

  -Do characters designs for a videogame

  -Make the pns for a building

  -Act in a movie

  Cyrielle squealed in delight.

  ‘I achieved two of my goals in less than a year ! I’m so happy I could cry…’

  [You mustn’t, you have work to do.]

  ‘I know, I know. But I’m just too happy !’

  She needed to collect herself and calm down, because soon she would be entering Manon Sarmer’s personal recording studio. They would be working on their song for the entire day.