BACKTAGE OF VAQUERA BY CORALIE WATERLOT

“Love is Hard,” read the tights as they came down the runway, making it clear that everything in this collection was built to make a statement. And let’s just say, it wasn’t just the love that was heavy—it was the clothes, too. This collection was extra, extra, extra large, a fierce exploration of coolness, scale, and unapologetic romanticism, where every single element was sized up to the extreme. From the shoulders to the silhouettes, from the accessories to the lashes, everything reached for a whole new dimension—transforming the runway into a world where size wasn’t just a number; it was an attitude, and love became resistance.

The models were draped in massive black and leopard fur coats that engulfed them entirely, rich in texture and weight, leaving only their eyes, framed by massive lash extensions, visible. Oversized, sometimes cropped, suits created rectangular, boxy silhouettes. The tops, exaggerated through padding, carved out strong and sharp shoulders. Their signature bra turned into gigantic floor-length tops and sized-up skirts. Puffy dresses and balloon skirts were pinched into new widths and lengths, creating soft, rounded silhouettes. The runway was romantically dark in terms of color, yet a 40s-inspired wedding dress, in the softest, most delicate pink, interrupted the otherwise monochrome palette, making us feel a glimmer of hope. Massive leather buckle belts and trompe l’oeil looks added a sharp contrast of realism. The final layer of romanticism was added through lace hats, big-bowed headpieces, and larger-than-life, floor-length pearl necklaces, which tied it all together.

These were no longer mere garments; they were extended, redefined, and magnified versions of themselves—inviting us to rethink the impact love can have on us all.