Louis Gabriel Nouchi and Louis Vuitton's costumes at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paralympic Games




French musicians Myd and Christine and the Queens, dressed by Louis Gabriel Nouchi, and Lucky Love in Louis Vuitton, brought the theme of inclusion, which is also a strong theme in fashion, to the forefront during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. The ceremony took place between the Champs-Élysées and the Place de la Concorde.

The quadruple amputee and former swimmer Théo Curin opened the ceremony with a short film in which he was seen at the wheel of a 'Phryge Mobile', a car modelled after and decorated with the mascot of the Games. According to the commentators on the television channel France 2, this was a great success.

Daphné Burki, director of style and costumes for the Paris 2024 ceremonies, was also present. She praised the fact that over 700 outfits were designed for the ceremony, saying: "The parade of athletes going up the Champs-Élysées is the most beautiful catwalk in the world". However, on X, it was ironically remarked: "We live in such great times, where non-disabled people get to ride in boats and para-athletes have to walk".

Later, singer Myd sat down at the piano to accompany the choreography of Alexander Ekman, the director of the event. The idea behind it? To orchestrate the encounter between people with and without disabilities through a dance performance that brings both "communities" together. The evening was called "Paradox" and was focused on inclusivity. Myd wore a suit and a huge blue, white and red cape by Louis Gabriel Nouchi.

Louis Gabriel Nouchi designed over 700 outfits for the Paralympics

It is no surprise that Christine and the Queens performed, as he has done much to highlight his artistic differences. The artist, seen in a red trouser suit by Louis Gabriel Nouchi, performed their version of Edith Piaf's "Je ne regrette rien" and then returned to the stage at the end of the show to the reworked sounds of "Born to be alive".

Louis Gabriel Nouchi, who designed the costumes for the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games, had to create over 700 designs. "How do you make an outfit for a person in a wheelchair who will also be dancing in it, and ensure that the jacket fits well?" he asked French media channel Brut. "Actually, it doesn't take any longer, you just have to think about different proportions," he added.

"When you have people who are in the fitting room and crying because they've always dreamed of wearing something like this (...) Suddenly, it really pushes you to surpass yourself. It was also very important to me that the people with disabilities were integrated with the other dancers. Separately, but without glamorising the disability".

Lucky Love takes off Louis Vuitton jacket to show his own disability

The other performance that was enthusiastically welcomed by the audience was that of Lucky Love, because it represented the most harmonious merging of artists and athletes at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. Lucky Love is well-known in the fashion scene, having participated in numerous fashion shows and even singing at Martin Margiela's iconic couture show. He charmed the audience with a cover version of his well-known song "Masculinity", which became "My Ability". It included the lines: "What the f*** is wrong with my body, Am I not enough? Who gives you the right to run to rules?".

Love wore an embroidered white jacket, carpenter trousers, a white tank top and black cowboy boots. The look was rounded off with several gold brooches with pearls, gold necklaces and aviator sunglasses. The whole thing was designed by Pharrell Williams, the creative director for menswear at Louis Vuitton.

However, the highlight was undoubtedly the moment when he took off his jacket and appeared bare-chested to show his disability: an arm missing since birth. He then touched the arm of another amputee in a gesture that will remain iconic because it shows that genuine feelings can be found outside of conformity with the typical aesthetic norms.

This article originally appeared on FashionUnited.FR. Translated and edited by Rachel Douglass.