Rabanne Victor at India Couture Week 2023, Pics/AFP
India Couture Week 2023 recently completed its 16th edition at the Taj Palace in New Delhi. The fashion world is no stranger to surprises and excitement, and India Couture Week delivered on that promise once again. Celebrated designers across the nation including Falguni Shane Peacock and Gaurav Gupta showcased exquisite collections celebrating Indian aesthetics, remade for a contemporary audience. Bollywood's top stars including Ranbir Kapoor, Kiara Advani and Aditi Rao Hydari turned showstoppers for these couturiers. However, what truly stole the show was a trailblazing ramp walk by gay model Rabanne Victor who strutted down the runway in a resplendent golden fishtail lehenga.
Over the years, the fashion world has become more oriented towards inclusivity and diversity. It has increasingly celebrated aesthetics and models that defy social conventions of beauty, sexuality and gender identity. Rabanne Victor, a 34-year-old model from Mumbai embodied this spirit by smashing stereotypes when he walked the ramp clad in a fishtail lehenga with a sheer veil covering his head.
Rabanne Victor's outfit from Falguni Shane Peacock's collection, 'Renaissance Reverie', was nothing short of enchanting. The golden slip blouse was adorned with intricate sequin details. The flowing skirt, with its bodycon patterns and frills married royalty and drama. The look was completed with a majestic golden sheer veil embellished with sequin borders. Although Victor stumbled a little at the beginning, he quickly composed himself and finished his ramp walk in desi queer style.
Lehengas have traditionally been associated with women's fashion - and the fact that Rabanne beautifully carried this outfit redefined perceptions of 'legitimate' or 'correct' aesthetics. Clothing has been an integral mode of self-expression for several members of the queer community, and Rabanne Victor showcased precisely these infinite possibilities of freedom and expression through fashion.
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In an exclusive interview with India Today, the model revealed that he wasn't even supposed to be on the show. But he was spotted by the designer two days prior to the show and was put on board, much to his delight.
Rabanne shared his experience on walking the ramp at India Couture Week 2023 in a lehenga and revealed how liberating and joyful this new form of expression felt - "It was incredible. I felt like a princess. I felt like I was in another world. I was extremely nervous because I've never walked in a lehenga and heels."
Even though his parents were professional models, Rabanne Victor never thought he would follow in their footsteps. While growing up, he was rather uncomfortable with his body. "I've always been skinny and underweight, and so I never really thought of myself as a model," he told India Today.
He also chanced upon modelling as a career when he spotted by a modelling agency while with his best friend. Today, he's a big name in the Indian fashion landscape and has worked with bigwig designers such as Sabyasachi. He is among the names that showcase a rise in gender-agnostic models in India. His walk for Falguni Shane Peacock also contested preconceived and rigid notions around gendered clothing and once again inspired conversations around the same.
