Radical chic under the gun

Designer Hardy Blechman’s label Maharishi unveils its combat-inspired collection, only days after the Paris shootings.

Audience members could be excused for mistaking a male model at a London catwalk for a militant due to his black hooded outfit. The ‘utlity chic’ collection of a London-based designer resembled the outfits of the terrorists who were involved in the recent Paris attacks, reported The Daily Mail. 

A model walked the ramp wearing a hooded black jacket that resembled a balaclava with the face covered, leaving only the eyes exposed. Maharishi, the label established by Hardy Blechman, is known for specialising in military fashion since its inception. The brand made a comeback to the ramp for the show, which saw their autumn/winter 2015 collection, comprising 19 trademark camouflage-print and combat trousers.

The timing of the event seemed a little questionable as several politicians and world leaders had gathered in Paris to remember the people who had been killed in the Charlie Hebdo shootings on January 7, 2015. A total of 12 people were killed at the offices of the satirical magazine on Wednesday.

Despite this the fashion label Maharishi continued with its fashion show.

Former Home Office Minister, Norman Baker termed the timing of the event as a “little unfortunate.” Millions of people in Paris took to the streets to march in remembrance of those who were killed in the Charlie Hebdo shootings.

According to the Al-Arabiya News, in a linked attack four people were killed in a four-hour hostage situation which happened at a supermarket in Paris. The remaining staff of Charlie Hebdo announced that the publication would continue publishing the satirical newspaper and also had plans to publish 1 million copies for next week’s issue, compared to the typical 60,000 copies the publication generally prints.

The phrase Je Suis Charlie (I Am Charlie) has become a slogan for supporters since the attacks on the office of the publication last week with the hashtag Je Suis Charlie trending topic on Twitter. 

Published in The Express Tribune, January 13^th,  2015.

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