KidSuper makes us dream again with its new show in collaboration with Cirque du Soleil

Colm Dillane takes his circus performers and marionettes for a stroll at the mythical Théâtre du Trianon in Paris.

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Shouldn’t fashion make us dream? With KidSuper, the answer is a resounding YES. For Colm Dillane, who has been astounding Paris with his spectacular shows since his arrival—they cannot be considered mere runway shows—nothing is impossible. Whether turning a fashion show into a comedy act or even a theatrical play, or having professional ballet dancers strut alongside Ronaldinho, whatever Colm Dillane sets out to do, he accomplishes it, no matter how impossible or surreal it may seem.

This afternoon, the designer’s dream materialized into an army of walking puppets controlled by a giant hand sliding across the ceiling of the Trianon. Together with Cirque du Soleil, the fundamental purpose shared by all arts was fulfilled: to move us & create stories and experiences that allow us to escape reality, even if just for a moment. There were Jared Leto, AJ Tracey, French Montana, Pierre Bourne, BIA, and many more, witnessing another brilliant idea from Colm.

The show began with Cirque du Soleil acrobat Mai Yamashi, who sat under a massive hand with strings attached to her limbs. Using light cuts to create a stop-motion effect between her movements, she became a puppet. Then, Alton Mason opened the KidSuper show with a daring tailored suit, his arms connected to the same strings pulled by the mechanical hand moving above him. Dillane’s puppets, styled by Wisdom Kaye, were drawn to the dramatic circus motifs, featuring ruffled collars, corsets, headpieces, and patchwork tailoring. A black suit embroidered with the hands and balls of a juggler was topped off with a blue crocheted hat shaped like a circus tent.

Next, Colm Dillane imagined androgynous silhouettes that seemed to come from another era. Some details in silk crepe (evoking wedding dresses) appeared in colorful looks dominated by layering, while others, with leather jackets, grandpa-style plaid shirts, berets, and a more casual cut, straddled streetwear and Parisian style.

The final looks reintroduced the circus world at 100%. A procession of dramatic figures: mimes, a man on stilts, and a headless human in a confetti coat closed the runway. As a grand finale, eight acrobats performed with a German wheel before the ringmaster triumphantly emerged to thank the crowd, explaining: “the show is called ‘It’s All Up In The Air,’ because when someone asks me what I’m doing for my show, that’s what it is.”

Like Galliano’s Maison Margiela, KidSuper offers imagery and performances that could inspire doctoral theses for many reasons. It’s not just that Colm Dillane showcases his mind in an unrestricted and limitless way, but more about the true value of creativity, in the purest sense of the word, in a time when the industry is overwhelmed by sobriety and boredom; where daring seems to be penalized.