PFW: At Père-Lachaise, Mossi's show is an ode to life, nature and spirituality
For the presentation of his spring/summer 2027 collection, Mossi Traoré returns to Père-Lachaise. Inspired by the tombs, fauna and flora, the designer celebrates life while asserting an evolution of his business model. The collection is becoming less of an object for commercialisation and more a medium for creation, expression and transmission.
Staging a show in a cemetery, in this case Père-Lachaise, is not a first for Mossi. He presented his collection inside the crematorium 14 years ago. It was for this show that he called Anna Wintour and pretended to be a press officer. He even staged this anecdote during his autumn/winter 2026 trial.
For spring/summer 2027, he returns to a more classic show in form, but not in substance.
Père-Lachaise, an ecosystem at the heart of the collection
Organising a performance in a cemetery is to acknowledge it as a living space, not just a representation of death.
The tombs directly inspired the design of the clothes. Mossi observed the ornaments, materials, shapes and traces of time on the graves, then translated them into a “textile vocabulary”. The final tableau also echoes the sculptures located behind the runway.
The collection is based on the collective work of artisans: textile makers; embroiderers; feather workers; specialists in plant embroidery; and experts in dyeing processes. The greys refer to the stone of the tombs and the greens to the sculptures and vegetation of Père-Lachaise.
Speaking to FashionUnited, Mossi explains that he considers “death as a friend”, someone “we will all meet one day”. He connects this concept to his Muslim beliefs: “death is not an end in itself. Behind death, there is life.”
Where there is life, there are living things: visitors who have come to pay their respects; walkers; vegetation; birds; and all the other animals that inhabit the paths of Père-Lachaise. Mossi says he drew inspiration from the book 'La Vie au cimetière' by Benoît Gallot, the curator of Père-Lachaise, to conceive his performance.
The curator describes the cemetery as an urban ecosystem: foxes, weasels, hedgehogs, birds, insects, as well as trees and vegetation. He recounts how, during the lockdowns, the decrease in human visitors made this wildlife much more visible.
This animal life even found its way into the show's soundtrack: Thibaut Noireau recorded the sounds of the animals that live in the cemetery.
Collection not intended for sale
This show also signals a change in business model.
Mossi is no longer operating with a ready-to-wear logic aimed at the wholesale market. Speaking to FashionUnited, he explains that his brand now serves as a “showcase”, an “experimental laboratory” and a “field of expression”.
His project therefore no longer consists solely of “making and selling clothes”: the collections allow him to fuel narratives.
In doing so, he highlights a reality of Fashion Weeks. The shows serve as creative showcases for brands. Celebrities in the front row monopolise attention. The pieces shown on the runway are rarely commercialised. The in-store offering is narrowing, and the world of fashion brands is clearly expanding into other business sectors.
Mossi is now embracing a more museum-like dimension. Until November 16, 2026, the MUCEM is dedicating an exhibition to him entitled 'Mossi Traoré, la mode aussi'.
On this subject, the designer stated: “The Mucem and I champion cultural democratisation. We are convinced that art must reach those who do not have access to it.”
This statement marks Mossi's social commitment. He founded Les Ateliers Alix, which now receives support from Chanel. They are dedicated to passing on knowledge and providing access to fashion professions, notably by supporting young talent and covering, according to Mossi, 65 percent of students' tuition fees.