How a VICE Contributor Faked His Way into Paris Fashion Week

A group of people posing for the camera

Some stories are so wild, you just can’t make them up, especially at Paris Fashion Week. The tale of Georgio Peviani is one of those stories.

Georgio Peviani is not a real person. Georgio Peviani is a discount market jean brand intended as a knockoff of fashion giant Giorgio Armani. Peviani’s jeans retail for around $40, while the real Armani’s can run upwards of $100. But how big of a difference is there, really? When it comes to fashion, isn’t the hype half of the battle?

VICE contributor Oobah Butler, professional phony, decided to test this theory. Butler went to Paris Fashion Week undercover as Georgio Peviani and managed to schmooze his way into an entrance pass, invites to PFW after parties, and all the way into the hype machine. Within a few days, he’d convinced fashion designers, models, bloggers, and the entire Internet that Georgio Peviani was not only a real man, but the up-and-coming designer of the year.

Watch this video to see how he pulled it off, and stick around for the surprise heartwarming ending.

A close up of a sign

Frenchly
newsletter.

Get your weekly dose of Frenchly’s news.

Read more

Frenchly newsletter.

A close up of a sign

Get your weekly dose of Frenchly’s news.

Frenchly Newsletter.

A close up of a sign

Get your weekly dose of Frenchly stuff.