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Matières Fécales showcases the power of money
Tension was tangible on February 3rd, 2026, at the Palais Brongniart in Paris. For their third show, the subversive duo behind Matières Fécales unveiled a collection titled “The One Percent”. A glamorous, radical criticism of contemporary capitalism and its nefarious effects.
By Léa Zetlaoui.
Who are the 1%?
Titled “The One Percent”, the Matières Fécales Fall/Winter 2026-2027 collection draws on a study by the NGO Oxfam. According to the report, the world’s richest 1% alone hold almost half of global wealth. While the elite largely remains unknown to the public, several recent scandals, such as the Epstein files, have shed light on its nefarious effects.
For where there is money, there is power, and with it a sense of omnipotence. “Power concerns us all. Whether it is corrupted by those who govern us or absent when we need it most, we all have a relationship with it, and that is precisely what this collection is about,” the show notes read.
Money, power and love at Matières Fécales
One might not have expected Hannah Rose Dalton and Steven Raj Bhaskaran to engage in such a committed conversation through their brand. Yet, the duo behind the label with an unsettling name conceived their show as a surprisingly eloquent performance. Indeed, the couple known for their drastic transformations has a knack for creating momentum. Active for more than ten years on Instagram through their account @matieresfecales, they have cultivated a theatrical, subversive universe that questions the notions of beauty and gender.
Like a play, the collection presented at the Palais Brongniart unfolded in three acts, each one exploring the notion of power. At the same time, the show also reflects the singular story of its creators, who come from different social backgrounds. Hannah Rose Dalton grew up in a privileged environment, while Steven Raj Bhaskaran comes from a modest family. “Although it has sometimes been difficult to find common ground, our very different stories have allowed us to grasp both sides of reality. Our mutual love is the cement that unites our opposing worlds,” they explain.
A show that dissects the codes of luxury
Throughout this performance, which was exhilarating to tell the truth, guests discovered a series of archetypes, conceived as so many prisms questioning power, wealth and their repercussions on our lives. The starting point of this reflection was the bourgeois family — dressed in semi-couture silhouettes — which appeared in all its ambiguity at the crossroads of luxury and decadence. Blinded, gagged and hindered by money, the pearl necklaces and bundles of banknotes became BDSM accessories, while blood stained the leather opera gloves.
Often described as an iconic label, Matières Fécales ironically subverts the way the bourgeoisie sees itself and its own community. The ceremony, with its satanic overtones, thus becomes a space of protection and resistance in the face of an increasingly normative and conservative world. Here, the models wear their hoodies like a collective armor, and clothing ceases to be an instrument of domination to become a bond, a sign of belonging.
Finally, the last act turns its eyes towards the future, where power is no longer measured solely in capital, but in control over the body and time. Between the transhumanist obsession with extending life and the sovereign acceptance of aging, Matières Fécales confronts two irreconcilable visions of the future. On one side stands Bryan Johnson, obsessed with eternal youth. On the other, Michèle Lamy, gorgeous with her natural beauty. In the end, the story closes on the figure of an Elizabethan queen, the ultimate embodiment of frozen power, an ancient fantasy that continues to haunt our collective imagination.
What does fashion have to do with all of this?
If this third Matières Fécales show proves so compelling, it is above all because Hannah Rose Dalton and Steven Raj Bhaskaran fully mastered their subject. Indeed, approximation would simply not be tolerated here. The looks must be impeccable, both regarding their cut and the intention behind them.
Some references are, of course, fully acknowledged. The duo claim to have “fecalized” Dior’s New Look. Their collection echoes John Galliano, Lee Alexander McQueen and Demna. Yet, far from indulging in superficial name-dropping, Matières Fécales manages to digest these influences and deliver a precise, palpable and personal interpretation.
After such a performance, it becomes difficult to determine who embodies the greatest decadence — the wealthy figures they dissect, or the subversive designers themselves.
All the looks from the Matières Fécales Fall/Winter 2026-2027 show
