Chanel crasher reveals why she stormed Paris Fashion Week runway and calls Gigi Hadid ‘rude’

‘I think nowadays fashion doesn’t make people happy. It makes people ridiculous and pretentious’

The prankster who clambered onto Chanel’s runway at Paris Fashion Week has revealed her only intention behind the stunt was to “make people happy”.

In an interview with The New York Times, Marie Benoliel argued that the fashion industry takes itself too seriously.

“We’re talking about clothing,” she said. “It has to be joyful, it has to be funny, it has to make people happy. And I think nowadays fashion doesn’t make people happy. It makes people ridiculous and pretentious.”

Benoliel explained that she wanted to target Chanel specifically because it is “of course the most prestigious brand”.

“I wanted to get inside the show to put my little touch to say ‘yeah this is important, this is art, but we can be joyful’,” she added.

Benoliel, who goes by the stage name Marie S’Infiltre, has gatecrashed several fashion shows in the past, having infiltrated the Etam runway just days earlier.

The 28-year-old YouTuber revealed she had borrowed a vintage Chanel suit from her mother for Monday’s prank, which saw her talk her way into the French label’s show before slowly approaching the catwalk, climbing onto it, and walking among the other models for the finale procession.

Benoliel explained she had intended to smoke a cigarette on the catwalk, but model Gigi Hadid intervened before she could light up and escorted her off the runway.

“She was rude,” Benoliel said of Hadid. “Then, after, there were three models that wanted to fight. I didn’t understand why she was like this, so aggressive. Of course she doesn’t know me. I can understand that she wanted to protect her friends.”

Despite her comments, Benoliel added that she is a fan of Gigi. “I think now we can be close friends,” the prankster said. “She thought I was a crazy girl. But she’s right. She’s right actually.”

In response to the incident, Chanel provided the following statement confirming that Benoliel’s appearance was unplanned.

“This person is a comedian known for this type of prank,” the label said. “She had crashed another runway recently. Her presence on the catwalk was not planned.”