The Silhouette as Character
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Originally published in AH Magazine, International Issue No. 7.
Presented here in a mobile-friendly format for subscribers.
Victor Weinsanto
on Paris, the body in motion, and fashion as stagecraft
Victor Weinsanto brings the discipline and instinct of dance into fashion. The body holds the line, movement reshapes construction, and the runway becomes a stage. His Paris is shaped by art, cabaret, club energy, architecture, and the elegance of a city he had long dreamed of, now translated into the language of his collections. In that language, the corset shapes proportion, sensuality is bound to control, and a silhouette becomes a character when the person wearing it embraces it as a role. For AH Magazine, Victor Weinsanto speaks about the discipline of ballet, the freedom of movement, the emotional force of fashion, and a collection in which operatic poise meets the raw energy of Paris by night.
When you think about Paris today, do you see it as a city, a stage, or a way of moving through the world? How does that vision of Paris enter your work?
When I think about Paris, I see it as something instinctive, present in the way people express themselves. It is an incredibly inspiring city, rich in history, and I feel very lucky to live here. It has always been a dream of mine. To me, Paris is a platform where art and culture naturally come together, allowing people to be truly themselves and develop their own artistic voice.
WEINSANTO, FW26 “After Midnight”. Photography: Marcello Junior Dino. © Weinsanto 2026.
It is also a constant source of inspiration in my work. The Parisienne, in a way, becomes a recurring thread each season. More broadly, the city itself, its history, and its imagery often feed directly into my collections. There is an undeniable elegance in its architecture and atmosphere, and that inevitably influences what I create.
You came to fashion through ballet. What has dance permanently taught you about the body, posture, and the way a silhouette comes alive?
I came to fashion through a background in dance, so it naturally taught me discipline in the work and in the process, but also a real sense of freedom in movement. It gave me an understanding of the stage, of how to build a runway, how to direct models according to the collection, and how to think about a complete mise en scène. It also taught me to listen to the body, to the environment, and to the audience. That is something I truly love in my work today. I think it allows me to be less of a traditional designer and more of a choreographer, in a way. I like to create scenes, to build narratives, and to imagine how a collection will live through movement, posture, and presence.
In your work, a look often feels like a character rather than simply clothing. At what point does a silhouette become a character for you?
In my work, each look often feels like a character, and that is something I love. I am very drawn to storytelling, to attitudes, and to identities. The garment helps the person wearing it step more fully into a role, whether it is a dangerous figure, a witch, or a court favourite from another era. There is always a narrative behind it.
The models and dancers I work with are already strong personalities. They inspire me, and the idea is never to transform them, but to amplify who they are and let that evolve into something more expressive. When they fully embrace it, the silhouette comes alive; it becomes something real.
The corset is one of your recurring signatures, yet in your work it never feels nostalgic. What does it allow you to say today about the body, control, and taking up space?
The corset is definitely a recurring signature in my work, and it has always fascinated me. I have always loved the idea of shaping the body, tightening the waist, exaggerating proportions, and enhancing curves. There is something very sensual about corsetry, but also something connected to control, for example, in the act of lacing itself. Coming from dance, I find that interesting, because you might think it contradicts movement. But I actually love that tension between constraint and fluidity. Even when it restricts the body, it creates posture, presence, and a certain elegance.
I always incorporate lacing at the back as well. It is part of my signature, but it also allows the garment to adapt to different bodies. A piece can work across sizes, which keeps it both sensual and flexible. So, beyond the aesthetic, there is also something very practical and inclusive in the way I approach it.
There is drama, humour, and exaggeration in your world, but there is also real emotion beneath it. When do you feel fashion stops being an image and starts becoming emotional language?
Humour is essential to me. I love it when a collection feels alive and carries real emotion beyond the image. For me, fashion begins when it creates a feeling, through movement, attitude, or a simple gesture. Whether it is joy, exaggeration, or vulnerability, it has to make you feel something. In the end, fashion is about telling stories and making emotion visible.
In your recent work, there is a clear tension between the discipline of dance and the untamed energy of Parisian nightlife. Where does that tension feel most alive to you in the current collection, whether in a specific look, silhouette, or gesture?
In my recent collection, I really wanted to explore contrast. The show was divided into two parts. The first was calmer, more romantic, almost like going to the opera, with a sense of elegance and restraint. Then it shifted. There was a performance by Mimi and Julie Demont, two of my longtime muses, which brought a much rawer, more intense energy. It was about showing that these worlds can coexist. You can go to the opera and then go dancing in a club straight afterwards. That duality feels very personal to me.
You could see it in the silhouettes as well: something refined, slightly undone, never too polished. It really came alive through the movement and the attitude of the girls.
Victor Weinsanto | WEB
This article is part of AH Magazine Issue No. 7.
To experience the full digital edition, visit your private Digital Library.
