On a warm June evening in Paris, Rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis buzzed like it was hosting the final of the Champions League. Crowds spilled out of Le Saint Denis, drinks in hand, voices raised in anticipation. But this wasn’t a football match they were gathered for – in fact, it was Jonathan Anderson’s Dior Spring Summer 26 menswear debut, streamed on a big screen to an audience that had never set foot inside the show venue.
At the centre of this scene was Lyas (you may know him as @ly.as on Instagram), a French fashion critic who's gained traction online for his sharp TikTok commentary – and was recently listed in the Business of Fashion 500. When his invitation to the Dior spectacle never arrived, Lyas flipped the script and invited his followers to join him in a bar for a collective viewing. And the turnout – as well as the event's reception online – was rapturous: the very first fashion watch party.
Of course, streaming fashion shows isn’t a brand-new concept. Helmut Lang was broadcasting in 1998, Alexander McQueen in 2010, and the pandemic forced nearly every luxury House to adapt to digital streaming formats. But with younger generations carving out new in-person rituals – run clubs, communal dinners, creative meetups – it feels natural in a way that fashion’s digital underground, long active on TikTok and Discord, would be itching for a way to take that sense of community into physical spaces.
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A new kind of front row
Hundreds of students, stylists, and enthusiasts pressed shoulder to shoulder, swapping exclamations and gasps in unison as each look made its way down the runway. There was an electric energy that felt palpable even through the iPhone screen I watched it on in bed – a far cry from the traditional restraint and aloof demeanour of the elite guests inside a show. This felt more inclusive, more real. In that moment, it became obvious that the “front row” wasn’t a velvet-roped seat – it was wherever people could gather and share the excitement of fashion together.
Lyas soon realised he had stumbled onto something bigger than a one-off event. He announced plans to launch 'La WATCHPARTY', a series that would hit major fashion capitals during September fashion month. His vision? A traveling program of communal screenings that respect the audience and put fans – rather than PR strategy – at the centre.
So when and where are the La WATCHPARTY events?
This fall, the project officially takes flight. In partnership with the British Fashion Council, 'La WATCHPARTY' launches in London before moving to Milan, where Meta x Whoopsee will lend support.
The finale arrives in Paris, with La Caserne hosting daily screenings for up to a thousand guests between 29 September and 6 October.
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