Elias Medini, known as Lyas, hosted an upgraded Watch Party during Paris Fashion Week after accusing Vogue of copying his event concept. The gathering featured a live runway show by label Zomer before streaming Saint Laurent’s collection to 2,000 attendees. The event emphasized audience interaction to create a more immersive experience.
On Saturday, Elias Medini, also known as Lyas—the creator of fashion week Watch Parties, which stream runway shows for live audiences—posted a video on social media accusing Vogue of 'stealing' his concept. The response was largely supportive, with commenters on Instagram and TikTok portraying Lyas's free events as an underdog against the invite-only publication. However, some questioned whether gathering people to watch a public livestream could truly be owned by one party.
For the kickoff Watch Party at Paris Fashion Week, 2,000 attendees filled a Parisian theatre to view Saint Laurent’s winter collection as it premiered elsewhere in the city. The event began with a new element: an in-person runway show by Paris-based label Zomer. Zomer has appeared on the official Paris Fashion Week calendar five times since 2024 and won the LVMH and ANDAM prizes that year.
“It’s very important for me not just to screen the ten minutes of a fashion show, but to build an experience around it that I would like to attend,” said Lyas. Audience engagement was central, with three attendees invited backstage to record content, including interviews with models and makeup artists. Lyas, who attended the actual Saint Laurent show, joined the crowd afterward for an hour-long discussion of the show notes, which he had signed by creative director Anthony Vaccarello and raffled to one participant. Attendees rated the show from one to five stars via QR code and shared thoughts using a microphone.
Although model Bella Hadid was scheduled for a surprise appearance but did not attend, Lyas invited another model to discuss her industry experiences. Additional screenings are planned, including Tom Ford, Balenciaga, a secret show, and an after-event following Chanel on Monday.
Zomer partnered with sponsors Casio, Asics, and L’Oréal, with models wearing the brands’ watches and shoes onstage. “We don’t really dream anymore in fashion, I don’t see the dream,” said Lyas. “I look at runways and they get blander and blander, and that’s why I’m trying to create an event that makes people dream, or at least myself.”
“It’s so complicated when you’re a young, independent individual to compete with those corporations,” Lyas told The Business of Fashion. “They have all the funds, they have all the money, and they just come and steal young people’s ideas. This is a tale as old as time in fashion … So sadly, you have to be outspoken about it.”
