Fashion Week’s Plastic Surgery Show

As models sashayed down the runway, the surgeries they had undergone -- liposuction, rhinoplasty, breast augmentation -- flashed onscreen behind them

  • Share
  • Read Later
Dave Kotinsky / FilmMagic

R. Ramtin Kassir and some of his patients

As Fashion Week drew to a clothes, one show stood out as possibly even more superficial than the rest.

Celebrity plastic surgeon Dr. Ramtin Kassir put on the first plastic surgery show in New York Fashion week history, dubbed “Faces of Beauty.” The concept, we suppose, was to treat cosmetic surgery like fashion—something to indulge in, something to make you feel more confident, something to help you feel better, something to envy, something to easily slip on. But of course, it doesn’t easily slip on. It’s surgery.

The show included “before” and “after” photos of patients as they strutted down the catwalk to publicize the plastic surgeon’s work. Dr. Kassir apparently hoped to dispel the stereotype that only Hollywood stars go under the knife and make plastic surgery seem more accessible to the general public. Ironically, according to Cosmopolitan, “the crowd looked like they’d had more work done than the models.” The models themselves were mostly in their 20s and had generally subtle work done — nose jobs mostly.

As the models walked down the runway, the surgeries they had received flashed on screens behind them in big, bold letters: “LIPOSUCTION,” “RHINOPLASTY,” “IMPLANT.” (“BREAST AUGMENTATION” was noticeably missing from the lineup but will make next year’s lineup.) The finale was a mother and daughter—both of whom compete in pageants, both of whom have undergone many cosmetic surgeries—walking together down the runway in sashes and tiaras. The two look pretty much the same age.

The reception at Fashion Week wasn’t particularly warm. “Fashion week is about fashion … it’s not for people to decide on what face-lift to get,” New York Fashion Week founder Fern Mallis told the Daily News. The show was not an official NYFW show, even though the press release suggested otherwise.

Watch the video below for a glimpse of the show:

[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3erJfrYqe2Y”%5D