Paris Fashion Week, the epitome of chic, glamor–and bed bugs? Yes, you heard that right. As A-list celebrities and fashion influencers flocked to the City of Lights, they unknowingly brought the unexpected company of bed bugs, the parasitic insect that parallels lice both in disgust and embarrassment. These tiny uninvited guests made their own bold fashion statement by infiltrating the fashion world and mingling with the rich and famous. Social media stars Alix Earle, Monet McMichael, & Meredith Duxbury were among the fresh faces invited to walk in Paris Fashion Week. They quietly swapped their Dior for bug repellent and Chanel for bed nets as fashion attendees tip-toed around Paris, clearly dissing the latest trend to sweep the streets and sheets of the city. 

However, more weathered stars adopted the trend with open arms. Paris Hilton was spotted shopping for a bed-bug-inspired purse!

These creatures swept through the city, crawling to wherever they could get, from airports to the movie theaters and even to the Paris Metro. 

In all seriousness, socialites and fashion writers alike shifted the focus away from elegant couture and toward the importance of pest control and cleanliness. There was even talk of the necessity of buying a $220 bed bug-killing heater. The mayor of Paris, Emmanuel Gregoire, categorized the infestation as “widespread” and issued a statement that “no one was safe.” Yet, despite this major outbreak, according to the New York Times, Parisians weren’t all that concerned as bars, restaurants, fashion shows, and clubs were just as packed as prior to this plague.

Many are wondering…will this bed bug infestation affect the 2024 Paris Olympics? That’s in less than 9 months!

As Paris Fashion Week came to an end, one thing was sure: the bed bugs had left a memorable mark. Their unforeseen invasion not only brought together the world of fashion in a common itch—catch the pun?—but also demonstrated that even the most glamorous events are not immune to the world’s inane twists.