MANIA GRANDIOSA.From Tallinn to Paris
created together with Lisette Sivard 2023
textiles, performance, mixed media photos by Alana Proosa, Johann Kööp, Elo Vahtrik
MANIA GRANDIOSA. From Tallinn to Paris was the world’s longest fashion runway—spanning 124 kilometers over five days with ten models— beginning at Tallinn Airport and ending in the remote village of Pariisi, Eastern Estonia, at a local equestrian arena. The work served as a commentary on fashion, the local cultural landscape, and broader ideas about life in a small country.
It reflected the belief that determination leads to success and that fulfillment can only be earned through relentless effort. The performance echoed a pilgrimage to the fashion world’s “mecca”, a metaphor for the thousands who chase dreams of recognition and success. By weaving in the hunger for achievement and the competitive spirit typical of the fashion world, the piece examined the insecurities and everyday realities of cultural creatives in a small nation, melding self-irony and critique into a cohesive whole.
The longest, the hardest, the greatest, because such ambition is expected to lead somewhere. But what if, after the struggle, one arrives not in a fashion capital, but in a quiet country home? What happens when dreams shift, desires fade, and when does the journey ends?
Magenta was chosen as the central color, symbolically tying the work to Pantone’s 2023 Color of the Year.
Models: Piret Puppart, Anne Vetik, Rolands Peterkops, Johann Kööp, Alana Proosa, Edgar Vunsh, Karl Birnbaum, Loora Kaubi, Andreas Kübar, Mirjam Mõttus
