Paris's TOYZ welcomes the Sextou London spirit for a night of cross-city, underground exchange at Paris Fashion Week.
There’s always been a sheer abundance of parties during Fashion Week, but very few are championing the queer nightlife space quite like Paris-based collective TOYZ. So when it was announced that London’s very own queer-led Sextou would be collaborating with them, it came as no surprise that we would be in for a late-night blockbuster of bumping techno, addictive energy and daring fashion.
Having met when TOYZ’s founder, Kamil, came to play at a Sextou party in London, the collaboration fell into place organically, with the latter’s founder, Umberto Borracia, saying, “The energy was a match. We realised we were asking similar questions about gay and queer nightlife, about sexiness, about care, about freedom, and about what kind of spaces we want and need.”
When plotting Sextou’s debut night out abroad, the French capital felt like the most natural destination, with Borraccia explaining, “What we’ve always loved about the Parisian party scene is its deep connection to culture — art, fashion, politics — but also its respect for the underground. There’s a rawness and intention in how nights are built here, and a real attention to detail.” TOYZ’s Kamil was more than happy to welcome London’s underground to his hometown, as he says, “There’s something very free, very sexy, and very emotional about the London gay and queer party scene — it’s bodily, it’s music-led, it’s community-based. Sextou carries that with a lot of care, especially in how they curate line-ups and build the atmosphere of their nights.”
Amidst the gentrification of gay spaces, collectives like Sextou and TOYZ aren’t just a good night out (which they are), but are essential and, as Borraccia puts it, “cultural platforms, archives, and laboratories. [TOYZ and Sextou] create spaces where people can experiment and express their identity, desire, pleasure, sound, aesthetics, and freedom. That’s why they’re still essential.”
With photographer Evan Woods on the lens, we got an exclusive look into this major night at the legendary À La Folie, including a special appearance from Italian singer Mahmood. Check out the images below.
