FASHION

Christina Ricci Makes a Surprise Modeling Appearance at Batsheva’s Fall 2019 Presentation

The elusive actress made a surprise modeling cameo at Batsheva.


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At New York Fashion Week, surprise cameos on the runway are a given. But the designer Batsheva Hay managed to truly shock with the casting for her fall 2019 presentation: Christina Ricci, the ever-elusive actress, turned up as a model in the show, where she appeared unrecognizable thanks to a blonde, curly hairpiece by the hairstylist Dennis Lanni.

In the NYFW show, Ricci descended down a spiral staircase in one of the brand’s characteristic flouncy dresses. She wore a mop-top wig with a red-and-black floral dress. At the bottom of the stairs, she, along with 25 other models, recited Courtney Love’s “Hole” lyrics, which complemented the vibe of the collection, which Hay described as being influenced by “me being taken around the Salvation Army when I was a teenager.”

Ricci also posted a photo of herself in Batsheva character to her Instagram page, writing in the caption, “My look at @batshevadress today! ❤️❤️❤️❤️.” The photo offered a closer look at the wig that made her so hard to spot, which was inspired by the clothes in the collection. As Lanni explained to Vogue about the extensions and wigs, “People tend to hide that, but I wanted to show the handmade work. It was a little bit like a fairy tale, a little bit Dr. Seuss.”

Christina Ricci and designer Batsheva Hey at Batsheva’s fall/winter 2019 show during New York Fashion Week on February 12, 2019.

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This isn’t the first show in which Ricci has modeled. Back in 2004, she walked in Louis Vuitton’s spring 2005 show. Plus, modeling is in her genes: Her mother was a model, which is one of the reasons she was so reluctant to allow Ricci to pursue a career as a child actress, as Ricci revealed in 2017. “My mother had been a model from the time that she was a teenager, so she always said no, because she didn’t like how she had been treated. But by the time it came to me, my siblings were old enough to tell her that she should really let me try it out,” she told The Telegraph, adding of her experience as a child actress: “I’m here and I’m great and there’s no problem. But I don’t think that being a child actor is healthy for people. It immediately takes you out of the shared human experience. Nobody can guide you through it. Who’s going to do that? To tell you how you feel and how you react to things? Nobody. Nobody can. That’s why there’s a traditional way of raising children. But…it’s just the way it is.” Clearly she’s making the best out of it.