Front Row Review: Riz Ahmed comedy Bait, Schiaparelli at the V&A
Mar 26, 2026
Amber Butchart, fashion historian and writer, offers sharp takes on Schiaparelli’s surreal designs. Rhianna Dhillon, critic and broadcaster, dissects Riz Ahmed’s comedy Bait and other screen releases. They debate casting culture, pacing and tone in Bait. Conversation also covers Schiaparelli’s whimsical couture and a Kafkaesque film about Stalinist bureaucracy, plus a controversy over a possibly AI-assisted novel.
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Buttons As Miniature Sculptures
- Amber loved Schiaparelli's miniature sculptural buttons and artist collaborations.
- Some buttons were made by artists like Giacometti and the show highlights couture merged with fine art.
Modern Couture Risks Drowning History
- Contemporary Daniel Roseberry pieces create spectacle but can overshadow Schiaparelli's historic work.
- Amber praised the wow factor of Roseberry's couture yet Rhianna felt it sometimes displaced Schiaparelli's originals.
Readers Spotted AI By Style Patterns
- Readers and online reviewers flagged AI-written prose through stylistic oddities, prompting publisher action.
- Repetitive metaphors, ‘sharp’ feelings misapplied and a rule-of-three cadence alerted communities on Reddit and YouTube.