The norm-bending French designer behind edgy brand Coucou Bebe 75018 organised his first show on the sidelines of Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday featuring models in a mixed martial arts-style fighting ring.

“It’s intended to be performance art,” the self-taught Parisian who goes by the name Kanoush told AFP while hiding his face and refusing to reveal his identity, as usual.

“I’d like to cause a glitch in Fashion Week, as I’ve created glitches in everything I’ve done before,” he added, explaining his desire to deviate from the classic fashion runway events.

Coucou Bebe 75018 — which is a combination of a greeting used by prostitutes and the postcode of Kanoush’s Pigalle area in northern Paris — has earned a growing following thanks to its collage-laden jackets and references to French politics.

The brand is sold worldwide from Tokyo to Miami — with jackets costing more than 700 euros ($730) — and has been spotted on US-British rapper 21 Savage and K-pop star Ni-Ki, the leader of the group Enhypen.

Kanoush said he is inspired by the work of controversial Russian performance artist Pyotr Pavlensky, who once nailed his scrotum to Moscow’s Red Square and sewed up his lips before fleeing into exile in France.

“We share a common point: creating moments that spectators can’t believe,” Kanoush said of Pavlensky, who features on one of his jackets. “I do things that make people say, ‘This is fake, it’s not possible, it’s AI, it doesn’t exist, it’s a montage.'”

Kanoush launched his label about 10 years ago, in his early 20s.

“I don’t know how to sew, but I know how to glue,” he explained, adding that his initial creations were more artworks than wearable clothing.

“I was doing a bit of everything– music, writing… But at some point, what opened the most doors for me was clothing,” he added.

He insisted that he is not political despite frequently using political leaders such as former French prime minister Elisabeth Borne and far-right figurehead Marine Le Pen on his jackets.

“I’m just having fun with the situation because it’s better to laugh than cry,” he said.