A robot show, acrobatics, a desert setting or the Chinese Wall… Some fashion shows can’t be beaten anymore and have become legends. Below we present a few of them
McQueen became famous for the fact that each of his shows was a specific work of art. For one of them he brought… robots, which on the catwalk, on the fly, painted the dress of the model Shalom Harlow, moving between them on a platform. The whole thing took the form of a performance, in which the model also showed off her acting skills. It was a show!
Hussein Chalayan was also interested in the space of the theater and placed his show in one of them – on the boards of the legendary London dance theater Sadler’s Wells. Chalayan’s interest in the relationship between science and the human body led to some very strange solutions. The main room on stage was a modestly decorated living room, where models appeared dressed in seemingly simple clothing, such as a black coat or a light brown trench, and then… hid household items under their clothes or in their pockets. They roamed the stage in stiff black dresses inspired by Christian Dior, crinkled skirts or shirts with strange prints.
It was one of the most spectacular shows, because of the place chosen, as a part of the Great Wall of China was transformed into a catwalk. Karl Lagerfeld was the creative director and the whole investment amounted to more than 10 million dollars.
Chanel shows were often characterized by incredible splendor and opulence and usually took place in Paris, at the Grand Palais. Karl Lagerfeld created an exquisite underwater fantasy starring Florence Welch. In the decisive scene, just before singing her hit, she emerged from the shell like Venus, in a pearl gown.
The shows also featured a circus theme, used on the border of fashion and performance. Jeremy Scott created a circus-themed show for the Italian fashion house. Scott took on the role of ringleader, and for the finale, the circus troupe (along with RuPaul’s Drag Race star and burlesque actress Violet Chachki) ended the show with a display of acrobatics.
The pandemic has forced the fashion world to change its previous approach to shows, especially their form – they had to go online. Versace has already presented a collection inspired by a return to a very classical approach using a Greek labyrinth. Models walk its corridors, presenting outfits with purely geometric cuts, in a strong palette that represents strength and confidence.
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