Fashion shows are some of the most influential and anticipated events
in the industry on an international level. The collection of course is the purpose of the event,
but there is much to recognize that goes into creating each show in order
for a fashion house to debut a collection every season. One contribution to bringing a fashion
show to life is today’s focus: set design, the atmosphere, scenery, details, special effects,
color palette, stylistic and architectural elements all go into creating the experience.
Set designers are posed with the task of evolving a space into a conceptual affair
that complements the collection and brings the audience into the life of the fashion house
while remaining functional for the intent by which it serves- to convey the creative vision.
The modern fashion show dates back all the way back to the 1860s, English fashion designer
Charles Frederick Worth began to use live models rather than mannequins to present his creations in
Paris. This set the precedent of how a runway or catwalk is defined as a flat platform that
runs into an auditorium or between sections of an outdoor seating area, used by models to showcase
clothing and accessories during a fashion show. Though the concept is simple in understanding,
the execution is a radical multi-sensory event. Set designers go behind the
inspiration for the collection to translate it into the visuals in a tangible vivid manner.
In present times, a fashion show has transformed into an immersive, atmospheric, and theatrical
presentation that obscures the line between art and commerce for a moment of pure creativity,
serving as a bridge to communicate the collection from the fashion house to the public.
Alexandre de Betak, who has created sets for Dior, Helmut Lang, and Galliano stated,
“It’s a very silly thing to think that a fashion show is a futile, immoral thing.
Before anything else, it has the purpose of communicating brands
that create, that all together are part of an industry that provides for people in the world.”
So with this background and understanding of the work of a set designer,
it is evident that the visuals of the runway is crucial in showcasing the collection,
here are the top ten most breathtaking and boundary-pushing runways.
Let’s begin with Alexander McQueen Fall/Winter 1999,
"The Overlook'' sourcing from the 1980 horror film "The Shining" which was set in the Overlook hotel,
McQueen showcased beauty in the darkness of ruin in a Victorian-themed clear snow globe-esque box
with 25 tons textured snow and planted birches to give the runway tones of luxurious yet delicate
beauty. Figure skaters broke the stillness as models walked on an ice floor in garments of
the winter theme, featuring a range of icicles from rock crystals and metals to soft knits and
luxurious furs. He translated the emotions of the film into the clothing and atmosphere
in hand with the theatrics of the show which is separated into sections. The first introduced
the nature of fragile visions and as the runway progresses the pastels begin to darken,
clothing becomes more structured, and for the end, the palette is stark white with soft lines.
The show ended in a snowstorm where a model adorned with crystal rocks as if
growing from her skin walks out and the models look out into the audience through the glass.
Under John Galliano, Christian Dior Spring 1998 haute couture took place at the Palais
Garnier Opera House in Paris where the collection was showcased theatrically,
drawing inspiration from Marchesa Casati and her fascination with the Ballets Russe through opera
coats, Art Nouveau prints, and the styling of accessories. This Italian heiress was known for
idiosyncratic looks which then were united with the classic Dior "New Look" in execution. Models
descend the grand marble stairs as if they were in an early 20th-century salon or ball
to the orchestra surrounded by tango dancers and numerous extras dressed as characters
from the world's greatest operas. The runway ended with thousands of pastel-colored tissue paper
confetti butterflies cascading down on both the final looks and guests.
When the clock chimed 10 at Louis Vuitton RTW Fall 2012, steam materialized from the black gates
of the runway and a false floor uncovered the train tracks by which a full functional
one-carriage train pulled into the set. The train was noted to be hand-built
from scratch by the Vuitton team. Not only was an exterior built, but the interior featured
upholstery and luggage racks in wood paneling. The models were each accompanied by a porter
who carried their bags and luggage. The show was rooted in heritage, the brand's beginnings
are formed in luggage as well as trunk making. Elements of the Vuitton luggage history were
utilized both in the clothing as well as the set to pay respect to history. Accuracy was
not the goal, but rather grasping the romantic notions of the era and the beauty within it.
Looking into the future, for Chanel Fall 2017 READY-TO-WEAR the Grand Palais was
transformed into a space station with a 35 meters/115 feet high rocket at the center.
The design was in the classic clean black and white interpretation of Chanel codes
with the house's motifs in the details along with the show's details printed across. The
collections concept was a nod to the great era of space exploration found in galaxy-oriented looks
brought to life by mod silhouettes that models sported on the platforms surrounding the rocket.
For the finale, a countdown began and models surrounded the spaceship on the
closest platform with smoke expelling out for the launch as Elton John's 'Rocket Man' began to play.
The rocket lifted and the rest of the models walked out to bring the show to a close.
For Fendi FALL 2016 couture the Trevi Fountain of Rome underwent a 2.4 million dollar restoration to
become a remarkable stage for the 90th-anniversary show. The Trevi Fountain is the largest Baroque
fountain in the city that is connected to the fabled past of Rome and one of the most
well-known fountains in the world. The theme of the collection was "Legends and Fairy Tales";
the set contributed to the dreamy and otherworldly tones of the collection.
Models walked on a clear glass runway, giving the illusion of walking on the water of the fountain,
hence bestowing each a goddess-like look. The enchanting appeal of the atmosphere added elements
of grace and whimsy derived from a book of fairy tales, East of the Sun and West of the Moon,
illustrated by the Danish artist Kay Nielsen by which the clothing carries the tones of.
Taking advantage of the digital runway with endless possibilities, the Maison Margiela Co-Ed
Collection Spring-Summer 2021 was presented in a double narrative film that tells the story of the
collection along with a thriller narrative with an aim to provoke both intellectual and emotional
thoughts. The set design plays into the intense and passionate concept appearing through a home,
graphics, and bodies of water to convey the themes of community, family values,
and generational exchange. The background is eery to complement the striking tango
and family drama captured in gothic imagery. Water splashes in the darkness through movement and
in the second installment models are submerged into the water to capture the artistry,
movement, and classic offering of deconstruction from the fashion house.
In Spring 2005, Alexander McQueen presented his collection through a supermodel chess set
made of light-wearing garments that were a mix of eighteenth-century silhouettes
and traditional kimono pieces with embroidery on a respective side chess set. Each look was stylized
in the image of a particular chess piece and the models moved around
the runway as if they were the piece they were dressed as in unison with the lighting.
The concept was derived from the designer's interests in capturing the image of women,
women who were seen as game pieces in a narrative outside of themselves. A mechanical
voiceover provoked unnerving feelings as it gave directions to the “players” who moved in
a centered manner in respect to their two queens, played by models Gemma Ward and Hana Soukupouva.
At one of the most keenly awaited designer debuts, Raf Simons garnered a new era
through Christian Dior Fall Couture 2012. Simons drew inspiration from the founder’s
love of flowers as well as the DIOR “Flower Woman” for the set design in Christian Dior’s residence
with a series of intimate rooms that were adorned with flowers from the ceiling to the floor. White
orchids, pink peonies, royal blue delphiniums, and multicolored roses blooming in another room.
Joining together the past to the present for a new era of the fashion house Simons stated,
the flowers are "almost a metaphor for the collection as a whole. I wanted it
to be linked to the codes of Christian Dior – but to make it dynamic, modern, energetic.”
In honor of the 10th anniversary of his eponymous brand, Jacquemus hosted his SPRING/SUMMER 2020
show by revisiting tradition through a lens of artistry inspired by legendary artwork with quite
literal roots. The models in the 65-look unisex collection walked in the symbolic and captivating
lavender fields on a Fushia pink carpet stretched 500-meters that paid homage to post-impressionists
with statements inspired by the pop element of David Hockney landscapes and Christo
installations. In an interview with Vogue, the designer explained,
"“I wanted it to look like a David Hockney painting or a Christo installation through
the fields,” he said. “With lots of prints. A painting within a painting”
At the World Cup France 1998 before the final match, a Yves Saint Laurent fashion show was held
at the Stade de France where 300 models walked, celebrating Yves Saint Laurent’s forty years
working in fashion. Production consisted of 900 backstage hands,
130 dressers, and 4,000 stadium staff to organize the fifteen-minute event,
which was viewed by 1.7 billion international spectators on live television. The fashion
show possessed six themes that showcase the boundless and everlasting range of the designer,
each with 50 models to talk wearing garments that the fashion house has offered since 1958
on a catwalk designed to look like the sky. At the center was a red YSL logo. The set design
paid tribute, it was a historical moment of French culture, sports, and fashion.
As we can see from this range of fashion shows, the set design goes beyond space, it truly defines
and creates the experience of a fashion show so that the creative vision is not just seen, but
felt and touches the heart in a manner suitable to the collection. Whether it be subtle and
minimal or theatrical and extravagant- set design serves to ensure an immersive experience,
to transport people even just for a moment into a world, concept, or emotion. The people
behind the set aid in defining a moment, their ideas, creativity, and work make the experience
what it is seen and felt as. Their abilities and skills in hand with the creative vision
of a collection provide the space where the whole world falls away for one moment of authentic,
engaging, and inspiring beauty through a lens of the fashion house that we may look through.
I hope you enjoyed this video, if you did please subscribe, like,
turn on notifications, and comment. Thank you so much for watching.