Fashion Show, Catwalk Runway Show Event. Detail of lined up rear view, fashion models.
For those who aren’t interested in designer fashion, a runway show can seem like nothing more than a showcase of expensive clothing. What some may not know is that these shows are so much deeper than just that, they feature intricate details that all come together to tell a story or get a message across through not only the clothes, but the cast, the set, the location, and more.
Bliss Foster is a runway analyst and fashion commentator, he’s worked as a stylist and also worked at Helmut Lang. Bliss spoke on how runway shows can tell a story through these different elements.
“I think artists need to embrace creativity if we give a designer free reign over what they’re creating, the story that comes out of that is going to be a lot better than one that is held back by business goals.”
Bliss also spoke on designers that tell a particularly good story
“Rick Owens is especially good at telling a good narrative story. Babel from 2019, Rick built an architectural setpiece in the middle of the Palais de Tokyo in Paris, the tower was sort of supposed to symbolically represent the Tower of Babel. During the show, while the models were still walking he set it on fire.”
In-person shows got put on pause in 2020 because of COVID-19. Fashion is very slow to adopt new ideas, but 2020 forced them to do so, most designers switched to a virtual method of showcasing their new works, which opened doors for whole new kinds of storytelling.
Karsten Kroening, fashion vlogger, spoke on which shows he felt stood out from 2020’s virtual showings.
“Balenciaga’s video game show stands out for me, it was extremely reactionary like most of these shows had to be. Their take on it was that we are living in a digital world, we are speaking on Zoom, we go to class in the digital world, we go to work in the digital world, our family, our friends, everything is in this digital world. So Balenciaga is giving you a reflection of that by giving you this experience in the digital world and putting you into an online video game to show you their clothes.”
Runway fashion is so much deeper than just expensive clothes on a catwalk, designers like Rich Owens, Demna Gvasalia and Martin Margiela have always found ways to make the show about more than just clothes, there is always a deeper meaning to every detail if you’re willing to look for it.
So next time you see a runway show, have a look at what is going on in the background, you might be surprised what you learn as you watch.
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