Each year, the four fashion weeks are highly anticipated because of the new trends introduced, the celebrity-filled guest list’s and game-changing street style, but the way each venue is presented is starting to be part of the obsession.
Every year, the focus of attention changes from which model will appear at the show to which celebrity will sit in the front row to where the public going to be transported to next — at least hypothetically. Experiencing feelings during a runway show is starting to be the secret ingredient designers are adding to make their garments stand out even more.
Fourth-year fashion marketing and management student Tia Charmaine said, “I think it’s great marketing for the current audience. Nowadays bloggers, celebrities, influencers and frequent shoppers are the ones sitting and watching the shows, rather than bloggers and boutique owners. Their main purpose is to promote and post what they see rather tan actually choosing what goes into the stores. This is just another way we see how the fashion industry has shifted based off of the social atmosphere and consumer behavior.”
Although fashion weeks weren’t — and admittedly aren’t — always centralized on the venue, they have always been exclusive event with only the higher ups of society being invited. Ultimately the public would know about the fashions after a few days. Venues could have been small and simple because all the attention was given to the clothes.
Sending models down the runway in what will be the season’s best looks seemed the only way to convey a strong message. In more recent fashion weeks, however, designers have moved past this perspective and decided that a venue with a more elaborate set was the way to go.
We can never forget the pioneer of majestic runway sets: the late Karl Lagerfeld of Chanel. Lagerfeld’s long list of stunning show sets include Chanel Supermarket A/W 14, Chanel Cafe A/W 2015, Chanel Airways S/S 2016 and the Chanel A/W 2019 show which recreated an Alpine winter wonderland.
A more recent list of the best runway show sets includes Fenty Puma by Rhianna’s motorcycle course with pink sand dunes for S/S 2018, Thom Browne’s colorful geometric tiles for S/S 2017 and Saint Laurent’s A/W 2019 set depicting the Northern Lights.
To create these iconic sets, designers bring in props like masks, vehicles, and even natural elements like water and snow. Guests experience the beach or a forest for a more in-their-face feel for the collection.
Designers haven’t been limiting themselves to just decorating the indoors. French fashion designer Simone Porte Jacquemus, for his brand Jacquemus, set his show in the Valensole lavender fields of France. The designer added a long, pink catwalk and guests sat alongside it.
There are endless possibilities when it comes to designing the set of a fashion show. The multiple ways of expressing a story full of garments is slowly becoming one of the most important elements of having a truly striking season.
