PROVOCATIVE RUNWAYS

BY: Andy Shoulders

Needless to say, a lot happened in 2021.

In the world of fashion, we saw in-person runway shows return to the scene, albeit in increasingly different and creative ways. After the near-complete erasure of live shows in 2020, designers obviously had to up the creative ante in a new, almost entirely visual fashion landscape.

This sort of “forced creativity” ended up being something we didn’t know we needed so badly (actually, we probably did). Even now as live runway shows have returned, designers have nonetheless continued to think outside of the box when it comes to presenting their latest collections. Whether it’s an atypical venue, a melding of fashion with other art forms, or an increased juxtaposition of fashion and tech, 2021 gave us some of the most creative, outside-of-the-box runway presentations we’ve ever seen in what was otherwise a dumpster fire of a year.

During Paris Fashion Week this past September, Balmain staged a huge fashion show/music festival extravaganza to celebrate Olivier Rousteing’s 10-year anniversary with the fashion house (some people get a bike for their tenth birthday, Rousteing got Doja Cat). Although the fashion show itself was obviously breathtaking, it was the festival that perhaps made the most impact. The overflowing feeling of celebration and pure jubilance was palpable, and of course everyone looked great doing it.
 

 

 

Another standout show this year, Balenciaga’s episode of The Simpsons, took the concept of thinking outside the box to whole other, animated level. Back in October, the Italian fashion house staged a fake red carpet event at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris for its Spring/Summer 2022 collection, followed by a short film featuring the Simpsons characters wearing some of Balenciaga’s most iconic looks from years past. Here’s the kicker: only after the celebrities sat down for the short film did they realize that their walk down the red carpet was the actual runway show. Pure genius.
 

 

 

Gucci’s Spring/Summer 2022 show, its first since February of 2020, was one for the books. Creative Director Alessandro Michele took over a mile-long stretch of Hollywood Boulevard to showcase the collection, known as the Gucci Love Parade. Models and celebrities alike strutted down the boulevard, with a who’s who of Hollywood celebrating from the sidelines. Never before had a fashion house done something quite this grand (or that lengthy), and it was the perfect celebratory way to usher in a new era of in-person runway shows.
 

 

 

Not for nothing, an honorable mention must be made for Moschino’s Spring/Summer 2022 show. Themed “Ladies Who Lunch,” the tea-themed show saw models working baby-fied creations (think stuffed animal prints, and even a crib mobile worn as a headpiece) as well as mother-of-baby looks that would be perfect for any afternoon lunch. However, it wasn’t so much the looks themselves that got this show a mention. Rather, it was the inclusivity that made this show stand out from the others. Models of all colors, shapes, and sizes took part in the show – most notably Jeremy Scott’s newest muse, physically disabled transgender model Aaron Rose Philip. Her trip down the runway alone got a resounding round of applause from the attendees, resulting in a truly beautiful moment that put humanity first, fashion second.
 

 

 

Of course, certain looks we saw on the runways must be highlighted as well. The hyper-focus on showmanship over the past year essentially freed up designers’ minds to play with and make advancements in their use of material and texture. For instance, Loewe’s experiments with Grecian draping for its Spring/Summer 2022 show took the concept to another level, and gave us some of the most beautiful, and most importantly newest, shapes we’ve ever seen. Miu Miu refreshingly brought us back to 2003 with its extreme low-rise skirts and trousers, and in doing so unleashed the midriff we’ve been missing since Britney Spears pulled her pants back up. Dior’s use of color, most notably on the crisp skirt suits we saw for Spring/Summer 2022, reminded us that we still haven’t seen it all when it comes to how color is used and mixed. The usually broody Marine Serre gave us a little more light this time around, along with textures that made us literally want to reach into our screens and touch them – a next to impossible feat, considering runway shows almost always capitalize on what we see over what we want to touch.
 

 

 

 

 

Let’s hope this new era of unbridled creativity keeps going. This wave of innovation, both on the runway and in the clothing, is something the fashion industry has needed for years. More exciting shows make for more exciting fashion, which in turn results in more revenue. We’d call that a win-win.