Fashion Spectacles

A Scene from McQueen's S/S 1999 Show

Simple presentations in private ateliers are no longer comparable to the contemporary shows that have become theatrical spectacles.

More and more designers prefer to use special effects to present their collections. A series of socio-cultural dynamics contributed to this change during the years. Courrèges  1964 presentation marked the revolution for this new environment. During the Sixties, fashion shows started changing, elaborate scenes and costumes, lights and music began appearing.

Mugler's 1984 Collection

In 1984 Thierry Mugler, together with a rock businessman, presented his collection as an enormous show, where a cast of 50 people and an audience of more than 6000 people were invited. Other designers who changed the fashion shows were Gianni Versace during the Eighties, and Alexander McQueen and John Galliano during the Nineties.

An example of one of the most unforgettable fashion shows organized was by McQueen during his 1999 spring/summer collection, named N°13. For the show, the designer organized a scene where the model steps on a circular platform turning as if she was a ragdoll, whilst mechanical hands were spraying yellow and black spray paint on her white dress, thus creating a surreal performance.

Source: Evans, Caroline."Fashion at the Edge: Spectacle, Modernity and Deathliness".