This is Not A Drill: Experimental Shows from Fashion Month
Every past fashion month looks a little different from one to another; whether that was the clothes displayed on the runway- or the shows themselves. Last season, we saw Coperni pay homage to Alexander McQueen’s Spring 1999 show when Shalom Harlow was covered in black spray paint as she playfully spun around. This time around, the fashion shows were much more experimental- taking ready-to-wear to a Ready Player One level.
AVAVAV
AVAVAV’s Fall/Winter 2023 showcase titled “Fake It Till You Break It” had models sporting looks that quite literally broke apart during the show. The collection was supposed to convey the message of poor-quality fashion, even in the luxury fashion industry. Several inoperable looks graced the runway such as a broken bag, snapping heels, and a visor from a cap falling off. The show closed with the runway wall collapsing after Creative Director Beate Karlsson took her bow.
SUNNEI
Italian brand Sunnei provided us with a concert-like take on a standard fashion show with their crowd-surfing models. While this was the biggest example of experimentation in the show, the assemblage was modeled by the brand’s team of designers, assistants, web managers, and more sporting the brand’s latest offerings. To adhere to the concert theme, rock and roll music blasted through the runway, sticking to the collection’s bold and edgy aesthetic.
ANREALAGE
For their Fall/Winter showcase, Japanese brand Anrealage explored the nature of all organisms while blending nostalgic 50s silhouettes with contrasting futuristic touches such as UV lights in various colors.
What brought out the experimental side during this show was the unveiling of looks through the UV lights, since, at first glance, they are neutral-toned and subtle- but once they are exposed to the light they are completely morphed into colorful, bold looks.
DIESEL
Diesel promoted sexual protection whilst delivering an exquisite showcase consisting of staple denim designs presented on a red-carpeted runway. The collection provided the usual Diesel silhouettes such as distressed garments and an ode to 90s and Y2K styles. The show featured a cascading mountain of 200,000 Diesel-branded rubbers- talk about experimentation.
While these are not all of the experimental fashion shows from this past fashion month, they are but a few of our favorites. In light of the pandemic, it seems that brands and designers are getting a lot more creative and bold with not only the looks that they create, but in the shows that they put on to display them as well. We can only expect to continue seeing this sort of experimentation in every fashion month hereafter.