Recently, Milan and London Fashion Week took place and there were a lot of highlights from the week, but one show that stood out was Beate Karlsson’s 2023 Spring/Summer collection which showcased models literally falling on the runway. Beate Karlsson is the creative director of AVAVAV and for the show she held in Milan, she sent out models in large furry “Moonster” boots and oversized hoodies and fur coats. The idea of the pieces was to show “success and failure” and to poke fun at the thought of being wealthy, and the trend of
people “faking it until they make it”. The show was fun to watch as models would either flop over, committing to the fall, or fall in slow motion and it got me thinking: Why don’t more shows do this? Where did the fun in these runway shows go? Why doesn’t fashion seem as creative as it used to be?
I’m not saying there is no creativity in the fashion industry, but I do believe there has been a pattern of shows solely being about the pieces shown in traditional ways. Some creative directors just don’t seem to be taking risks and for the most part, nothing truly stands out of left field. There have been some shows in recent times that are fun, like the Gucci “Twinsburg” show, which also took place in Milan. Twins would walk side by side, hand in hand, as they walked in trenchcoats, cardigans, and jorts, each with silver tribal wear covering their face. It’s not the most outlandish thing ever, but it just adds another dimension to the show outside of the traditional format where models just walk down the runway looking angry. Sticking with Gucci, the Gucci Love Parade was one of the best shows in recent years due to the atmosphere that was set, with models walking down Hollywood Boulevard, with a soundtrack backed by Bjork. The setting just sent viewers back to old western Hollywood, as history was the primary theme of the show.
There is a certain glamour that is expected of these shows, but it always feels like there could be more. Alexander McQueen is one of the most revered creative directors of all time and I believe this is partly due to the stories he would tell with his shows, and how each piece shown was a page in the larger book that was being written. Shows like Nihilism, Highland Rape, The Shining, and The Birds all highlighted McQueen’s creativity and each piece meant something and added an allure that I feel is just missing nowadays. Sticking with Milan, look at the Bottega Veneta show, a brand that has been making waves, had a run-of-the-mill show. Special chairs were set up for the audience with the idea of taking the audience through different occasions, but the overall show was lackluster. With no art behind it, it simply felt uninspired. The setting was cool, with the multi-colored floored with various pathways to walk in which models looped through, but overall, there wasn’t anything too groundbreaking about the show. Brands are too focused on either predicting trends or creating new ones, and there is an obvious lack of creativity or fun behind the pieces they want to show off. I long for a push for fashion to be more fun, and exciting.
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