Enticing shows are the ones that truly make an impact, sometimes the fashion itself isn’t enough..
This generation of fashion depends almost entirely on social media and internet publicity to make any sort of step to the top of the fashion hierarchy pyramid. Unless your life, career, or interests revolve around fashion, it’s unusual that specific runway shows will reach the eye of those who know nothing about that realm or way of life. While the fashion itself is fun and exciting, designers have been able to step up their game by adding fun and exciting elements to their shows that distinguish them from other brands entirely. Whether that’s adding a surprise guest artist or turning a runway into something unconventional, teams should be working towards standing out among an industry where that is sometimes close to impossible.
When I think of an iconic runway show, the first designer company that comes to my mind is Chanel. I immediately think about the specific grocery store-themed runway that had models walking around what looked like the aisles of a grocery store, wheeling around shopping carts while wearing chic and couture garments. For me, at least, this show is iconic, it really showed me how boundless the world of fashion and creativity is. Chanel’s first show that truly broke down stereotypes about fashion shows was, the Fall/Winter 2008 Ready-to-Wear show, designed by Karl Lagerfeld. At this show, models walked around a giant white carousel with oversized Chanel accessories, like bags and pearls, replacing the usual horses. As the show ended, the carousel began to spin, creating a dreamlike finale. Since then Karl Lagerfield has been a genius when it comes to creative runway shows, and the media LOVES them.
More recently, Dsquared² presented their Fall 2025 Milan fashion show collection. The designers, a set of twins, Dan and Dean Canten, put on a show worth remembering. With guest star, Doechii, both opening and closing the show singing her recent hits. While the show had wonderful music entertainment, other public social media, music, and fashion figures made an appearance on the runway sporting Dsquared² fashion. Figures such as Alex Consani, NLE Choppa, and Naomi Campbell got fans of all different worlds excited. In celebration of the brand’s 30th anniversary, the Dsquared² team turned the runway into a New York City nightclub scene. Models arrived in vintage taxis and squad cars, embodying the brand’s signature mix of cowboys, disco queens, and glam rockers.The event blended fashion, music, and entertainment, ending in a lively afterparty combining models, designers, and singers, perfectly capturing Dsquared²’s bold and rebellious spirit.
The fashion industry is a challenging one to be in, brands without unique shows or couture find it hard to get their name out into the world. It’s crucial for labels to be bold a take risks when it comes to fashion because that’s when an impact is truly made.