Though the focus of fashion month is clothing design, as productions have grown increasingly intricate, an individual show’s set design can play an important role in the show’s impact, and require months of preparation in and of itself. Several S/S 2014 collections were displayed against intriguing settings that provided insight into designers’ artistic visions. Read on for the most interesting set designs from this fashion month, and their implications on the collections they showcased.
Givenchy
Against a smoking display of vintage Jaguars, BMW’s and Mercedes Benzes, Riccardo Tisci, Givenchy’s Creative Director showed a collection that was influenced by what he described as, “a car crash of the two cultures—the fragility of Japan and the draping of Africa.”
Dior
Creative director, Raf Simons, set the Dior S/S 2014 Paris show beneath layers of hanging flower gardens of wisteria, orchids and lianas, which referred to the floral prints and jungle influences shown in his collection.
Hermes
Influenced by French painter Henri Rousseau, who painted jungles without having seen them, Christophe Lemaire not only included a Rousseau print on the show’s opening ensembles, but also created a jungle setting for the Hermes S/S 2014 Show which included a dramatic injection of steam heat.
Chanel
Karl Lagerfeld transformed Paris Grand Palais into a white-walled display of 75 paintings and sculptures all of which he designed himself. The artwork displayed was a combination of textile art, paintings, and sculptures that incorporated an element of Chanel, suggesting an inseparability of fashion and art.
Prada
Inspired by the political wall art of Mexican muralists, such as Diego Rivera, Miuccia Prada recruited six artists – four muralists and two illustrators from all over the work to create not only a backdrop for the Milan show, but also corresponding prints on some of the collection’s individual pieces. Explaining her activist influence, Prada explained “I want to inspire women to struggle.”
Moncler Gamme Rouge
To coincide with the application of elements such as couture feathers, snakeskin and leopard print to a sportswear collection, creative director Giambattista Valli developed an urban safari set that included draping vines, sirens, lights, and even a skateboarding gorilla!
Louis Vuitton
Alongside an elaborate recreation of his best sets from the past sixteen years, Marc Jacobs confirmed that he was leaving his post as creative director in order to focus on the Marc Jacobs company. Models in all black walked a runway that included elevators, escalators, a fountain, a carousel and a hallway of hotel rooms, which was a testament to Jacobs’ long and successful run at Louis Vuitton.