September’s fashion weeks spell out the most defining month on the calendar, and the international fashion councils have announced that the catwalks are to partially return to physical format. But can we even remember what that looks like?
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Think Tom Ford’s era-defining (and prescient) sexually charged autumn/winter 1996 show at Gucci, Marc Jacobs’ Richard Prince-inspired nurses in monogrammed lace masks at Louis Vuitton for spring/summer 2008, and the late Alexander McQueen’s spring/summer 2010 final show, one that feels like an eerie precursor of a digital-age to come.
Here’s Vogue’s guide to 10 monumental fashion shows to watch on YouTube now.
Versace, autumn/winter 1991
If there ever was a fashion show that had the power to break the internet before the internet officially existed, this is it. Gianni Versace sent Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, and Cindy Crawford arm-in-arm down the runway lip-syncing to George Michael’s “Freedom! ’90” — a monumental moment that catapulted these four women into the realms of superstardom (“We don’t wake up for less than $10,000 a day,” Evangelista later told Vogue).
Chanel, spring/summer 1994
This Chanel collection is well remembered as the moment when the late Karl Lagerfeld delivered the perfect balance of pop-culture and prestigious house codes. We’re talking logo suspenders, chained belts, itsy-bitsy bikini sets, and even some roller skates for good measure. This was the show where Chanel leaped into the 21st century.
Thierry Mugler, haute couture autumn/winter 1995
To celebrate his brand’s 20th anniversary, Thierry Mugler hosted a spectacle at Paris’s landmark Cirque d’Hiver starring Pat Cleveland dressed as the Madonna (she descended from the ceiling), Jerry Hall, Carmen Dell’Orefice, Veruschka von Lehndorff, and Patty Hearst, who performed a strip tease. The finale? James Brown performed as sparkling confetti rained down on the stage.
Prada, spring/summer 1996
Mrs Prada first introduced her signature off-beat design aesthetic with her spring/summer 1996 collection — a love letter to cubist prints in a colour palette of taupe, ochre and avocado that challenged social fashion norms. Relive the origins of Prada’s inimitable cool.
Gucci, autumn/winter 1996
Arguably the sexiest fashion show ever, Tom Ford brought a fresh, era-defining hedonism to the runway with sharp tailoring, plunging necklines, and figure-hugging silhouettes. Catch Kate Moss, Amber Valletta, and Guinevere Van Seenus sashay to an auspicious soundtrack in a show that saw the designer reach iconic new heights after just a couple of seasons at the helm.
Hussein Chalayan, autumn/winter 2000
Hussein Chalayan has a talent for turning philosophy into clothing, as well as staging jaw-dropping theatrical presentations. For autumn/winter 2000, the set was a living room where each piece of furniture became part of the collection. Plot spoiler: the finale saw a model stepping into the centre of a wooden coffee table, which neatly transformed into a hoop skirt.
Christian Dior, haute couture autumn/winter 2007
In honour of his 10th anniversary at Christian Dior (as well as the Maison's 60th), in typically extravagant style, John Galliano delved deep into the archives. Every major model was present (including Amber Valletta, Shalom Harlow and Gisele Bündchen) wearing an array of fantasy gowns in romantic shades of blush, baby blue, and crimson.
Fittingly the show was staged on location at Marie-Antoinette’s former home, the Versailles Orangerie, just outside Paris. Trust us when we say you need to click on the YouTube link to relive all the drama now.
Louis Vuitton, spring/summer 2008
Marc Jacobs collaborated with American artist Richard Prince on his spring/summer 2008 collection at Louis Vuitton, with the show’s opening seeing not one but 12 supermodels (Stephanie Seymour and Natalia Vodianova included) walk the runway. Dressed as vampish nurses, in a nod to the painter’s Nurse series, models were complete with monogrammed black-lace masks that feel particularly pertinent in 2020.
Maison Martin Margiela, spring/summer 2009
Notoriously elusive designer Martin Margiela celebrated two decades at the helm of his namesake label by showcasing his greatest hits on the runway. The key moments to spot: the synthetic wigs of autumn/winter 1995 styled as power-shoulders on bodysuits and a reworked version of the autumn/winter 2005 circle leather jacket that still sends die-hard fashion fans into a frenzy. We’re not going to spoil the finale, but it does involve a famously giant white birthday cake.
Alexander McQueen, spring/summer 2010
The late Alexander McQueen’s final collection, entitled Plato’s Atlantis, was a celebration of the animal kingdom existing in a digital world. The show also coincided with the release of Lady Gaga’s track Bad Romance, which played during the finale. Gaga tweeted her announcement shortly before the runway show began, which sent so much traffic to the livestream — another aspect on which McQueen was way ahead of his time — that the site crashed.
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