Unique Venues for Fashion Shows

A fashion designer endows every ounce of their talent into their fashion shows. From the staging to the color of eye-shadow, each element is carefully selected. A designer devotes months, often more, into one fashion show and goes over every aspect to make it perfect. There are various designers who have played with the theme of the show, turning an unimaginable idea into reality. However, some have transformed everyday and familiar places into their ramp, creating some of the best fashion shows. We have gathered a list of some of the most unusual venues for fashion show around the world, so be sure to check out this exciting list.

Fendi

The Great Wall of China:

The Great Wall of China was converted into one of the longest ramps during the Summer/Spring in 2008 by fashion mastermind Karl Lagerfeld. It took more than 12 months of careful planning by the Creative Director of Fendi to create a never before seen fashion show. Inspired by the fifties, 88 models walked on one of the wonders of the world in trimmed jackets and fur.

Pierre Cardin

Sun and Sand:

Pierre Cardin, another innovative personality, laid down the catwalk in a place that is generally associated with camel riding. His Spring/Summer 2008, collection had the exotic Dunhuang Desert as its backdrop which was ideal for the collection. A whopping number of 200 couture designs were seen walking on the podium placed on top of a sand dune.

Catherine Malandrino

Fashion on New York Streets:

Imagine walking down the street and coming across beautiful models clad in even more beautiful garments surrounding the pool outside Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center, New York. Now there’s a sight that would definitely brighten up your day!Catherine Malandrino, a designer known for her ingenious ideas made this a reality in Spring/Summer 2011. Inspired by an artists’ village, Vallauris in the South of France, specifically ceramist Roger Capron her collection ‘Madoura’ was stunning and just so Malandrino.

Moncler Grenoble

Fashion on the Station:

The Grand Station, New York, is known for various reasons and one of them is the Flash Mob. But for the Autumn/Winter 2011, the team of Moncler Grenoble staged a ‘Flash-Fashion’ mob at the station.  Around 160 dancers donned the collection and flashed the fashion in a new and groovy way.

Thom Browne

There are so many more fashion shows with unique runways like when Thom Browne ramped up the New York Public Library with an extravagant dinner party. Another one was a show held in the Old Believers Church by Goshi Rubchinskiy or the launch of ‘Chanel Line’ at the airport in Santa Monica in Los Angeles by Chanel, all of which were impressive. 

                      Goshi Rubchinskiy                                                   Chanel

All these are unlikely venues for fashion shows but a creative mind will find possibilities, so pay attention to your surroundings because you don’t know when you might stumble on your next ramp!

A Page from Fashion History

The flashing lights on the stage, the smooth surface of the runway and the stunning models in beautiful clothes is what fashion shows are made of. People have always desired to look their best, making fashion one of the oldest existing businesses. Today there are countless fashion shows in London, Milan, Paris, America, India and almost every country in the globe so much so that it has become a common occurrence. But, the commencement of fashion shows has a vague history. France, one of the prime places where fashion flourished could be said to be the first ones to start the tradition of fashion shows. It is hard to narrow down the time or place for the first ever fashion show but let’s explore history.

Our story begins somewhere in the 1800s, during which time a horde of fashion parades took place in Fashion saloons; the glitz or glamour was mellow during that time, compared to what we are used to today. The models, who were called ‘Mannequins’, at that time, were taught the art of walking and posing in a saloon for onlookers. This was a way of displaying their collection and the latest trends. In all technicality it was a fashion show, though the models that time had fuller figures, but that too changed later on. In fact, depleting of the figure has been so much that we have size zero now!

In 1903 there was a resemblance of fashion show in New York City in Ehrlich Brothers boutique. The events had more of a theatrical flair to them compared to today. The show was generally organized around a theme which was narrated by someone. A couple of years later many of the large department stores such as Wanamaker’s and Philadelphia were also organizing these shows. 

The events exhibited couture gowns from Paris or gowns inspired by Paris fashion. Soon these events were taking place across New York City. But towards the end of the century, somewhere around the 1970s and 80s designers started having private shows which became the start of what would eventually become fashion show.

Nowadays we have fashion shows running on for weeks all over the world. For this we have some bright minds in the past to thank who in difficult times, when war was looming bring with it million of problems along, did not let the art die and found a way to reach the world. So remember when you see a fashion show next this all started in some saloon tucked somewhere in France.

Fashion for a Cause

Myriad colors, the aroma of sugary sweets in the air and scenes of happiness and mischief everywhere; in other words, a typical HoIi day! The auspicious festival took place a few days ago and saw an immense outpouring of colors and water in every part of the country. Besides being one of the most anticipated festivals, it is a source of inspiration for many artists. One such artist is Fashion Designer Manish Arora who has broadened the precincts of conventional art by fusing two different art forms into one spectacular creation!

Manish Arora

A newspaper article in 2013 inspired the designer to create something unique. The article concerned the widows of Varanasi who abandoned the age old obdurate impositions of society and celebrated Holi for the first time in centuries. This simple article lead to Manish Arora’s first fashion film titled ‘Holy Holi’.

Bharat Sikka

Bishi Bhattacharya 

   

                                                                     
Conceptualized and story by Manish, the film depicts the day when women finally broke away from the long dead traditions and rejoiced in the gaiety of colors. Artistically shot, the movie captures the emotions beautifully. Directed by the extremely talented art photographer Bharat Sikka, Manish designed and styled the movie. Bishi Bhattacharya composed and sang the heart wrenching music and also is the model that we see in the film. The good thing about the cast is that everyday women are seen clad in Manish Arora’s creations, which adds to the authenticity of the movie.    

Holy Holi

The movie opens with a vision of a murky and gloomy river and the women in white sarees. A burst of gulal in the air above the women is a sign of things to come. Myriad emotions are captured in simple gesture. The many lonely years of being and the melodic, haunting sound of Bishi conveys the melancholic feeling experienced by the women. And then, just like that, the color spreads in the air giving a sense of joy and of the opportunity to have colors in their life again.

Holy Holi

The vivid couture created by Manish shows the freedom to play with colors. The naughty pinks, flamboyant reds and psychedelic colors capture the colorful festival of Holi and how everyone, without any discrimination, has the right and the freedom to indulge in it.

Holy Holi

Holy Holi won several awards at ASVOFF (A Shaded View On Fashion Film Festival) in Paris. Through this fashion film Manish Arora has pushed the creative envelope and included something new. He even showed fashion is not only about models in trendy clothes but also a way of expressing deep emotions often ignored by society.