If fashion is moving away from seasons and schedules, where does that leave the fashion show?
What used to be a first-look for buyers, editors and top-tier clients has been pushing up against pure spectacle for some time. Last October, Fendi shunned the tents and used the Great Wall of China for their catwalk at a cost of approximately $10MM.
Potentially, shows could become brand-centric showcases, rather than product-driven events. Parties, concert tours, installations or hybrid commerce/event formats connect more viscerally with audiences — including a wider range of customers. Shifting the focus from product to brand would also create continuity from season to season while giving designers more creative freedom to set context around their work. The Chanel Mobile Art project, currently in Tokyo, begins to explore this idea: it’s a collection of art commissioned by Chanel inspired by the iconic “2.55” quilted handbag and housed in a Zaha-Hadid designed portable exhibition pod.
According to WWD, high-end jeweler Boucheron is also testing out the waters with a traveling theater production, Désir, that traces the history of the house:”In conjunction with the show, Boucheron will operate a pop-up boutique that will tour with Spielgelworld’s production. Désir — billed as part cabaret, part circus — is scheduled to open in New York on Aug. 14 before traveling to Miami, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Chicago.”
[via WWD]
- Contributed by Suzanne Hader
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