As fashion month returns to the public eye in physical digital form, it's a good time to revisit some of the most memorable shows in fashion history.
Think of Tom Ford's landmark autumn/Winter 96 Gucci couture show, Marc Jacobs' Richard Prince-inspired spring/Summer 2008 Louis Vuitton letter lace mask nurse dress, And the late Alexander McQueen's spring/summer 10 show, which in an eerie way heralded the arrival of the digital age.
- Versace, Autumn/Winter 1991
If ever there was a pre-internet fashion show that could rival the power of the Internet, this was it.
Gianni Versace sent Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista and Cindy Crawford arm-in-arm down the catwalk, Lip-syncing to George Michael's Freedom! '90 - a memorable moment that catapulted these four women to fame and supermodel status.
- Chanel, Spring/Summer 1994
The Chanel collection is memorable because late Karl Lagerfeld perfectly balanced pop culture and the norms of the famous brand, which was reflected in the brand's logo halters, chain belts, tiny bikini sets and even fire roller skates.
The show marked Chanel's entry into the 21st century.
- Thierry Mugler, Autumn/Winter 1995
To celebrate the 21st anniversary of his brand, Thierry Mugler hosted a spectacular show at the landmark Cirque d 'Hiver in Paris, Among the stars in attendance were Pat Cleveland dressed as Madonna (who hung from the ceiling), Jerry Hall, Carmen Dell 'Orefice, Veruschka von Lehndorff and Patty Hearst, They performed the undress movement.
When James Brown finally performed, confetti rained down on the stage.
- Prada, Spring/Summer 1996
In her SS96 collection, Madame Prada introduced her unusual signature design aesthetic for the first time - the use of colors following the style of Cubist artists, with taupes, ochre and dark greens challenging the social fashion norms of the time.
Relive Prada's original unrivaled coolness.
- Gucci, Autumn/Winter 1996
This is probably the sexiest show in the history of fashion. Tom Ford brought the epoch-making hedonism of the time to the runway with his crisp finishes, plunging necklines and form-fitting cuts. Kate Moss, Amber Valletta and Guinevere Van Seenus strumped down the runway to festive music.
In this fashion show, the designer reached new heights and became iconic. All this after just a few quarters leading the brand.
- Hussein Chalayan, autumn/winter 2000
Hussein Chalayan has a talent for concealing philosophy in his clothes and delivering it on stage in stunning dramatic form. The set for the Spring and Autumn 2000 show was a living room in which every piece of furniture was part of the collection.Reveal: The final model steps into the center of a coffee table, which then deftly morphs into a hoop skirt.
- Christian Dior, Autumn/Winter 2007 Haute Couture
In order to mark his 10th anniversary at Christian Dior (and 60 years since the establishment of the house) with the brand's consistent luxury style, John Galliano has created a number of historical archives. Each of the main models (including Amber Valletta, Shalom Harlow and Gisele Bundchen) showed off a range of dreamy dresses in romantic shades of crimson, light blue and dark red.Appropriately, the stage of the show was set in the Orangery of Versailles, the former home of French Queen Marie-Antoinette outside Paris.
- Louis Vuitton, Spring/summer 2008
Marc Jacobs collaborated with American artist Richard Prince to present Louis Vuitton's spring/summer 2008 collection.
The show opened with 12 supermodels (including Stephanie Seymour and Natalia Vodianova) walking down the runway. They dressed up as vampire nurses in a nod to the painter's Nurse series.The models all wore black lace masks with letters, which made the viewing feel 2020.
- Maison Martin Margiela, Spring/Summer 2009
Designer Martin Margiela is notoriously elusive. To celebrate 20 years at the helm of his eponymous label, he's showcasing his best hits on the runway.
Important historical moments to showcase: the AW95, a synthetic wig designed as a onesie shoulder pad, and the redesigned AW05 round leather jacket. This can drive die-hard fashion lovers into a frenzy. We don't want to reveal the final scene, but it does include the famous giant white birthday cake.
- Alexander McQueen, Spring/Summer 2010
The late Alexander McQueen's final collection, Plato's Atlantis, digitally represents the animal kingdom. The show coincided with the release of Lady Gaga's song Bad Romance, which was played during the finale.
Gaga announced the news on Twitter just before the show was due to begin, which brought so much traffic to the live stream that the website crashed.This shows from another aspect that McQueen was ahead of his time.
