1950s
RED NOTICELila Moss in Atelier Prabal Gurung dress.
WELL SUITEDAngelina Kendall in Dior jacket, turtleneck, skirt, and earrings.
Its worth noting that the first fashion presentations werent showsthey didnt even use real people.
VIEW FOR THE FEWFrom left: Lina Zhang in a Dior jacket and skirt. Angelina Kendall in a Richard Quinn dress. Jill Kortleve in a Richard Quinn coat and gloves. Anok Yai wears a Giambattista Valli dress. Lila Moss wears an Elie Saab Bridal ball gown. Photographed by Mikael Jansson.Vogue, October 2024.
It was in the 1940s, however, that the fashion show first became a truly global phenomenon.
His girls were pretty, chic, and moved at a cracking pace.
Quite unlike the traditional Dior girls, she made the clothes look sensationally modern.)
RED NOTICELila Moss in Atelier Prabal Gurung dress. Bvlgari earrings.
1960s
POP GOES THE RUNWAYFrom left: Yai wears a Givenchy dress.
Iris Law in a Rabanne dress.
Amelia Gray in an Alberta Ferretti gown.
WELL SUITEDAngelina Kendall in Dior jacket, turtleneck, skirt, and earrings.
Lulu Tenney wears a Chanel jacket and skirt.
Ugbad Abdi wears a Proenza Schouler dress.
Soyeong Jang in a Michael Kors Collection dress.
POP GOES THE RUNWAYFrom left: Yai wears a Givenchy dress. Iris Law in a Rabanne dress. Amelia Gray in an Alberta Ferretti gown. Lulu Tenney wears a Chanel jacket and skirt. Ugbad Abdi wears a Proenza Schouler dress. Soyeong Jang in a Michael Kors Collection dress. Celina Ralph wears a Louis Vuitton dress.
Celina Ralph wears a Louis Vuitton dress.
Everything was scissor-cut; there were no curves.
(ThinkQui Etes-Vous, Polly Maggoo?andBlow-Up.)
ONE GIANT LEAPThe space-age futurism of the 1960s pointed the way to celebrity and spectacle. With thanks to Angels Costumes. Amelia Gray, Rabanne dress.
ONE GIANT LEAPThe space-age futurism of the 1960s pointed the way to celebrity and spectacle.
With thanks to Angels Costumes.
Amelia Gray, Rabanne dress.
INTO THE GROOVEFrom left: Abdi in a Pam Hogg dress. Yai wears a Gucci dress and bangles. Lux Gillespie in an Hermès top and Versace pants. Kortleve in a Ferragamo dress. Tenney in a Gucci dress. Jawara Alleyne in Burberry.
For Saint Laurent, a new crowd of young clients (and aides) burst on the scene.
Soon the excitement hit the couture too.
Gaultier started his show right after.)
BOOGIE WONDERLANDJawara Alleyne in Burberry and Mykita sunglasses. Lulu Tenney wears a Gucci dress, Amina Muaddi shoes, Éliou earrings, Alexis Bittar bangles, and Dinosaur Designs bangles.
He would die some three weeks later.
1970s
INTO THE GROOVEFrom left: Abdi in a Pam Hogg dress.
Yai wears a Gucci dress and bangles.
POWER PLAYSFrom left: Law in a Versace dress. Ralph in Sportmax. Judith Watt in a Prabal Gurung suit. Yai in Mugler. Alex Consani in a Louis Vuitton jacket and pants. Gray in a Balmain jacket and skirt.
Lux Gillespie in an Hermes top and Versace pants.
Kortleve in a Ferragamo dress.
Tenney in a Gucci dress.
CLUB CLASSICSMilla Freya Walker wears a Charles Jeffrey Loverboy jacket and Elissa Poppy bandeau. Siri Castres in a Vivienne Westwood jacket and top. Alexis Bittar earrings.
Jawara Alleyne in Burberry.
The 80s in London, of course, was a melting pot of talent and exuberant fun.
His fashion spoke in extreme statements and his shows were anything-goes, with the audience uproarious.
SHOW BUSINESSFrom left: Zhang in Tory Burch. Tenney in Hermès. Law in a Proenza Schouler jacket, top, and pants. Gray in a Givenchy dress. Yai in a Tom Ford dress. Ralph wears Helmut Lang jeans. Angelina in a Gucci jacket. Kortleve in Gucci.
His collection sold out at Browns, with Barbra Streisand and Diana Ross the first customers.
But while Britain was great for ideas, innovation, and creativity, it was terrible for commerce.
BOOGIE WONDERLANDJawara Alleyne in Burberry and Mykita sunglasses.
ALL ACCESSFrom left: Kacion Mayers in a Vaquera coat and Dsquared2 shorts. Zhang in McQueen by Seán McGirr. Moss in a Michael Kors Collection sweatshirt. Consani in a Luchen dress. Tenney in Prada. Law in an Off-White dress. Abdi in a Robert Wun Couture coat and hat.
I thought the clothes were a little hard-edged, but certainly unlike anyone elses.
His ideas simply didnt stopand he knew how to keep one guessing.
The music on the runwaythink of the above girls singing George Michaels Freedom!
90 in the fall 91 Versace showmade the industry fashion show a cultural event.
1980s
POWER PLAYSFrom left: Law in a Versace dress.
Judith Watt in a Prabal Gurung suit.
Alex Consani in a Louis Vuitton jacket and pants.
Gray in a Balmain jacket and skirt.
By the 90s, though, Lang wasthedesigner.
The supermodels who once ignited Kleins runway had segued into the new cool girlshair scraped back, makeup natural.
Kate Moss was, of course, one of them.
There was something unnerving about themone was concerned about what mighthappento these embodiments of Lees fantasies.
In 20 years of attending shows, I had never experienced anything like that.
CLUB CLASSICSMilla Freya Walker wears a Charles Jeffrey Loverboy jacket and Elissa Poppy bandeau.
Siri Castres in a Vivienne Westwood jacket and top.
And then there was the great prize of Dior, each show more extravagant than the last.
Anna, uncomprehending, was bemused.
1990s
SHOW BUSINESSFrom left: Zhang in Tory Burch.
Law in a Proenza Schouler jacket, top, and pants.
Gray in a Givenchy dress.
Yai in a Tom Ford dress.
Ralph wears Helmut Lang jeans.
Angelina in a Gucci jacket.
Just a few years earlier, Prada and Gucci emerged as the dueling rivals of Milan Fashion Week.
Toms name now became synonymous with Gucciwith gorgeous men and women spotlit against a black runway.
To actually getintoa Gucci show at this time was quite something.
(Later, these stars would be paid to attend.)
2000s
ALL ACCESSFrom left: Kacion Mayers in a Vaquera coat and Dsquared2 shorts.
Zhang in McQueen by Sean McGirr.
Moss in a Michael Kors Collection sweatshirt.
Consani in a Luchen dress.
Law in an Off-White dress.
Abdi in a Robert Wun Couture coat and hat.
Feeling the rush of something magical.
