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- Fashion designers have been ditching the idea of using traditional runways to exhibit their collections for years now.
- Big names that have flirted with the idea of using unique, breath-taking settings include Karl Lagerfeld, Marc Jacobs, and many others.
- Some striking locations include desert-like sand dunes, lavender gardens, The Great Wall of China, and more.
- For more stories, visit the Tech and Trends homepage.
The fashion industry is known for steering clear of the conventional, and this includes ditching traditional runway locations for more unusual settings.
Many designers are hosting their shows in far-flung, creative, and exotic destinations guaranteed to drop jaws in awe.
The choice of venue in many fashion shows carries equal importance alongside the garments themselves. This is because the venue/location often speaks to the ambience of the collection, carefully selected to create a specific vibe.
As such, fashion show locations play a crucial role in constructing the universe surrounding a particular collection.
Designers such as Karl Lagerfeld, Pierre Cardin, and Simon Porte-Jacquemus, among many others, have flirted with the idea of fashion shows in places like sand dunes, sports car garages, the Great Wall of China, and more.
We’ve compiled a list of some of the most breathtaking runway venues that tickle our fancy.
The Great Wall of China
Designer Karl Lagerfeld had models walking the Great Wall of China for his Fall/Winter 2007 collection. The Fedi Great Wall of China fashion show occurred in October of that year.
The venue, which is said to be visible from the moon (a myth disproved by astronauts), spans some 21 196km in length and remains one of the largest constructions in world history.
Singing Sand Dunes, China
Pierre Cardin, with his SS08 runway show, offered one of the most memorable and imaginative venues in 2007. The fashion show, which took place in the dunes of Dunhuang in China, had a chilled and simple aesthetic.
The designer was quoted saying the show was like "showing fashion on the edge of infinity".
The location remains a tourist attraction today and is dubbed the singing sand dunes due to the music emitted when the wind blows through the desert.
New York Public Library
A library is typically quiet and meant for reading or learning. It’s certainly the last place one would imagine seeing an entire fashion show.
Marc Jacobs’ 2021 show made it clear that a runway can be placed anywhere after gracing the echoing marble entrance way of the world’s largest public library. Needless to say, the aesthetic of the setting is quite fitting for a fashion runway.
Provence lavender field, France
French designer Simon Porte-Jacquemus chose to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his brand in the lavender fields of his native Provence. Models paraded on the outdoor runway, exhibiting Jacquemus’ Spring/ Summer 2020 collection in June 2019.
According to Explore France, “the collection honours pastel shades, oversized jackets and trousers, floral patterns, overlays, structured dresses in tight knit and openwork.”
Trevi Fountain, Italy
In July 2017, designer Silvia Venturini Fendi saw models strut in her creations at the Trevi Fountain in Rome. The setting was designed by Karl Lagerfeld, making it seem like the models are walking on water.
Copenhagen Park, Denmark
With an evening presentation, Henrik Vibskov’s fashion show took place in an outdoorsy city centre park exhibiting at the Copenhagen Spring/Summer 2011 Fashion Week. The event happened in August 2010.
Ralph Lauren's garage, United States
In 2017, Ralph Lauren used his own garage, which houses the designer’s jaw-dropping sports car collection, as a venue for a fashion show. Based in Bedford, New York, the location was used as a runway to exhibit the Ralph Lauren Collection 2017 in September of that year.
