There are talks about how a global recession is looming in 2023, but the fashion industry does not seem too concerned about it.
Rather, luxury brands are ramping up the glitz and glamour with their runway events. The recent Cruise 2024 shows displayed overt extravagance – from choice of location to setup and theatrical elements.
The term “recession core”, which is currently mentioned a lot on TikTok, indicates that people in general feel the need to dress in a more modest manner.
Think timeless, minimalistic designs that can be used again and again.
There are also discussions on social media about how to rein in your fashion budget – to spend less on clothes for example, or make clever purchases in the context of quality over quantity.
Fashion houses are evidently not getting the memo.
Read more: Models from around the world walk the Cannes AmfAR red carpet for charity
Last month saw several brands jet setting all around the world to present their Cruise collections. They also flew in celebrities from scores of different countries as front row guests.
No amount of money was spared in making the shows as opulent as possible.
Imagine setting up a runway on an idyllic private island, or have your models walk the hallowed halls of a historic school building. Even a 14th century palace can be used to lend pomp and circumstance to a fashion collection’s unveil.
Can’t find a suitably magnificent venue? Then build one from ground up – now, that will get people to really sit up and notice.
It shows that in fashion, more is certainly more.
Heritage and fantasy
Dior travelled to Mexico City to present its Cruise collection. Antiguo Colegio De San Ildefonso, a museum and cultural centre that began as a prestigious boarding school, was chosen as the venue.
Designs were feminine and light-hearted, with both dresses and suits making an appearance.
This juxtaposition between the serious (the setting) and fun (the clothes) really helped the show stand out.Creative director of Dior, Maria Grazia Chiuri, named Frida Kahlo as her muse. Antiguo Colegio De San Ildefonso was where the Mexican painter studied.
Other inspirations were painters like Leonora Carrington and Remedios Varo, as well as photographer Tina Modotti.
To Chiuri, Mexico is not only a “place of the soul” – as stated in the press release, but much more.
In 1947, the late Christian Dior created a dress titled “Mexico”, the beginning of a little-documented but longstanding relationship between his eponymous fashion house and the country.
Chiuri’s counterpart at Louis Vuitton, also aimed to impress with his Cruise show.
Nicolas Ghesquiere chose Isola Bella as the location. This is a tiny island (measuring just 320 metres long by 180 wide) situated on Lake Maggiore in Italy.
“I was very attracted by the story around the lake, its fairy-tale creatures,” Ghesquiere told Women’s Wear Daily ahead of the show.
He pointed out that he wanted the first models to convey “the feeling they are coming out of the water” and that “they are the explorers of the lake, beautiful creatures, almost like the mythological lake mermaids with dragon wings”.
The clothes matched his vision. They gave off a sort of mermaid-meets-fairy-princess vibe, with aquatic motifs in abundance.
There were also plenty of elaborate headpieces to fit the fantasy trope.
Planned as a full outdoor thing, the runway was later moved indoors because of a downpour. However, the bad weather did not rain on Ghesquiere’s parade as it proved to still be magical and grand.
An urban attitude
Gucci flew across the world to stage a Cruise presentation in Seoul. If that does not show enough effort, the brand chose Gyeongbokgung as the location.
Models actually walked in the courtyard of this 14th-century palace. It was a first for Gyeongbokgung.
The collection is also significant in that it happens to be the last one handled by the design team before new creative director Sabato De Sarno takes the helm.
Alessandro Michele exited the brand late last year, after serving at the helm for almost eight years.
As such, there were no designer statements issued – or interviews offered to the media.
The press release instead described the collection as “a study of the global urban wardrobe invigorated by the inimitable instinct for fashion expressed on the streets of Seoul and echoed across the globe”.
It focused on pairing streetwear with sportswear.
Deconstruction was a theme. Detachable sleeves become accessories, while zips enable trousers to expand in shape. There is also a bomber jacket that transmutes into an evening skirt, and a biker jacket that elongates into a coat.
Talking about a more contemporary aesthetic, Chanel highlighted modern essentials in its Cruise collection as well.
The looks put together for the show were absolutely sporty. They comprise accessories like leg warmers, wedge heel sneakers, running shorts and swim tanks.
Even the occasional skateboard made an appearance.
“I thought let’s do Jane Fonda, Cindy Crawford – all our heroines,” said creative director of Chanel, Virginie Viard, quoted by Vogue.
The location being Los Angeles, a place where the rich and famous congregate, the runway show attracted a host of famous faces.
Margot Robbie, Elle Fanning, Lily Collins and lots more were among the star-studded guests.
Chanel even dubbed it “an ode to the City of Angels”.
Press materials sent out highlighted founder Gabrielle Chanel’s legacy of dressing film stars in the 1920s, as well as the brand’s modern-day ties to Hollywood.
Read more: Fierce fashion roars on the red carpet of the 2023 Cannes Film Festival
All that said, the most impressive element was actually the stage setup.
The runway itself was built as an American football pitch. Guests were seated on risers and branded scoreboards flashed on either end of the “field”.
The Cruise collections are after all, meant for the rich.
As a trans-seasonal release, they target the jetset crowd with enough money to escape the winter months (in Western countries) by travelling to a tropical destination.
Well, in this instance, the shows are certainly an escape from reality – able to transport you to a fantastical realm where everything is luxurious, not to mention bright and beautiful.
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