As fashion month begins, we remember that the runway isn’t just a stage for what’s new but rather a living archive of fashion’s most monumental moments. And in a world where luxury is often measured by what’s next, we’re first looking back to those moments that defined the lasting legacy of fashion’s geniuses. Afterall, these aren’t just clothes; they’re raw acts of creation that defined a whole new kind of opulence. The following are MOD’s 10 iconic moments (in no particular order) that redefined luxury on the runway:
1. Marc Jacobs’s Grunge Collection for Perry Ellis (1993): Before anyone else really did it, Jacobs sent flannels, oversized cardigans, and Doc Martens down the high fashion runway first. He didn’t just borrow from the street; he elevated it, proving that luxury wasn’t about being out of reach, but about being brilliantly, authentically of the moment. It got him fired, but it cemented him as a legend. And by the way, it looks like grunge is back (if it ever really left).
2. Hussein Chalayan’s “Between” Collection (2000): Fashion and function — Chalayan built dresses that doubled as furniture and then, with the pull of a string, transformed on the model. It wasn’t just a show; it was a magic trick. This was luxury as an intellectual exercise, an exploration of form and function that blew apart the rulebook.
3. Fendi on the Great Wall of China (2007): In a truly monumental feat, Fendi became the first fashion house to stage a runway show on the Great Wall of China. Taking two years to plan, the show was a global spectacle broadcast to an estimated one billion people — symbolizing a new era of fashion’s international reach and its truly boundless influence.
4. Alexander McQueen’s “No. 13” Spring/Summer 1999 Finale: Honestly, this might be the runway’s most referenced and revered moment. Moment? More like theatrical spectacle. Canadian model Shalom Harlow spun slowly on a turntable while two robotic arms from a car factory sprayed black and neon yellow paint onto her pristine white cotton dress. The moment wasn’t about a finished product; it was about the violent, beautiful act of creation itself. And don’t forget, this was the 90s so the robotic arms themselves were revolutionary for the times.
5. Viktor & Rolf’s “Bedtime Story” Collection (2005): Models floated down the catwalk in pillows and blankets, as if they’d just rolled out of bed. It was a beautiful act of subversion. This collection asked, quite literally, what is more luxurious than absolute comfort? It was a cheeky, poignant reminder that the true purpose of clothes is to make us feel at ease, in our own skin. Dreamy.
6. Issey Miyake’s “A-POC” (A Piece of Cloth) (Spring/Summer 1999): Undeniably, Miyake was a pioneer of textile innovation. This show was a live demonstration of his revolutionary “A-POC” concept. Models emerged from a single, continuous tube of red fabric. The designers used scissors to cut along designated lines, revealing and “creating” clothes on the models in real-time. It was a brilliant fusion of technology and craftsmanship that celebrated the process of making.
7. The Versace Supermodel Finale (1991): Imagine the collective gasp. Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, and Linda Evangelista — the OG supermodels — strutting arm-in-arm to George Michael’s “Freedom! ‘90.” This was a fashion coronation. It proved that luxury is a celebration.
8. Balenciaga’s “Storm” (Fall/Winter 2020): Held in a flooded amphitheater under a giant video screen showing a stormy sky, the models walked through the shallow water. It was a haunting, apocalyptic vision, with designer Demna Gvasalia later revealing it as a commentary on climate change and environmental decay.
9. Coperni’s Spray-On Dress (Spring/Summer 2023): This is a more recent moment that became a viral sensation. At the finale of the show, model Bella Hadid walked onto the stage in nothing but a G-string. Two scientists then proceeded to spray a liquid material, “Fabrican,” directly onto her body, which solidified into a fitted white dress in real time. It was a captivating display of fashion, science, and a new take on live performance.
10. Karl Lagerfeld’s Chanel Rocket Launch (Fall/Winter 2017): In a fitting finale, Lagerfeld quite literally took luxury to a new height. He built a 37-meter-tall rocket inside the Grand Palais and actually launched it. It was a final, spectacular gesture that said luxury is not bound by gravity; it can be an act of pure, magnificent theatre that is out of this world.
Written by Sandy Aziz
