Chanel’s Spring 2015 Protest Wasn’t The First Theatrical Fashion Show

Fashion has long been debated as an art form, but if one person can prove fashion’s artistic merit, it’s Karl Lagerfeld and Chanel. This year at Paris Fashion Week, Chanel channeled protests in a performance art-like show of its Spring 2015 collection that is sure to be one of its most memorable, even if it’s not the first collection to mix fashion with theatre. Take a trip down memory line with our guide to some of the most over-the-top fashion shows of recent past.

Chanel Spring 2015, Feminist Protest

Karl Lagerfeld’s shows are always the ones to watch at Paris Fashion Week, and the Spring 2015 collection was certainly that. In light of Emma Watson’s viral social media speech about feminism, Lagerfeld staged a feminist protest for his spring show on the “Boulevard Chanel” at the Grand Palais this morning.

Dior Fall Haute Couture 2005, Horse-drawn Carriage

For the 100th anniversary of Christian Dior’s birth, John Galliano paid homage to the founder in lavish style. An antique gold carriage wheeled John Galliano onto the airstrip of his 2005 fall/winter haute couture show. The entire show took place in a regeneration of a ruined Edwardian backyard including broken statues and cobweb-covered chandeliers lining the stage.

Louis Vuitton Spring 2012, Carousel

Marc Jacobs’s embraced young femininity with his crystal tiaras and eyelet-daisy detail by staging a playful show on a giant carousel. Jacobs’ Spring 2012 whimsical set was a stark contrast to the darkness of fall’s fetishism. With rumors in the air of his potential go to Dior,  Jacobs outrageous fashion show was also a able commentary on the merry-go-round world of fashion.

Fendi Fall 2007, Splendid Wall of China

Karl Lagerfeld is, of course, the mastermind behind extravagant footbridge. While Lagerfeld wasn’t able to get a permit in anticipation of six weeks before the show, the fall collection was re-showed on the wall. The entire wall functioned as a 1,500 mile airstrip at a cost of $ 10 million and a first in fashion history.

Alexander McQueen Spring 2005, Game of Chess

Models acted as human chess pieces on a giant chessboard that proved yet again McQueen’s creativity and ingenuity. His genius for this show was masterminding an event that delighted his ultra-hip audiences as much as it did his bosses at the Gucci Group.

Original article: Chanel’s Spring 2015 Protest Wasn’t The First Over-the-top Fashion Show

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