Catwalk tour: the top S/S 2014 women’s fashion week venues
Catwalk tour: the top S/S 2014 women’s fashion week venues
Chanel: For one of the most memorable (and Instagrammed) sets of the season, Karl Lagerfeld recreated a Chanel art gallery within Paris' Grand Palais. The wide walls came covered in Chanel-themed, tongue-in-cheek art pieces, inspired by both modern and contemporary art movements
Writer: Rosa Bertoli; Photography: Olivier Saillant
Chanel: Eschewing the circular catwalk set-up of previous seasons, he installed an all-white rectangular structure with a central seating block
Photography: Olivier Saillant
Givenchy: For the past few seasons, Givenchy has staged several variations on a circular theme for the brand's menswear and womenswear sets. Riccardo Tisci's latest effort was presented on an illuminated path circling a smoking car crash of black 1990s iconic sedans
Givenchy: The set was a nod to the East-meets-West culture clash referenced in his collection
Christian Dior: Guests arriving at the garden of Musée Rodin for Raf Simons's Dior show were greeted by a majestic vertical garden façade
Christian Dior: Inside, the tent was styled as a magic jungle, with multicoloured wisteria, orchids and lilies (courtesy of Parisian flower couturier Eric Chauvin) cascading from elaborate scaffoldings scattered around the space
Victoria Beckham: The designer's conceptual study of shape and proportion was presented against an all-white backdrop at her New York show space - portrayed here in a time-lapse video of the set's speedy construction. The predominantly monochrome collection, featuring effortlessly crisp tailoring, was perfectly at ease with the stark setting and lighting by Thierry Dreyfus
Calvin Klein Collection: Francisco Costa chose the newly opened New York outpost of London's Spring Studios to present his latest effort for Calvin Klein. The wide space was left bare, its monochromatic details matching the collection's stripped-back tones, while the catwalk was surmounted by a set of geometric lighting panels devised by set designer Sam Gainsbury
Edun: Another graphic motif graced the central catwalk at Edun's New York show, perfectly in tune with the geometric elements in the collection designed by the brand's new creative director, Danielle Sherman
Topshop Unique: This season, London-based architect and designer Pernilla Ohrstedt was enlisted with creating the set for the Topshop showspace. The idea was to 'bring the outside in', and she did just that by creating a nature-infused set with mounded grass covering the entire floor of the tent. 'We were very fortunate to have the showspace right in the heart of Regents Park, which is not normally open to the public,' explains Ohrstedt. 'I wanted to make sure that my design interventions felt like natural additions to the park scape.' The catwalk was therefore marked out by white sporting field paint, while bulky white benches hosted the audience on either side
Chloe: Over in Paris, Clare Waight-Keller's latest collection for Chloé was presented at the Lycée Carnot school – its grand hall dressed with giant, light-reflecting, gold-foiled fans that hung from the ceiling
Fendi: At Milan's Fondazione Pomodoro, Karl Lagerfeld showed a collection packed with graphic elements and subdued transparent layering. The summery vibe of the clothes was echoed by a waterfall animation that played at the end of the deck-like catwalk
Antonio Marras: For the Italian designer's poetic presentation, the house's showroom was transformed into a baroque greenhouse by long-term collaborator and art director Paolo Bazzani. Inspired by Ovid's 'Metamorphoses', the space was dressed with mirrors, chandeliers and lush vegetation, recreating the mythological elements that guided the collection
Salvatore Ferragamo: A dramatically lit oval catwalk flanked by all-white benches set the scene for Massimiliano Giornetti's minimal tailoring at Salvatore Ferragamo
Gucci: Frida Giannini's luxurious collection was perfectly at ease on the gilded catwalk of Gucci's Milanese showspace. The dark copper walls and gold elements of the set enhanced the opulence of the space, which could have easily hosted the Ertè-drawn ladies behind the collection's inspiration
Hermès: The lush green vegetation at L'Orangerie Férou, a historic greenhouse in the Jardin du Luxembourg, framed Christophe Lemaire's Hermès collection. Models walked on a pebble catwalk flanked by a row of humble folding chairs backed by greenery, which complemented the clothes' sophisticated palette and prints
Jil Sander: Thierry Dreyfus's ongoing partnership with Jil Sander never fails to deliver an exquisite variation on the fashion house's customary white theme. This season's set consisted of a transparent Plexiglas structure running down the centre of the catwalk, reflecting and subtly multiplying the models' images as they walked around it. The white floor featured a minimal graphic motif, which also mimicked some of the clothes' patterns
Marc Jacobs: The designer conjured a post-apocalyptic landscape for his eponymous New York show, featuring discarded furniture, car carcasses and crumbling buildings
Marc Jacobs: The sense of anguish conveyed by the set was only enhanced by the soundtrack's menacing beats
Marc Jacobs: The catwalk came layered with rugs that were partially covered by black sand
Kenzo: Humberto Leon and Carol Lim chose La Cité du Cinéma in the outskirts of Paris to present their latest Kenzo outing. Suffice to say, the out of town drive paid off with a gargantuan spectacle. Etienne Russo's Villa Eugenie team took the collection's dynamic water theme quite literally, installing a giant liquid curtain in front of the hall's full-sized windows
Kenzo: A water installation in the middle of the catwalk comprised 200 speakers that pulsated with light and water
Jonathan Saunders: The temple-like central dome of the Tate Britain towered over Jonathan Saunders's catwalk, which was marked with thick white tape on the gallery's marble floors. Production company Family installed playful, oversized white balloons to light up the space
Photography: Nick Andrews
Lacoste: A metallic grid theme dressed up Lacoste's Lincoln Center show space. Models walked through a maze of three-dimensional grids arranged like sculptures, effectively complementing the collection's monochromatic elements
Maison Martin Margiela: The Grand Foyer of the Théâtre National de Chaillot was given a minimalistic treatment for the Margiela show, with stark white benches lining the Belle Epoque hall and white curtains defining the backstage space. The team, clad in signature white coats, only amplified the set's clinical feel
Miu Miu: The AMO team dressed the Palais D'Iena in a more eclectic mix of designs for this season's Miu Miu show. The usually sober sets were abandoned in favour of a distinctly 1960s, slightly psychedelic makeover, with a plethora of mismatched seating styles
Miu Miu: A multitude of patterned wallpapers graced the walls and the material palette used for seating and floors ranged from carpeting to vinyl and wood, delivered in an explosion of contrasting colours
Burberry Prorsum: Christopher Bailey always likes to give his audience a little something extra. In past seasons it's been a rain shower or a live set. This season, both the guests and catwalk of his traditional Hyde Park London tent were showered with pastel-coloured rose petals for the finale – the English Rose also being the theme of his summer collection
Marni: Bare and minimal were the set requirements at Marni, with simple white chairs defining the wide show space. A last-minute electrical breakdown, which occurred right before the show, forfeited the soundtrack and functioning of the lights, so Consuelo Castiglioni's collection was instead shown in magical silence, with natural light flooding the space
Mary Katrantzou: Production company Bureau Betak was charged with creating an installation of steel panels in Mary Katrantzou's Edwardian London hall, achieving a stark contrast between the heavily decorated gilded architecture and the futuristic set within
Giorgio Armani: The Tadao Ando-designed Armani 'teatro' remained the backdrop for the Milanese designer's latest collection. This season, Mr Armani's models walked in pairs down the shimmery catwalk into the luxuriously minimal space
Dries Van Noten: The designer's affection for gold foil was once again evident inside his Halle Freyssinet Paris show space. For this latest set, produced by Villa Eugénie, he installed a row of interlocking screens in the bare concrete-clad space, forming a metallic geometric pattern that served as the backdrop for both the models' parade and the live performance by Radiohead bassist Colin Greenwood.
Photography: Bache Jespers
Peter Pilotto: The Bureau Betak team installed a set of theatrical wings in bright Plexiglas in the London show space, which projected contrasting multicoloured shades on the catwalk. The collection's vivid and diverse use of colour and print became part of the set
MSGM: Tiki prints, domestic interiors and exotic scenarios were some of Massimo Giorgetti's strongest inspiration points for his MGSM collection this season. Imagery was reproduced onto wooden blocks and scattered alongside neon tubes forming mini installations around the Milanese showspace. On the concrete floor, a thick orange strip marked the models' route along the open catwalk
Paul Smith: Over in London, Sir Paul Smith chose Granary Square's Central Saint Martins building, which he simply lined with white benches and added a white panelled entrance to the catwalk, lit up in a fresh shade of blue
Prada: While presenting her latest womenswear collection, Miuccia Prada also unveiled her most recent artistic collaboration at the house's Milanese showspace. 'The Heart of the Multitude' was a display of works by muralists Miles 'El Mac' Gregor, Mesa, Gabriel Specter and Stinkfish, and illustrators Jeanne Detallante and Pierre Mornet
Prada: The artists were commissioned by the fashion house (in collaboration with New York-based design firm 2x4) to explore themes of femininity and power
Prada: The setting, within Prada's AMO-redesigned showspace, was inspired by 20th-century Mexican muralists and featured a central elevated seating block of darkened wood overlooking the geometric catwalk
Prabal Gurung: This season the New York designer enlisted twin perfumers Dawn and Samantha Goldworm to create a bespoke scent that was diffused within the vast studio. Models initially stood like dolls behind a plastic curtain at the centre of the set, and walked out onto the tiled platform as the show progressed
Rag & Bone: New York's Skylight Studios provided the set for Rag & Bone's summer collection, demarcated by a geometric X-shaped catwalk painted in white on the dark floor, with benches arranged in a double row on either side
Richard Nicoll: Richard Nicoll showed his sharp tailoring in a cavernous, low-lit underground loading bay, his guests seated on bubblegum-pink benches on each side of the catwalk
Photography: INCA Production
Reed Krakoff: The designer chose a bare space to showcase his summer collection, leaving the concrete floors undressed and simply adding a set of wood-veneer seating blocks to define the space
Roberto Cavalli: Architect and set designer Barbara Ghidoni installed a giant tent in Milan's Parco Sempione to showcase the Italian designer's 'Projection of a Dream' showcase. The wide catwalk was lit by giant spotlights, a nod to the collection's cinematic inspiration, while a structure of silver fins served as a theatrical curtain for the girls' entrance
Rodarte: Kate and Laura Mulleavy infused their collection with Los Angelian street culture and employed Bureau Betak to recreate their vision on set. The Parisian production company installed a grid of upfacing mirrors lying on the catwalk, and blue and red neon tubes on their edges, reminiscent of the Sunset Strip's night traffic
Sacai: The Grand Foyer of the Théâtre National de Chaillot hosted Japanese label Sacai's Parisian outing. Scenographic black curtains were set up on the sides of the hall, and the tri-coloured marble flooring served as a catwalk, with guests seated on silver banquet chairs composed in rows circling the space
Saint Laurent: We've long since become accustomed to a magnificent light show at Saint Laurent, and once again creative director Hedi Slimane did not disappoint. Guests arriving at the Grand Palais were greeted by a giant modular sculpture of neon pipes hanging in geometric compositions over the catwalk. As the show began, the tubes lit up gradually to create a grid, whose shape changed in an impressive light show that mimicked the work of graphic artist Guy de Cointet
Tod's: At her first collection for Tod's, it was immediately evident that creative director Alessandra Facchinetti has infused a new elegance into the Italian leather goods powerhouse. Facchinetti's guests were warmly welcomed into a home-like setting created by architect Barbara Ghidoni and featuring art by Lucio Fontana, as well as furniture by Gio Ponti and Dimore Studio
Tod's: Located at Milan's Padiglione D'Arte Contemporanea, the set was dressed in a muted palette with discreet finishing touches
Tod's: Different corners of the setting mimicked rooms in a grand home, the central mirrors reflecting the models' outfits from every angle
Y-3: Yohji Yamamoto's Y-3 show was staged as a percussion concert in the dark cave-like space of New York's Skylight Studios. The collection's title, 'Meaningless Excitement' (provided by Peter Saville, who designed some of the garments' prints), was palpable in the venue, with discarded pots and gas canisters scattered across the floor and low lighting filtering through the smoke
Tommy Hilfiger: The American designer went 'Surfin' USA' for his latest collection, presented at Pier 94. The set transported New York showgoers to the dunes of a Californian beach, with models strolling down a sand-strewn boardwalk and props like surfboards scattered about the landscape
Valentino: The Jardin des Tuileries' Espace Ephémère was enveloped in dusky light for the Valentino show, whose parquet catwalk (a staple of the fashion house's sets) stretched around the beige-cushioned seating blocks
Trussardi: The outdoor catwalk at Trussardi was set at one of the most interesting buildings of the season's schedule: Milan's baroque Rotonda della Besana, a porticoed structure encircling a garden and a cross-shaped church. Under architect Barbara Ghidoni's direction, the black and white geometric catwalk was installed on one leg of the walkway, enclosed by mirrors
Versace: The set at Versace was a perfect embodiment of the Italian fashion house's powerfully modern collection. The models walked through a giant Medusa logo outlined in silver as they headed down the shiny green runway, illuminated by lighting maestro Thierry Dreyfus
Louis Vuitton: Marc Jacobs's farewell show at Louis Vuitton was staged as a celebratory memorial, with the past seasons' iconic sets all painted black as a dramatic trip down memory lane. All the grandest were represented, including the escalators from S/S 2013's Daniel Buren-designed set. The most memorable of all, the purpose-built train from A/W 2012-13, was there in spirit, with the station clock overseeing the darkened space
Louis Vuitton: A blacked-out take on last season's voyeuristic hotel corridor
Louis Vuitton: A mini version of the carousel from S/S 2012
Louis Vuitton: The majestic fountain from A/W 2010-11