Artistic license
Rick Owens and Dior used its show invitations as a device to convey its S/S 2020 artistic collaborations. British artist Thomas Houseago allowed Owens to used an image of one of his wall sculptures as the brand’s invite art, and Owens’ collection was debuted around the artist’s ongoing retrospective at the Palais de Tokyo. Elsewhere in Paris, Dior’s Kim Jones worked with Daniel Arsham on ‘Dior’ lettered sculptures in his idiosyncratic calcified cement which populated its bubblegum pink S/S 2020 catwalk and show invitation.
Need for seed
Jil Sander had a horticultural take on show invitation design. Bestowing a white cotton pouch on guests, stamped with the green-fingered phrase ‘The world needs more flowers,’ show-goers found a flurry of chocolate truffle-like seed bombs inside, for them to take home, plant, water and nurture into flowers.
Lap of luxury
Labels amped up the luxury with lashings of leopard print and gold. Just look to Dolce & Gabbana’s wildcat-worthy show invitation, and Saint Laurent’s patent leather envelope, a glossy rock n’ roll fit for its LA location. Elsewhere, 1017 ALYX 9SM got the Midas touch for spring, with a multi-layered show invitation, complete with a glossy golden foil.
Seeing clearly
Brands bought a translucent twist to their show invitation envelopes. OAMC and Lanvin opted for gauzy tracing paper-thin envelopes, OAMC opting to conceal a handy carabiner inside, and Lanvin slipping inside a summery illustration in bold blue, rose and yellow brushstrokes of men clad shorts and hats. Elsewhere, Off-White opted for its usual clear acetate envelope, printed with a barbed wire pattern.
Road trippin’
A host of labels provided a handy stock of essentials for a summer road trip, preferably in a sunset-chasing soft top. See Wooyungmi’s invitation-come-retro mixtape, Paul’s Smith’s car bumper-ready cartoon bunny sticker, a fuchsia foil Vetements condom and a Versace-branded metal license plate, bordered with pop-colour baroque prints.
Great heights
Louis Vuitton’s Virgil Abloh looked to the sky for S/S 2020, designing a show invitation that came complete with a ready-to-assemble kite. Its parts included a spine, cross bar and bridle cord and a verdant, bottle green triangular nylon sail emblazoned with the LV monograph. Up up and away!
