The Most Impactful Shows of the Century So Far (Readers' Choice)

0:05I'm Nicole Phelps. Welcome to a special edition of The Run Through. All through the month of December, Vogue Runway editors broke down the major trends of the last 25 years in fashion. We did a year, a day. You can find it all on the site and the app. To cap it off, we asked our readers, that means you, to weigh in on the most impactful shows of the last quarter century. Today, we are sharing the results with you. We are going over the top 25 that you have chosen from a list of 50, and we've conveniently arranged them in chronological order. I am joined by Virginia Smith, Mark Guaducci, and Laird Borelli-Person.

0:43Hi, Nicole. Hi, Nicole. Hey. How excited are you to do this? I'm very excited. I mean, we were talking, Nicole and I, I think we were in my office trying to figure out these shows for several days on which ones we thought would be best. So it was really interesting to see how the readers responded to the top 50 shows and see their selections. Laird, what about you? You and I worked hard on those, on that list, too. Yeah, I mean, it was kind of like a deja vu for our history at Style.com. So I was personally thrilled to see some really early shows from 2000 on the list and saw that they stood the test of time because I do think they are spectacular.

1:25You say the word spectacular. I think what we're going to see is that the idea of spectacle in one way or another, whether it's the clothes themselves or the set design or the casting or the cultural implication of a show, that the idea of spectacle is what remains. I think the other thing that I thought about when looking at these shows was honestly how fortunate I was. And I think I'm sure I speak for you guys that we have been able to see so many of these incredible moments. And I just felt very appreciative of, you know, all that fashion has brought into my years here. Hear, hear. Hear, hear.

2:06Yeah, amen. All right, let's begin with the year 2000. On the subject of spectacle, the first show on our list is Hussein Shalayan's Fall 2000 show. And I was there. It was a rare trip to London for me. And it really sticks with me. The models at the end pulled slipcovers off of chairs and turned them into dresses. And one of them stepped into the center of... Natalia Seminova. Yes. Very, very good recall, Mark. Stepped into the coffee table and it accordioned up into a dress. And he was thinking about his mom, right? Isn't that right? Yeah, it's an autobiographical show. He's a Turkish Cypriot, and he grew up in Cyprus during an era of political violence.

2:56And so the show was inspired by asking his mother what she would take with her if she was forced to evacuate. And, of course, actually just rewatching the full show on YouTube this weekend, I was thinking about what people have been forced to choose to take with them as they evacuate the fires in Los Angeles. and it took a totally different resonance than when I've seen it. This show featured prominently in the Lightroom exhibition that Vogue has done in London. So I've seen this show many times, but it totally felt different this weekend watching it and shows how a work of art can be poignant in different moments and mean different things in different contexts.

3:40Also on the list is the Junior Watanabe show from fall 2000. And Laird, I know that's a favorite. Yeah, I couldn't be happier to see it on the list. I mean, for personal reasons, give me a neck ruff and I'm in heaven. But I think it speaks more seriously to the importance and necessity of craft and innovation. It's called techno-couture because of the way that the honeycombs were made. And I can't understand the technical intricacies to explain them to you. But taking something that's recognizable, blowing it up, fantasizing it, but also they're very gentle. They're organic shapes that float around the body, sort of like you're being caressed by wings.

4:25They have a beautiful movement, but they're fantastic to look at. And so this combination of technology and craft, I think, is really beautiful. And I think, you know, I've written about, I think, the Manus Ex Machina exhibition at the Met takes on more importance as time goes on because we are confronting, you know, how we're going to navigate this coming together of the hand and the machine. Mm-hmm. Speeding through here, a couple years later, Mark Jacobs did something at the time in spring 2001 that was pretty revolutionary in fashion. We hadn't been seeing a lot of designers invite artists to collaborate, and he asked his friend Stephen Sprouse to tag or graffiti in his signature style all over Vuitton's classic monogram.

5:18It became something that he did over and over again with other artists. Virginia, do you remember that show? I do remember that show, but I really remember those speedy bags with Sprouse on them that we all wish we would have bought and kept over the years. They were so phenomenal. And, you know, you're right that Mark continued those collaborations throughout his career. And then I also remember a few years later, Sprouse doing a collaboration with Target that I think was one of the first designer collaborations that Target did. And I happened to go into a Target and see, you know, all the Stephen Sprouse stuff that was, you know, just incredible.

5:56But it really, you know, marks genius at sort of understanding, you know, what these partnerships could be. And I think it was a beautiful New York and Paris moment because Stephen was, you know, representative, the best representative of downtown and the intersection of art and fashion. And also to do your own signature or, you know, take your signature font and put it over a logo is pretty ballsy. Yeah. Mark said that he wanted to deface the monogram. That was the intention and he thought graffiti would be the way to do it. And, you know, Mark is a giant, obviously, but to hear him talk about other designers or artists, he's so humble and so generous.

6:42He, you know, always, even when they're just starting out, he's so self-effacing. And even though he was leading the flagship brand at the biggest fashion company in the world, to give that kind of generosity that now we take for granted because everyone does collaborations was a real transgressive step at the time. And I also think about that time, too. Like, Mark has had so many eras in his personal appearance, and that moment was his kilt era. Mark's like the Madonna of fashion, and that was the kilt moment. I love when I see one of those pieces out in the wild now. They're so distinctive. The next show on the list is Dries Van Noten's Spring 2005 show, and it was a special anniversary for Dries, and he did something so spectacular.

7:33Virginia, will you tell us what he did? I will. It was Dries' 50th anniversary, and he had a candlelit dinner for 500 of his show attendees with 200 waiters, 250 waiters, excuse me, so a waiter per every two persons. And after the show, and believe me, food and drink are not common in any fashion event, certainly on this level. And after the plates were cleared, the long table became a runway to this incredible show. But what I will remember most about this show is that I was not there. It is the only Driesman-Noten show I have missed in my over 20 years of being an editor at Vogue. I don't remember what in the world caused me to miss this show.

8:22It was pretty early on in my career. Clearly, I did not have my priorities in order. And the next day, my colleague Hamish Bowles was telling me about this show. And literally, I had tears in my eyes hearing about it. So I have never missed a Dresden Van Noten show since then. And I was happy to see him on the list. And I think probably he made it on there because, of course, he retired last year in spectacular fashion. He did another sort of callback. he made a men's show and the whole runway was foiled in this silver leaf. And it actually reminded me of the first Dries Van Noten show that I went to years earlier, almost 20 years earlier when he did a gold leaf show.

9:09So he was, you know, so famous for incredible clothes and a print master, a mix master, but also a really good showman. He loved to put on a fun show. Yeah, Dries is just an interesting mix because he's not someone who really, you know, wants to attract the attention to himself personally. I think he really lets his clothes speak for him. So it was really great to see him on this list because he has been so important to us as a designer. I think all designers have a real respect for him. There's a real generosity to Dries. And, you know, Nicole and I are both very big supporters and wear a lot of his clothes.

9:50So we were both very happy to see him on here. Let's take a quick break and we'll be back with more of the most impactful shows of the last quarter century as selected by our Vogue app readers.

10:12Thank you.

10:41to podcasts.

10:52Okay, we're back. Next on the list is no surprise to any of us. It's Alexander McQueen, Spring 2010. It was the third most voted by you, our readers, on this list, and it was, sadly, McQueen's final runway show before he died. Mark, what do you remember about that? Well, I was revisiting Sarah Moe's review of that show, and she wrote that Gaga, who premiered Bad Romance on that runway, that Lady Gaga twittered, quote unquote, to her, quote, one million followers. And I just, it was such a, I don't know, that line really stuck out to me because it showed how nascent social media was at the time.

11:34Now, of course, Gaga has more than 82 million followers on X. But this show had, it was, as you said, McQueen's last runway show. And it was sort of an apotheosis of so many of his ideas that it had two, it was live streamed and on show studio and actually crashed the live stream because of Gaga's tweet. There were two robotic arms with cameras covering the runway that was reminiscent of the two robotic arms that had sprayed Shalom Harlow some years before. And it was a real feat of production design that was both a step forward but also really classic McQueen. But the only thing more extraordinary than the production actually was the clothes themselves.

12:16When you look at the—I implore all the listeners to go look at those dresses because there were these liquid patterns that McQueen used in that show that were supposed to reflect underwater. It was Plato's Atlantis. But we saw those patterns in other designers' clothes throughout the 2010s. I can think of three designers particularly that repeated very similar designs. And what a show to remember. It was also famously the debut of the armadillo shoe. Thank you. Which I heard in reading. I think Sarah mentioned it. Apparently several models backed out of that show at the last minute. They were so terrified of walking in that shoe.

12:56But no one apparently tripped down the runway. They all made it. One of the best parts of this project was going back over our social media posts and seeing what the readers thought of these shows. And somebody said that even 14 years later, McQueen's Plato's Atlantis still feels like the future, which I think it really does. It does. And the prints are technical prints. I mean, to design those, they're sort of like a mirror image. But again, they also look like butterfly wings to some extent, which is something. So I think I'm like these days interested in this, not only the hand and the machine, but also how nature and technology can mirror each other in a way.

13:43I mean, I found myself looking when I looked at the pictures a few times and I found myself wondering if he knew that that was his last show. All right. Next on the list is Dolce & Gabbana. And it's their first Altamoda show. And Altamoda, for anybody who doesn't know, means high fashion or high couture. And Domenico, Dolce, and Stefano Gabbana do not show in Paris during the haute couture shows. What they started is quite unique to them, but also super influential. They started inviting their top clients to Italy, different beautiful locations, summer after summer, and putting on these really special shows for small groups of people.

14:27Famously, they are all on WhatsApp while watching the show and placing orders as the looks go by. Maybe not right from the start. I don't know if WhatsApp existed when this first show happened, but it's like a self-fulfilling prophecy. They buy clothes to wear to the next Altamoda show. And I say it's influential because since before the pandemic, there has now been this sort of industry policy where the top brands host these shows in one beautiful location after another. Has anybody had the privilege of going on one of those shows? Any memories? I was at the—well, they did one in New York, Dolce & Gabbana did, right, at Lincoln Center, I believe, if I remember correctly.

15:09And I will say the Dolce & Gabbana clan tale does not disappoint. I mean, those ladies are dressed. I have never in my life seen anything quite like that. And it's remarkable. But I think Dolce, I mean, was really one of the, I feel like they were one of the first brands. I mean, obviously Chanel is right up there probably with them. But they really started paying a lot of attention to their best customers and really making events and experiences for them and taking them into major consideration. But so, as you say, this Altamoto event was the beginning of all that. Yeah, building on what you say, that's what all depresses.

15:51How do we work with our clients? How do we create experiences is the sort of mantra of our time. And the other thing that is interesting is it's not a Mary-Kate and Ashley no photos, because people can take and post photos. But we are not allowed to post the photos because the dresses, there's one. They're not doing it for outside sale. It's not the same kind of PR activity that a runway is. It is really intro. I'm losing my word. But, you know, it's a reflecting on itself kind of event. I have to say it makes it hard for us to do research on these shows. So Dolce & Gabbana, if you're listening, maybe let us have all the pictures next time.

16:37Okay, moving on. This is one that a lot of us really remember and love. Christian Dior Fall 2012. It was Raph Simmons' debut. Yeah. In his review, Tim Blanks says, the formal past, the streamlined future, meeting in the middle. You know, when Raph took the reins at Christian Dior, he went into the archives, which is a phrase that we hear all the time when new designers take over an old house. And that's just the, it's almost like you could have a series called Going Into the Archives now. But at the time, I think it was less done. And probably the first designer to have done that in a really spectacular way was Carl at Chanel.

17:22When he got there, he reinvented the codes, identified and then reinvented the codes of that house. And Raph did that as well at Dior. You know, the show was, you saw the peplum tops of the new look, but instead of the full-bodied skirt, it was cigarette pants. And so he really nailed that past and present things. And I think everyone really loved those clothes. But the show itself was also just not to be forgotten. I think there were at least a million flowers incorporated in the set design, which was each room was a different color. And so one room was in completely floor to ceiling, immersively decorated in orchids.

18:09And another would be roses. And I just remember watching this show from afar, seeing how many designers came out to support RAF, people like Alaya and Albert Albaz and Marc Jacobs and Olivier Tayskens, Ricardo Tisci, Donatella Versace, and thinking, what must that room have smelled like? And, of course, it's all documented in Frederick Chang's wonderful documentary, Dior and I, but he didn't quite get the smell. Virginia, were you there? I wasn't. I wasn't at that show, but loved it from afar. I mean, the cigarette pant with the sort of peplum ball gown is my idea of black tie. It was amazing.

18:47Yes, please. For red carpet, we could use some modernization of the three silhouettes that seemed to be acceptable. Yeah. Go back and look at that show. Yeah, I was there. And I have to say that the energy of that room was truly unique to see all of those designers. I sort of feel like at that moment in fashion, there wasn't all that much camaraderie between designers. I think I remember it as a time where, you know, we were focused on the competition between them. And I think now it's a much more common thing for us to see, to see designers at each other's shows. But at that moment, it felt really, really special to me and the clothes I too love.

19:34The next show on the list, also no surprise, but it was hard for us to decide which Chanel show by Karl Lagerfeld to offer up for the choosing. We chose the Chanel supermarket, which is as, you know, pop fantastic as he got, I think. I mean, it was—it's still, when you think about it, when you walked in and saw the Chanel supermarket, you just could not believe it. I mean, there was over 500 products that they had Chanel-ized, and it was everything from a chainsaw with Chanel chains to doormats that had Mademoiselle Privé to potato chips. I mean, it was just unbelievable, the attention to detail.

20:21And that was before you saw one piece of clothing go down the runway. It was just the scale and the attention to detail were completely overwhelming when you walked into that environment. It was really, really something. My favorite was that even the for sale signs that you would see in a supermarket, instead of saying 50 % off, they said 50 % extra. like the level of you know of all of carl's theatrical spectacles this one had maybe the most humor and the most irony and it was just one big laugh uh to to see from afar but also it didn't only capture the bodega selfie but what you wear on a bodega run because i think cara opened it in a probably cashmere tracksuit, you know, that was distressed.

21:14So it was, you know, he was so clever on picking up what people were doing on the street and not afraid of technology. Yeah, and that's when he really went heavy into the Chanel trainer, those poppy sneakers that were on pretty much every single look. It really became, you know, the must-have shoe that season. It's so, you know, so clever. He was so clever. I wonder if it was Carl's response to the response of the expansion of the luxury industry that, you know, what you might call the branding of everyday life. That in my mind, I imagine Carl had heard criticism that Chanel was doing, you know, not just couture anymore but was doing everything and that it was becoming like a supermarket for rich people.

21:56And he thought, there's an idea. That's brilliant, Mark. It also brings to mind Warhol and like the representation of consumer and capitalist culture. I will never forget all of the people at the show. We sort of rushed the shelves afterwards because I think everybody wanted like a souvenir. And they had to put guards there to keep people from stealing stuff. Did you get anything? No, because I was respectful. And I didn't want to be that one person who walked away with something. But everybody wanted something. I bet on eBay we could find something from that show. Bet you're right. All right.

22:35Moving on. This is another show that happened in Paris. It was Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's first The Row show in Paris, spring 2016. It was beautiful, and it was held outdoors, I think, outside of the city, maybe, at a chateau. Courant. Okay. You were there? No, I wasn't. But I actually have been there, but I was not there that day. It's 45 minutes from Paris. Okay. So they now show all the time in Paris. This was our first inkling, I suppose, that they were ambitious enough to take their brand to Paris and compete on that stage. I mean, how do you read their departure? I think about it, you know, that show particularly, which I wasn't at, but it didn't work with the fashion schedule.

23:24There was a show like, you know, an hour before and an hour after. So if you wanted to go, you had to skip other important shows, which – so the editors were actually given a preview and the buyers were given the preview instead of most of them attending, which I think was maybe purposeful. That they, like Dolce, which is a completely different aesthetic, a completely different kind of company for a different kind of woman, wanted to appeal to their customer. And they put their values there, that their consumer was ultimately who they wanted to give the experience to. That's very astute. I think it's also in sync with their aloofness.

24:07They don't talk very much. They don't give interviews. You know, they prefer no phones. And it's like it seems just like they're very devoted to what they do and they want to do it in their way. They have a clear aesthetic. And so it's not about competition or overlap. It's like we are who we are and we're not looking around. I mean, they must have been aware. Yeah. The customer and control. And maybe a little mystery. I mean, I was sorry to lose them from New York, but I have to say what they've done in Paris is remarkable. And just I have a huge amount of respect for their sort of their outlook on fashion.

24:49It is – they do as proud as Americans in Paris every single season. And it's so modern. Yeah. It's really something. The roification of fashion is a real thing. It's been so influential. Moving on, Givenchy, Spring 2016. This was the moment when Ricardo brought the collection to New York. Virginia, what do you remember? Well, I have to say, if I had to list, this would be definitely my top five shows I've ever seen. It's just all the elements came together for this one. And I remember it was being built on Pier 96, I think, which I could see from my apartment. And there was a lot of talk of rain coming, and a very substantial rain that night.

25:34So they had to finally make a decision on whether or not they were going to put a roof, include a roof or not. But they decided to go for it, and it was such a great thing. It's always the rain decision. Exactly. Because it was an incredible moment of fashion and art. His favorite artist, Marina Abramovich, was included in this spectacle and also a very poignant remembrance of the anniversary of 9-11. And it was just one of those magical moments in fashion where it all came together in a very sort of quiet, emotional way. and he also invited a lot of students to be just attend, which was obviously very generous of Ricardo.

26:24And for me, it was just a show I will never forget. I loved the beauty of that show. And I'll never forget Maria Carla in the lingerie top and pants. It was his 10th year anniversary, and it had all the things that Ricardo's known for, like the face jewelry, the lingerie, the lace, It was the sneakers or the sneakerized heels. It was everything. Done to perfection. Yeah. And his shows in Paris were always the show that you had to be at. And it was nice to have one of those in New York. So I was so happy to see this collection on the list, Christian Dior, Spring 2017. This was Maria Grazia's debut.

27:05And for the record, it was September of 2016 that this happened before the U.S. election. And she had the famous, now famous T-shirt, We Should All Be Feminists, which is pulled from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's book or essay of that subject. And a slogan or a sentiment that is even more relevant today, I think, in the wake of another election. You know what I remember most about this is the goodwill that you could feel in the room towards Maria Grazia and how much people were really supporting her in that role, which, you know, she is one of the few female creative directors at such a big company.

27:49And it was – you could just feel everyone wanting to support her in that room, and that was really great. Moving on quickly, Louis Vuitton, spring 19. This was Virgil Abloh's debut. And talk about goodwill, right? Totally. That show took place in the garden of the Palais Royale. And there's something about that that it was like almost like a coronation in a way, that show. That it was a bit like, you know, it was a show that was almost like a fait accompli. Because, yes, it was a preview of what he was going to do. We saw the harnesses, the childlike references that Virgil became known for, the vibrancy of the color palette.