10 Runways That Rule

1. RICK OWENS S/S 2014
VICIOUS, accurately put, was the presentation for Rick Owens Spring Summer 2014 womenswear collection. Okay, so this show wasn’t exactly an installation, more of an insane presentation of beauty, strength, and unity. It makes the list because it garnered the reaction and awe that comes with a grand installation. Owens enlisted step dance crews from Atlanta, DC, and New York. Models were hella talented, not to mention super coordinated. Not only did it showcase powerful clothing designs, but it also focused on showcasing beautifully diverse models and different body shapes. Double, triple success in my books. Empowering is the name of the game.

2.ALEXANDER MCQUEEN F/W 2006
In early 2005, before Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter, tabloids went nutso for sneaky photos of Kate Moss doing bad things (read, cocaine) in a bathroom stall with rockstar boyfreind Pete Doherty. When the story broke, Moss was dropped by virtuously every label in the bizz. It was a pretty intense story. Enter Alexander McQueen! In a true show of friendship, McQueen closed his Fall/Winter collection with a giant hologram installation honouring Moss in all her glory. Long live Queen Kate.

3.LOUIS VUITTON S/S 2012
Plucked out of a Taylor Swift dream sequence circa 2009, Mark Jacobs delivered an overly sweet carousel experience set to the theme song of the classic horror film, Susperia. It was a light, airy, IG-worthy installation.

4.KENZO F/W 2008
Magic. A show we could re-watch until the end of time. Many moons have past, and this show still reigns supreme due to it’s elegant composure and dramatic finale.

5.RODARTE S/S 2009
Rodarte’s S/S 2009 show was a deconstructed tunnel of fluorescent lights, raw space and #fashun. Lights, camera, Karlie? Kloss messed up, Sasha Pivovarova picked it up, and all was well in the Rodarte household.

6.CHANEL F/W 2010
He makes the impossible, possible. Karl knows no bounds. What you might not know about this presentation is that that mountain of ice is actually an iceberg, weighing in at 262 tons, imported from Sweden, that was to be returned after the show. Absurd? Yes. The room had to be kept in below 0 conditions. Imagine every editor, blogger, and former model freezing in their seats. Brings a whole new chill to the name, Wintour.

7.BURBERRY IN BEIJING 2011
It was all for the opening of a flagship store. The brand’s show only incorporated 6 models, can you spot them? Holograms, projections and animations stole this Burberry show.

8.FENDI F/W 2007
Karl does what Karl wants, with a totally normal price tag of 10 million dollars, no less. In this case, it’s walking down The Great Wall Of China. It took an entire year for the government to allow this shindig to happen. When it finally did, guests had to walk up many, many, many steps, and were rewarded with heated seats, hot cocoa, and a spectacle of epic proportions.

9.IRIS VAN HERPEN F/W 2014
Some like it hot, and Iris Van Herpen likes it creepy. Three vacuum-sealed Ziploc-like bags hung from the ceiling, each containing a live models. Etheral and disturbing, guests watched as the ladies repositioned themselves inside their plastic vaccuum packs, appearing to slowly suffocate.

10.DIOR F/W 2013
Raf Simons’ ability to create perfect, dreamlike reflections make this one a memorable installation. Mirror, mirror on the wall who’s the flyest of them all? Mr. Simons get’s a special nod from us.

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Amanda is a fashion intern at FLARE Magazine and freelance writer. This slightly confused Virgo prefers to live in the year 2006. Unless it’s Ja Rule, The O. C. or Von Dutch, don’t even bother.

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