When we talk about the things a runway show couldn’t exist without, the beauty time, the soundtrack, and the design team are obvious choices. But how often do you think about the floor? The floor beneath models’ feet might not be to star of any fashion show, but there have been moments in fashion history where the flooring has undeniably been groundbreaking (no pun intended). From Karl Lagerfeld’s sand-covered ground at Chanel SS19, to Balenciaga’s muddy terrain at SS23, here are our favourite floors at fashion show floors of all time. Sue us if we spent these shows staring at the floor.
Valentino SS25
Hosted at the Pavillon des Folies, Alessandro Michele’s first show for Valentino was set on a floor of cracked glass designed by artist Alfredo Pirr. In his show notes, Michele wrote, “We tiptoe on mirrors that shatter under our weight,” revealing that the cracked flooring was symbolic; it was meant to represent the beauty of life through our own impact, no matter how small or unintentional.
Bottega Veneta SS24
At SS24, Bottega Veneta revealed its collection in Milan on a floor painted to look like a map, adorned with abstract images of birds and fish. As Matthieu Blazy explained, “The idea was the back of the Corn Flakes packets in the ’90s when you’d have those maps of how you’d travel, even at home, eating Corn Flakes. … I thought it was a beautiful idea to have a set where the models would literally travel around a world.”
Chanel SS19
Karl Lagerfeld was once known for his worldbuilding runways at Chanel, where he transported models to leafy forest floors and alpine snow-scapes, but one of the most memorable has to be his beach show. Hosted at Le Grand Palais (as per), the show transformed its usual venue into a beach, complete with sand, ocean, and even a lifeguard. Walking across the sandy dunes might’ve been a challenge for the models, but the result was iconic.
Louis Vuitton SS25
You know when a house like Louis Vuitton takes over the Louvre for its fashion show, the result will be good, but we still didn’t expect the flooring to be made from LV trunks. As an homage to the history of the house, Louis Vuitton’s models walked on a platform made from over a thousand Louis Vuitton trunks.
Balenciaga SS23
Demna has hosted runway shows with some crazy backdrops, from dystopian cityscapes to man-made blizzards, but arguably his best was at SS23, where he had models traverse a mud-covered terrain created by Santiago Sierra. Each model - including Ye, who took to the runway that season - stamped and struggled through the thick mud of the runway, high on either side, dug in a kind of trench. It doesn’t get much more “Balenciaga” than that.
Featured image via Balenciaga©
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