Welcome to the 75th insertion of DEMUR®, an analytical series highlighting the intricacies of the artistic world and the minutiae lying within. In this episode we cultivate fashion’s best runway show invitations to understand the history and prominence behind the deeply rooted tradition.
Luxury fashion as a whole is built on the art of creation, exclusivity and craft. At any given runway show, press cram shoulder to shoulder as celebrities document their attendance on social media. Crowds line the streets, eagerly awaiting a glimpse of a model, piece or guest, screaming when a person of interest happens to walk by.
But why not let everyone in, to capitalize on potential buyers and sell as much product as possible? Well, in order to create prominence around a namesake, there must be a factor of unattainability. Much like the runway show invitation, the consumer is led to believe they are deemed worthy of appearance, to represent the brand’s audience as a face. Granting access to otherwise restricted selection, the invitation represents a status and positional hierarchy, making those who can’t come, want to.
In regard to design, we’ve recently seen the golden ticket shift from a rather bland, customary look, approached instead as a precursor to the event rather than a functional tool. Thinking back to the early days of couture, it wasn’t uncommon to receive a piece of paper that merely outlined the event details and occasionally included a signature. Instead, designers are using the invite creatively, setting the tone for an expansive storyline to follow, and subsequently build hype.
Balenciaga recently used this premise brilliantly for their technology based Fall ‘22 collection, which enlisted a plethora of etched iPhone 6’s to invite clientele. Virgil Abloh sent out constructive paper airplanes to illustrate an adventurous theme for Fall 2021, and manufactured backwards clocks the year prior. Literally turning back the time to Margiela’s era, we saw invitational credit cards, projective flashlights and plates with hand written text. Not only do these invites progress a narrative, they demonstrate attention to nuance.
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