6 of the most provocative shows in fashion history

Fashion brand shows are a separate art form. And there is not the slightest exaggeration in this sentence. A team of set designers, decorators and sometimes artists work on the creation of each show, carefully selecting every detail. Remember the mountain of condoms at the Diesel show? How about a muddy or snowy Balenciaga location? And the performance venues themselves are sometimes surprising in their scale. Over the past few years we have seen spectacles staged at Versailles, against the backdrop of the Egyptian Pyramids and even near the Louvre.

However, a beautiful location is not enough for a program to be remembered and go viral in the media and social networks. For this reason, many designers and creative directors of brands focus on provocation. This fits some shows quite organically and naturally, but for others it doesn’t resonate at all. However, loud debates are guaranteed.

Today we decided to remember the six most provocative and shocking designer shows that no one has yet surpassed.

Alexander McQueen, autumn-winter 1995

It would be strange to start material about the most provocative performances from the works of Alexander McQueen. In 1995, the British designer presented his famous Highland Rape collection, which caused a storm of criticism from the public. What’s the problem? After the show, many fashion critics accused Lee of romanticizing violence and overusing sexual innuendos, calling him a misogynist. But actually the message was much deeper. He wanted to show Scotland raped by England, with the models’ torn dresses, messy hair and pale faces.

Alexander McQueen, spring-summer 2001

Now that we’ve started talking about Alexander McQueen’s provocative approach, we suggest we remember one more of his shows. The 2000 Voss show was perhaps the most depressing show in fashion history. There are several reasons for this. First, an abandoned bus depot was chosen as the location for the show, and guests were seated in front of a huge mirror cube. Secondly, the show was deliberately delayed for an hour, and people were forced to look at their own reflections all this time (we remind you that there were no smartphones and social networks then). They say that in this way Lee wanted to force the guests of the show to look at themselves from the outside. Third, when the show began, the cube was illuminated from the inside, and viewers saw a room with soft white walls, reminiscent of a psychiatric hospital ward. The entire show was devoted to the theme of imprisonment and mental instability. A special role in this performance was played by models who not only paraded, but also held their heads, fell, laughed hysterically and quite convincingly depicted schizophrenia. I agree, now it is absolutely impossible to see this on the podium, but at that time it was very provocative.

Jean Paul Gaultier, amFAR Extravaganza show

It seems like Jean-Paul Gaultier and Madonna were made for each other. They are united by a rebellious spirit and an unprecedented love of hooliganism and mischief. This is probably why their collaborations are so fruitful. She created stage looks for him (we’re hinting at the cone-shaped cup bra that she toured nearly all over the world as part of her Blonde Ambition tour) and attended her shows with great gusto. So, in 1992, Madonna closed the Jean Paul Gaultier charity show and did it in her own way. While walking on the podium, she took off her jacket with a slight movement of her hand and appeared in front of the audience in a dress that showed her breasts.

Christian Dior, spring-summer 2000

John Galliano is now one of the most talked about designers of our time. Take a look at the Maison Margiela couture show that took place in January this year. And from 1996 to 2011 Galliano was head of Christian Dior. It was he who breathed new life into the fashion house, and with it the shockingness inherent in the designer. In 2000, he presented his Homeless couture collection to the world, referencing images of homeless Parisians. “Luxury” couture dresses were decorated with broken bottles, kitchen utensils and torn pieces of fabric. By the way, it was then that the world saw Galliano’s legendary newspaper edition. There was no loud scandal after the show. Although some critics have accused her of unethically exploiting the image of the poor and homeless for the benefit of the multimillion-dollar fashion industry. I wonder how the community will react to such a designer’s trick now.

Gucci, Fall-Winter 2018

All you need to know about Alessandro Michele’s time at Gucci is that his Autumn/Winter 2018 collection opened with a long-haired model carrying his own head. Provocative? Definitely. By the way, the venue for the show resembled an anatomical theater with operating tables. The designer then explained that he wanted to draw a parallel between the work of a plastic surgeon and that of a designer who can create a new look for a person using scissors and fabric. And he definitely succeeded. By the way, it took almost six months to create exact copies of the heads, and this was done by the Roman studio Makinarium, which created special effects for the films of Ridley Scott and Danny Boyle. However, the provocation is not limited to this. The brand’s collection included black turtleneck sweaters that reached the middle of the face and had holes for the lips. The controversial outfit reminded many people of blackface. And this, as we know, is a serious insult to the entire African American community. A barrage of criticism and public outrage led Gucci to apologize and withdraw the product from sale.

Mowalola, spring-summer 2024

Mowalola is one of the most provocative young brands. And every collection is proof of this. But last September, designers crossed this line. What’s the problem? At the fashion show within the scope of London Fashion Week, skirts with the flags of different countries, including Saudi Arabia, were introduced. Let us remind you that in Saudi Arabia, the image of the country’s flag on any clothing item is prohibited at the state level. Muslims perceived this clothing as a provocation and an insult. As a result, the brand apologized and removed the skirt from the collection. But that’s not all. The make-up of the models also attracted attention; Almost all of them had bruises under their eyes, wounds, and even bloody noses. So the brand team was also accused of romanticizing violence.