Seven Of The Most Dramatic Sets From The AW20 Collections So Far

For the autumn/winter 2020 collections, designers turned up the dial on the drama when it came to set design. Rodarte’s gothic showcase in St Bartholomew’s Church in New York saw guests surrounded by dramatic foliage and lights for the brand’s homage to Dracula, while in London, Molly Goddard played the hostess, seating fashion’s finest at prettily laid dining tables. As for Gucci? Alessandro Michele’s ode to the “fashion circus” kicked off proceedings in Milan, wowing attendees with a revolving stage. While we anticipate the famously magical Chanel show at the Grand Palais in Paris, pour over these nine elaborate fashion showcases from New York, London and Milan.

Sies Marjan AW20

Sies Marjan’s nature-themed collection contrasted strikingly with the designer’s distinctly urban choice of show venue this season. Guests were led up to the 54th floor of the One Manhattan West skyscraper, where the New York skyline served as a backdrop for pieces inspired by Rem Koolhaas’s exhibition, The Countryside, The Future, currently showing at the Guggenheim.

Rodarte AW20

St Bartholomew’s Church on Park Avenue was an appropriately gothic setting for Rodarte’s autumn/winter 2020 homage to Dracula, with many corners of the 19th-century building left shrouded in darkness throughout the presentation.

Marc Jacobs AW20

Marc Jacobs closed New York Fashion Week with a colourful, bustling showcase designed to replicate the buzzing streets of Manhattan in its heyday. In addition to a surprise runway appearance from Miley Cyrus, Jacobs collaborated with choreographer Karole Armitage, who directed more than 50 dancers to “[celebrate] chaos and form by conjuring the outermost expressions of our innermost feeling”.

Brandon Maxwell AW20

Brandon Maxwell showed his collection among the taxidermy displays in the Bernard Hall of North American Mammals at the American Museum of Natural History – a fitting choice given that the designer is due to take part in The Nature of Color exhibition there next month.

Roksanda AW20

Roksanda collaborated with visual artist, Rana Begum, on the set design for her autumn/winter 2020 show, with Begum suspending more than 250 metres of neon fishing nets from the ceilings of the grand Foreign & Commonwealth Office. The installation, entitled “No. 976 Net”, will go on to exist as a standalone art piece at the Istanbul Modern, before it is shipped back to London for a public art project with The Line in City Island.

Molly Goddard AW20

Forget the uncomfortable benches seen at most fashion showcases: at Molly Goddard, attendees were seated at long tables decorated with plates, baskets of bread rolls, San Pellegrino and glasses of white – the perfect accompaniment for a lunchtime show.

Gucci AW20

Alessandro Michele’s homage to the “fashion circus” was the spectacular opening Milan Fashion Week deserved. New season Gucci was presented on a rotating carousel, inspired by legendary Italian director Federico Fellini.