Many of fashion’s most awe-inspiring, thought-provoking, and utterly fabulous moments have taken place on the runway. Beyond the simple utility of displaying a collection, the runway show exists at the nexus of fashion, art, and theater—combining set design, music, and movement to create immortal displays of beauty and rebellion. Distilling decades of runway shows to the 16 most iconic is an impossible task, so when considering which moments to include, I relied on two criteria: cultural significance and personal preference. I included only one show from each designer, and though fashion shows existed long before the ’90s, my list begins in 1993 when New York Fashion Week began.
For many of us, images of runway shows were our entry point to the world of fashion. Whether you saw it in your aunt’s copy of Vogue or on your parents’ desktop computer, there is always one show that stands out in your memory. From Alexander McQueen’s hologram of Kate Moss to Mugler’s 1995 haute couture extravaganza, here are 16 unforgettable moments that showcase the enduring influence of the catwalk.
1. Perry Ellis Spring/Summer 1993
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This is the collection that brought grunge to the commercial fashion world and got Marc Jacobs fired from Perry Ellis. It was never even put into production, and Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love set fire to the samples Jacobs sent them. Iconic to say the least.
2. Vivienne Westwood Fall/Winter 1993-1994
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Vivienne Westwood was responsible for many of fashion’s most iconic runway moments, but a standout is her “Anglomania” show for Fall/Winter 1993-1994. The show, featuring Westwood’s signature tartan, prompted The New York Times to claim the designer “was possessed of a divine lunacy”–an apt description of Westwood’s rebellious genius.
3. Mugler Fall/Winter 1995 Haute Couture
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Thierry Mugler was the undisputed King of outrageous, over-the-top, memorable runway moments, but the show that takes the cake is his Fall/Winter 1995 Haute Couture show. Featuring 300 looks on icons including Jerry Hall and Patty Hearst in addition to supermodels Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss, the show was dubbed the “The Woodstock of fashion,” by model Violeta Sanchez.
4. Dries Van Noten Spring/Summer 2005
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For his 50th runway show, Dries Van Noten had models walk on a runway styled as a long banquet table set for 500 under 130 chandeliers. This show was a moment of superlative decadence in catwalk history.
5. Alexander McQueen Fall/Winter 2006-2007
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Alexander McQueen was no stranger to spectacle. From models “trapped” in a glass box to the oft-referenced robot spray paint dress, he masterfully challenged and subverted expectations from one season to the next. To close out his widely acclaimed Widows of Culloden show, he featured a hauntingly beautiful hologram of Kate Moss. This was both a stunning dramatic flourish and a touching display of solidarity with Moss, as tabloid scandals had barred her from the runway for years.
6. Jean-Paul Gaultier Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2007
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Jean Paul Gaultier is another legendary boundary-pusher, but his Spring 2007 Haute Couture show, “Virgins,” privileged beauty above all else.
7. Chanel Fall/Winter 2008-2009
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It’s a tough task to decide which of Chanel’s Grand Palais runway shows was the most iconic, but the massive carousel of Fall/Winter 2008-2009, is the perfect symbol of the house’s commitment to opulence.
8. Celine Spring/Summer 2010
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I am, admittedly, a proud member of the cult of Phoebe Philo’s Céline. Her relaxed, yet sophisticated minimalism is perfectly captured in her first show with the brand.
9. Prada Spring/Summer 2011
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This collection is amongst Miuccia Prada’s best reviewed—it represented a playful departure from her signature subdued minimalism (iconic in its own right) without sacrificing her sophistication.
10. Saint Laurent Fall/Winter 2014-2015
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Between the Cherry Glazerr soundtrack and the cool-girl casting featuring the budding rockstar Julia Cumming alongside Tumblr starlet Charlotte Free, this show was tailor-made for my 20-year-old self. It holds up, and I regularly return to it when I’m in need of a little style inspiration.
11. Hood By Air Fall/Winter 2014-2015
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Shayne Oliver’s Hood By Air label achieved cult status with this runway show, prompting W to crown the brand, “one of the weirdest, wildest, and most intriguing things happening in New York fashion right now.”
12. Comme des Garçons Fall/Winter 2017-2018
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This collection was a bold continuation of Rei Kawakubo’s career-spanning defiance of fashion’s ideal female body, as seen in her groundbreaking "Body Meets Dress, Dress Meets Body" Spring/Summer 1997 collection.
13. Gucci Fall/Winter 2018-2019
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Gucci has had many a legendary and star-studded runway, but the severed head replicas featured in Alessandro Michele’s Autumn/Winter 2018 collection are seared into our collective memory.
14. Viktor & Rolf Spring/Summer Couture 2019
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This show was a brilliant lesson on how to create a splash in the Internet Age: couture that is infinitely meme-able and eye-catching enough to cut through the visual noise of a social media feed.
15. Versace Spring/Summer 2020
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J. Lo and that green dress. Iconic is an understatement.
16. Off-White Fall/Winter 2022-2023
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Virgil Abloh’s posthumous final show featuring Naomi Campbell, Serena Williams, and Cindy Crawford was a moving tribute to his indelible impact on the fashion world, cementing his legacy among the titans of fashion.
