Dissertation - Stephanie Severin

Fashion and the Show: The Role of Ephemeral Interiors on the Runway Stephanie Severin Z5062304

Bachelor of Interior Architecture (Hons.)

Final Year Dissertation INTA2411 UNSW Built Environment University of New South Wales, Australia 2019

Abstract This dissertation investigates the role of ephemeral interiors on the runway. Furthermore, it seeks to explore and prove that the power of transformative space design is imperative to the success of the fashion world in their pursuit of creating aesthetic merit and reflecting the ever-changing nature of fashion. An initial contextualisation of the purpose of the runway fashion show in relation to the luxury fashion brand and how the runway has evolved from its origins to the current contemporary form will form the basis for the dissertation. Through historical overview, the evolution of the fashion show is linked to the success of the contemporary luxury fashion brand and relates the show itself to the foundation of luxury fashion. The transition towards ephemeral interiors on the runway will be highlighted in this evolution; demonstrating the ability of runway ephemerae to enhance the success of the show, and in turn, the luxury brand.

A broad theoretical framework will be established to support forthcoming analysis. Through an exploration of the fashion shows’ emergence as a theatrical production due to the development of ephemeral interior architecture, the notion of fashion as a form of entertainment is instituted. This discussion will determine the fundamental role of ephemeral interiors within the realm of the fashion show. Through the analysis of three contemporary case studies, that act as evidence to the theoretical framework foundations presented in the previous sections of this dissertation, the power of transformative spatial design is brought to light and presented as being intrinsically linked to the success of the runway show.

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Acknowledgements I would like to thank Dr Sing D’Arcy for his mentorship, wisdom and constant encouragement throughout the entire process. For his understanding, confidence and belief in me.

To my friends, Lara Coleman and Lisa Attard, for their unwavering support, reassurance and companionship.

And to my parents, Dino and Lisa, for constantly inspiring me to do more, and be more, than what I think is possible. For instilling in me values that have enabled me to push myself beyond my own expectation.

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List of Illustrations Figure 1.01 Image depicting a typical ‘fashion parade’ with live models, held in French saloons for exclusive clientele during the 1900s. Source: Evans C, 2013, The Mechanical Smile: Modernism and the First Fashion Shows in France, from < https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/fashion/fashion-news/news/g22291/new-book reveals-all-about-first-fashion-shows/?slide=8>, accessed 20 March 2019.

Figure 1.02 31 Rue Cambon, Paris, France. The first shop Gabrielle Chanel opened which has now become synonymous with the brand and features on many of their products.

Source: Chanel, 2011, 31 Rue Cambon: The Story Behind The Façade, from < https://www.chanel.com/us/fashion/news/2011/02/31-rue-cambon-the-story-behind the-facade.html>, accessed 20 March 2019.

Figure 1.03 2019 Chanel Deauville Tote with 31 Rue Cambon branding. Source: Chanel, 2019, from <https://www.chanel.com/en_AU/fashion/p/hdb/a66941y84117/a66941y 8411794305/hopping-bag-cotton-nylon-calfskin-goldtone-metal-black.html>, accessed 20 March 2019.

Figure 2.01 French fashion designer Pierre Cardin presenting his first prét-à-porter collection for women at the Printemps department store in Paris, France in 1959. Source: Pierre Cardin, 2019, from <https://pierrecardin.com/designer>, accessed 8 April 2019.

Figure 2.02 A print-model dancing down the runway in Welsh fashion designer, Mary Quant’s 1959 fashion show in London, England. Source: British Movietone, 1972, Mary Quant Fashion Show, from <http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/7de 25e9525a54b69b68b944626686ebe>, accessed 8 April 2019.

Figure 2.03 Cara Delevingne opening Chanel’s Autumn/Winter 2019 prét-à-porter collection in a snow-haven transformed Grand Palais in Paris, France. Source: Fisher, LA 2019, Chanel Pays Tribute to Karl Lagerfeld on a Snow-Covered Runway, from <https://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/fashion-week/a26641337/chanel-karl lagerfeld-tribute-fall-2019-runway/>, accessed 8 April 2019.

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Figure 2.04 Designer Claude Montana at his F/W 1983–1984 fashion show in Paris, with models wearing his designs. Source: Vanity Fair, 2014, Claude Montana and the Dominatrix Aviatrix, from <https://www.shrimptoncouture.com/blogs/curated/ 15820653-claude-montana-and-the-dominatrix-aviatrix> accessed 8 April 2019.

Figure 2.05 Atmosphere at the John Galliano fashion show during Paris Fashion Week Fall Winter 2008 held at the Grande Halle de la Vilette on March 1, 2008 in Paris, France.

The foreground depicts an art installation whilst the background contains the silent move-like set of the ready-to-wear fashion show. Source: Charriau, D 2008, 80562404, photograph, https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/news photo/atmosphere-at-the-johngalliano-fashion-show-during-paris-news photo/80562404, accessed 8 April 2019.

Figure 3.01 Models walking in the Chanel Supermarket for the brand’s AW15 prét-à-porter fashion show. Source: REUTERS/Mahe, S 2014, PM1EA340ZOZ01, from <https://pictures.reuters.com/Package/2C0408TWRZSPK#/SearchResult&ALID=2 008TWRZSPK&VBID=2C0BX442UXP5&POPUPPN=12&POPUPIID=2C0408T5B 8IU>, accessed 1 May 2019.

Figure 3.02 The Grand Palais des Champs-Èlysèes, Paris France. The Beaux Arts structure was designed by Henri Deglane and built between 1897 and 1900 for the 1900 Exposition Universelle. Source: Laurent, P 2018, The Grand Palais Nave, from <https://www.sortiraparis.com/arts-culture/exposure/articles/166616-the-grand-palais nave-is-yours-exceptional-visit-of-the-grand-palais-nave-in-par/lang/en>, accessed 1 May 2019.

Figure 3.03 Karl Lagerfeld closing the show with model Cara Delevingne. This figure depicts the audience placement in relation to the runway itself – integrated into the design. The audience is placed in one section, amongst the ephemerae rather than parallel and lining the traditional linear runway. Source: Mezzanotti, V 2014, Look 79 Chanel RTW Fall 2014 Paris, from < https://nowfashion.com/chanel-ready-to-wear fall-winter-2014-paris-7457/shots/390054>, accessed 1 May 2019.

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Figure 3.04 Chanel branded merchandise on the shelves of the Chanel supermarket at the AW15 fashion show. Source: Maffuci, T 2015, Where are runway shows going?, from < https://medium.com/cuny-fashion/catwalk-where-are-runway-shows-going 491a65385133>, accessed 1 May 2019.

Figure 3.05 The exterior courtyard of Musée Rodin in Paris, France whereby Bureau Betak constructed their ephemeral pavilion for the Dior SS18 prét-à-porter fashion show.

Source: Bricker, T (n.d), Musee Rodin, from <https://www.travelcaffeine.com/musee rodin-info-paris-france-museum-tips/> , accessed 1 May 2019.

Figure 3.06 Niki De Saint Phalle’s The Tarot Garden, a Gaudi-esque mosaic-filled sculpture garden. Opened 1998 in Tuscany, Italy. Source: Levy, A 2016, Beautiful Monsters, from < https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/04/18/niki-de-saint-phalles-tarot garden>, accessed 1 May 2019.

Figure 3.07 Interior view of Dior SS18 show, designed and produced by Bureau Betak.

Image depicts the similarity in design to Niki De Saint Phalle’s The Tarot Garden.

Source: Bureau Betak, 2018, Dior Spring Summer 2018, from < https://blog.bureaubetak.com/>, accessed 1 May 2019.

Figure 3.08 Interior view of Dior SS18 show. Image depicts the portal that the models enter and exit the runway from, integrated into the design of the runway through mirrored columns, which become less dense and more sporadic further down the space. Source: Bureau Betak, 2018, Dior Spring Summer 2018, from <https://blog.bureaubetak.com/>, accessed 1 May 2019.

Figure 3.09 Interior view of Dior SS18 show. Image depicts the central and surrounding parallel bench seating that lines the traditional linear runway. The image also shows the higher concentrate of mirrored pieces towards the runways portal, and less towards the end of the runway. Source: Bureau Betak, 2018, Dior Spring Summer 2018, from <https://blog.bureaubetak.com/>, accessed 1 May 2019.

Figure 3.10 Fondazione Prada in Milan, Italy, designed by Rem Koolhaas and used as the showspace for many Prada fashion shows, including Prada Menswear SS19. Source: AMO/Prada Group 2018, Prada Menswear Spring Summer 2019, from <

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https://www.pradagroup.com/en/news-media/news-section/spazio-cartesiano-ss-2019 menswear-fashionshow.html> accessed 1 May 2019.

Figure 3.11 Verpan x Prada inflatable stool, a re-edition of Verner Pantonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1960s stool, used in the Prada Menswear SS19 fashion show. Source: AMO/Prada Group 2018, Prada Menswear Spring Summer 2019, from < https://www.pradagroup.com/en/news media/news-section/spazio-cartesiano-ss-2019-menswear-fashionshow.html> accessed 1 May 2019.

Figure 3.12 Verpan x Prada inflatable stool placed upon the Cartesian grid system flooring arrangement, implemented by AMO. Source: AMO/Prada Group 2018, Prada Menswear Spring Summer 2019, from < https://www.pradagroup.com/en/news media/news-section/spazio-cartesiano-ss-2019-menswear-fashionshow.html> accessed 1 May 2019.

Figure 3.13 Runway of the Prada Menswear SS19 show. The image shows the linear design of the runway, as well as the mathematically precise positioning of the inflatable stools on the labelled grid flooring. Source: AMO/Prada Group 2018, Prada Menswear Spring Summer 2019, from < https://www.pradagroup.com/en/news media/news-section/spazio-cartesiano-ss-2019-menswear-fashionshow.html> accessed 1 May 2019.

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Contents Abstract

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Acknowledgements

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List of Illustrations

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Introduction

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Chapter One The Machinery of Contemporary Luxury Fashion Brands

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Chapter Two Fashion as Entertainment

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Chapter Three Luxury Fashion Show Case Studies

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Conclusion

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References

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Introduction By nature, a fashion show is inherently ephemeral – not only literally through its architectural form, but through its duration and its role within the fashion system (Maffucci 2015). Despite their inherent ephemerality, fashion shows maintain a permanence through immersive experience, achieved through interior architecture, that are as compelling as they are functional (Rogers 2018). As contemporary luxury fashion houses continually produce collections, the fashion show has emerged as an ‘occasion for spectacle’ which assists in brand identity and strengthening sustainability in an oversaturated fashion climate (Maffucci 2015).

This dissertation seeks to prove that the power of transformative spatial design is integral to the success of the runway show, which is imperative to the success of the fashion world in their pursuit of creating aesthetic merit and reflecting the ever-changing nature of fashion.

The first chapter of this dissertation focuses on contextualising the purpose of the runway fashion show in relation to the luxury fashion brand and how the runway has evolved from its origins to the current contemporary form. The chapter will being with a historical overview of the evolution of the fashion show from its conception in the late 1800s whereby designers employed socialite women to wear their latest designs in popular spaces, to bring awareness to their brand and promote sales (Idacavage 2016). It will then moves to the twentieth century whereby scheduled in-house ‘fashion parades’ and the increase of foreign interest in European fashion established the tradition of bi-annual fashion shows, forming the basis of the contemporary fashion week (Evans 2001: 273). There is discussion regarding the introduction of prét-à-porter, or ready-to-wear, fashion in the 1960s which saw the demure couture show accompanied by ‘energetic presentation in unusual locations’ (Idacavage 2016). This chapter links these pivotal moments in the evolution of the fashion show to the success of the contemporary luxury fashion brand and relates the show itself to the foundation of luxury fashion, beginning with a brief exploration of the term luxury and how it relates to human behaviour. French sociologists Pierre Bourdieu and Lucien Karpik introduced and clarified the notion of symbolic power, which is discussed with regard to the innate cultural command occurring within the everyday social habits of people (Karpik & Scott 2010). Karpik’s model emphasises a brand’s history as a major part of luxury brands symbolic power, which is also enabled by designer visibility and the brand’s creative communication techniques – which becomes a recurring theme throughout this dissertation. This discussion will bring to light the 8

evolution of the purpose of the fashion show and introduce the power of digital presence within a luxury brands sphere of influence. A small analysis is conducted to reiterate the success gained when contemporary luxury fashion brands recognise and harness the power of digital presence and its influence on consumers. The analysis also aims to demonstrate the role of social media and its relationship with the ephemeral interior of the runway fashion show – which is integral to maintaining brand identity and longevity. This chapter ends with a brief discussion on the use of the fashion show as a tool of entertainment to appeal to the masses through ephemeral interior form, reconnecting with the linear evolution of the fashion show, which is the encompassing theme for chapter two.

The second chapter of this dissertation provides a broad theoretical framework that is necessary to support the analysis in the following chapter. Firstly, this chapter will discuss the emergence of the fashion show as a theatrical production due to the development of ephemeral interior architecture, with an in-depth explanation of haute couture and the introduction of prét-à-porter fashion, accompanied by their effects on the luxury fashion climate at the time. The rise of prét-à-porter in the late 1950s had an immense impact on the ‘organisation, number and scale of runway shows…and by the mid-1960s, ready-to-wear was regularly included in the fashion calendar’ (Finamore 2016). These terms, specific to the fashion industry, aid in the understanding of how the once-exclusive fashion show became a tool of entertainment through ephemeral interiors. This chapter also briefly explores the rise of modelling as a legitimate profession, which is inherently linked to the rise of social media and the desire for luxury brands to book famous models to walk in runway shows which gives the brand access to the model’s social media following as a means of subliminal marketing. This discussion is necessary to convey the relationship between the fashion show, the ephemeral design and the models. This relationship further highlights previously discussed topics of social presence and brand identity, which is achieved through this cross-platform promotion of the fashion show.

The use of fashion shows as a means of entertainment emerged in the 1980s, as did the magnitude of the production and public visibility with designers like Alexander McQueen becoming famed for producing ‘extravagant shows in unusual spaces with narratives and fictional characters’ which successfully transformed the fashion show into a celebration ‘beyond the garment and into the realm of the conceptual fantasy’ (Finamore 2016). Following this, it can be seen that fashion show’s function transformed to primarily serve as entertainment and contain promotional techniques, such as innovative ephemeral interior architecture, to sell collections and increase brand-awareness through public visibility. Through the use of 9

ephemeral interior forms, accompanied by other spatial arrangement techniques, the fashion show became a form of entertainment that was consumed by both its original exclusive clientele and the wider public through television and social media (Finamore 2016).

Chapter three of this dissertation focuses on the analysis of three case studies, that act as evidence to the theoretical framework foundations presented in chapter two and seek to prove the hypothesis that the power of transformative spatial design is integral to the success of the runway show, which is imperative to the success of the fashion world in their pursuit of creating aesthetic merit and reflecting the ever-changing nature of fashion. This chapter explores and analyses three contemporary fashion shows belonging to luxury powerhouses in the current fashion climate – Chanel, Dior and Prada – that employ the use of ephemeral interior forms to effectively market and promote their individual brands to the global consumer market.

Analysed in chronological order of date of presentation, the first case study focuses on the Chanel Autumn Winter 2014 prét-à-porter show, designed and produced by the then Creative Director of Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld. The second case study is of Dior’s Creative Director, Maria Grazia Chiuri’s Dior Spring Summer 2018 prét-à-porter fashion show, designed and produced in its entirety by Alexandre de Betak’s design firm, Bureau Betak. The final showspace analysed for the purpose of this dissertation is Rem Koolhaas’ design studio AMO’s production for the Prada Menswear Spring Summer 2019 show, set amongst the warehouse of Fondazione Prada. These three examples present differeing approaches to ephemeral interior involvement with the production of the runway space and align with the theories discussed in chapter two.

Through spatial analysis of these three examples, informed by both the contextual theory and theoretical research conducted earlier in the dissertation, the case studies demonstrate that the power of transformative spatial design is integral to the success of the runway show, which is imperative to the success of contemporary luxury fashion brands in their pursuit of creating aesthetic merit in an overpopulated and inundated global fashion climate.

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Chapter One The Machinery of Contemporary Luxury Fashion Brands In the contemporary world, the sector of luxury fashion is synonymous with exclusivity, quality, and status that appeals not only to higher social classes, but also the mass middle class (Quan and Shen 2017: p11). Luxury fashion houses, despite their date of establishment, are constantly evolving to remain updated and relevant to the modern consumers’ needs for accessible fashion (Quan and Shen 2017: p12). This chapter of the dissertation focuses on contextualising the purpose of the runway fashion show to the luxury fashion brand and how the runway has evolved from its origins to the current contemporary form. Therefore, the chapter will begin with a brief historical overview of the evolution of the fashion show from its conception in the late 1800s to its current contemporary understanding, including the introduction of prét-à-porter in the 1960s which altered the traditional methods of the fashion show through the introduction of ‘energetic’ ephemeral interiors (Idacavage 2016). This chapter links these pivotal moments in the evolution of the fashion show to the success of the contemporary luxury fashion brand and relates the show itself to the foundation of luxury fashion, which is explored through the theories developed by sociologists and business experts.

Integral to this understanding of the inherent machinery that drives contemporary luxury fashion brands, is the power of digital presence and its influence on the luxury fashion market, and how this has aided the fashion show in appealing to the mass consumer market. These three facets of the fashion machine enable the sustenance of every luxury fashion brands core goals of exclusivity, visibility and relevance in the current fast-fashion climate (Laughlin 2015). In turn, these core goals aid in the understanding of the purpose of the fashion show and its success, which is imperative to the success of the fashion world in their pursuit of creating aesthetic merit and reflecting the ever-changing nature of fashion.

The history of the evolution of the fashion show must be communicated to understand the machinery of contemporary luxury fashion brands and their integral place in the fashion world.

Caroline Evans, in her article for Fashion Theory, noted five pivotal moments in history that contribute to the contemporary understanding of the fashion show. From the late 1800s there is evidence of designers employing women to wear their latest designs around popular areas, allowing them ‘to be noticed, emulated, photographed, and reported on by the media’ (Idacavage 2016). The beginning of the twentieth century saw high-end fashion houses 11

employing models to act as live mannequins for their elite clientele, whilst they sat around and socialised amongst the fashion, as seen in figure 1.01. By 1908 there were scheduled in-house 'fashion parades’ (Evans 2001: 273) that were held once per day, and ‘repeated every day over the course of several weeks’ (Idacavage 2016). It was in 1918, due to the increase of the foreign interest in European fashion, that couture houses began the tradition of bi-annual fashion shows, forming the basis of the contemporary fashion week. Similar to fashion week, the first organised couture shows maintained an ‘air of exclusivity for their clients’ through the regulation of guests (Idacavage 2016). However, undoubtedly one of the most pivotal moments in the evolution of the fashion show came in the 1960s with the introduction of ready-to-wear fashion, and consequently, the demure couture show was accompanied by ‘energetic presentation in unusual locations’ (Idacavage 2016). Contemporary luxury fashion brands are driven by their respective foundations in the fashion world and the effect of the fashion show on the brand’s success, evident throughout its history. In a contemporary setting, the highbudget fashion show adheres to deep-rooted traditions that emerged in the late 1800s to raise brand awareness and stimulate sales. They have maintained, if not strengthened, the ‘air of exclusivity’ surrounding the luxury fashion brand through their portrayal of merchandise into desirable fashion, which has been made easier through the power of digital presence in the contemporary fashion world. Through this historical overview, the setting of the fashion show, as well as the show itself, has evolved from private in-house presentations to the ephemeral spectacle that is understood and expected by the contemporary fashion world (Evans 2001: 273). This overview links the pivotal moments in the evolution of the fashion show to the success of the contemporary luxury fashion brand and relates the show itself to the foundation of luxury fashion, which is explored through the theories developed by sociologists and business experts.

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Figure 1.01. Image depicting a typical ‘fashion parade’ with live models, held in French saloons for exclusive clientele during the 1900s.

To understand the inherent machinery of contemporary luxury fashion brands and their impact on the fashion world today, the foundation of luxury fashion and the inception of the fashion show must be acknowledged. Authors and business theorists T.J. Stanley and J.B. Twitchell described luxury brands as a ‘unique market niche, driven by a marketing phenomenon’ (Stanley 1988; Twitchell 2002). However, it is undeniable that luxury fashion thrives on the notion of symbolic power, first put forward by French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu in 1979 and later clarified by sociologist Lucien Karpik in 2010, who recognised the innate cultural command occurring within the everyday social habits of people (Karpik & Scott 2010).

Karpik’s model emphasises a brand’s history as a major part of luxury brands symbolic power, which is also enabled by designer visibility and the brand’s creative communication techniques.

Luxury brands consists of several important facets that all helps maintaining the notion of luxury, such as logos and brands, complexity and work, history, being made by hand, rarity and sustainability, being superlative and never comparative, tradition, and exclusivity (Kapferer & Bastien 2012)

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Luxury fashion brands continue to use the idea of symbolic power to help drive the machine that continues their successes into the contemporary world. Jean-Noël Kapferer, Professor of Marketing at École des Hautes Études Commerciales de Paris and world reputed expert on brand identity, argues the idea that symbolic power is motivated by the theatrics of qualitative rarity. Different from mainstream brands that identify under a single logo, luxury brands tend to develop several symbols. For example, Chanel is associated with their interlocking c’s, number 31 for the House’s first Parisian shop on Rue Cambon, as seen in figure 1.02, the camellia flower, amongst others. which then becomes reinterpreted through their merchandise, visible in figure 1.03. The multitude of presences under one singular brand identity, coupled with creative communication and branding, nurtures and strengthens the symbolic power of the luxury brand (Kapferer 2012: 455) This theory of qualitative rarity can aid in explaining the importance of fashion shows to the luxury fashion brand. Economics student Linus Larsson highlighted the connection in his master thesis whereby he linked the modern fashion show with those of medieval houses whereby they present themselves to the public by way of presenting their best assets - at each fashion show, contemporary luxury brands present their best work to the public, both in person and via the internet, which is maintaining their fame through qualitative rarity (Larsson 2017: 22).

Figure 1.02. 31 Rue Cambon, Paris, France. The first shop Gabrielle Chanel opened which has now become synonymous with the brand and features on many of their products.

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Figure 1.03. 2019 Chanel Deauville Tote with 31 Rue Cambon branding.

Contemporary styles of fashion marketing have enabled luxury brands to maintain their perception of opulence to not only their regular, almost exclusive, clientele but also appeal to the mid to upper class global population, demonstrating the power of digital presence. In 2014, worldwide management consulting firm McKinsey & Company published a digital luxury experience report which suggested that ‘45 percent of luxury purchases are influenced by what shoppers find in the digital universe’ (Dauriz et al. 2014). Vincent Bastien, former CEO of Louis Vuitton and considered an architect of Luxury Marketing, stated that ‘the function of luxury brands is to create dreams, not to answer to problems and needs…Luxury is a nonnecessity made desirable’ (2015). Bastien discusses the idea of luxury being a superlative, not comparative and contemporary luxury fashion brands possess an inherent creative identity, which gives a brand a ‘powerful feeling of uniqueness, timelessness, and the necessary authenticity that helps give the impression of permanence’ (Bastien 2015) This gives reason to the rise of social medias infatuation with the luxury market, and explains why it has become an indispensable part of any luxury brand’s marketing strategy. In 2017, influencer marketing platform Insightpool named Chanel as the ‘most influential luxury brand on social media, with a total of 40.8 million followers on Twitter and Instagram alone’ (Gilliland 2018).

Chanel has harnessed the power of influence and created a strong digital presence by promoting their products in unconventional contexts that portrays them as aspirational, rather than accessible. They do this by depicting their own world - ‘one that is overtly editorial and arty in nature’ (Gilliland 2018). However, they market to all prospective buyers through the use of

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social media influencers - which could be a potentially dangerous strategy for any luxury brand, as it ‘dilutes exclusivity’ and begins to veer into ‘mass-market promotion’ (Gilliland 2018).

This strategy proves to be successful in maintaining relevance and visibility, with Chanel’s campaign to launch their new No. 5 L’Eau perfume generating an average of one million likes in its first month (Gilliland 2018). This campaign’s success was, to a great extent, due to the influencers picked to be included, with Chanel just working with individuals that depict a particular kind of optimistic way of life. Contemporary luxury fashion brands, like Chanel, have recognised and harnessed the power of digital presence and its influence on consumers this understanding, when combined with the use of fashion shows to appeal to the masses, renders high-fashion houses unstoppable in their goal of maintaining relevance and visibility in the modern world. This understanding and manipulation of social media, coupled with the transition of the fashion show as a tool of entertainment, gives reason to the rise of ephemeral interiors on the runway and highlights their success of maintaining a brands permanence in an oversaturated fashion climate, which is discussed in the next section of this chapter.

Fashion is an aspect of global entertainment consumption, and the fashion show itself enables contemporary luxury fashion brands to thrive, powering the machine of contemporary fashion.

Whilst the purpose of the fashion show hasn’t strayed from its traditional roots of advertisement for emulation, and consequent sales, it has broadened its field of purpose to encompass not only the elite but the mass consumer market. In 2015, the hashtag #NYFW (New York Fashion Week) was used 31.6 million times, and despite the fact that approximately 125000 people attended the live shows, more than 2 million people participated in live streams, which highlights the wide spread reach of these luxury brands whilst still maintaining exclusivity (Peffer 2015). In addition to this, designers have been reported to pay up to $100’000USD for A-list celebrities to attend their shows, maintaining exclusivity, visibility and status amongst the mass population, not just those interested in that particular fashion show (Reynolds 2019).

Givenchy’s Spring Summer 15/16 transformed NYFW ‘into a mass consumer spectacle’ through its understanding and acknowledgement of fashion as a form of entertainment (Laughlin 2015). Givenchy, despite it being the fashion giant’s first showing in New York, opened its show to the public who had little or ‘no connection to the brand other than being the first to request tickets’ (Laughlin 2015). Set in New York’s Tribeca district, the set design by artist Marina Abramovic, who also curated live music and acrobatic performances to accompany the display of clothes, drew in a mixed crowd of celebrities, art-world enthusiast and onlookers (Laughlin 2015). This audience, a blend of celebrities and members of the 16

public, is ‘a concrete representation of fashion’s increasing reliance on both celebrity and mass spectatorship’ (Laughlin 2015).

To conclude the first chapter of this dissertation, this chapter contextualised the purpose of the runway fashion show to the luxury fashion brand, and demonstrated how the runway has evolved from its origins to its current contemporary form. In the modern development of the contemporary luxury fashion brand, the history of fashion and evolution of the fashion show is fundamental in forming a basis of understanding and also communicate the necessity of fashion shows to the consumer market (Bastien 2015). Within this notion is the underlying power of digital presence for brands and their influence on the luxury fashion market, which enables the contemporary fashion show to appeal to the mass consumer market through the use of social media (Gilliland 2018). This chapter provided necessary context for the remainder of this dissertation and its aim in proving the power of transformative spatial design through ephemeral interiors within the realm of the fashion show. The next two chapters of this dissertation will discuss the emergence of the ephemeral show and will explore, in depth, three contemporary examples of ephemeral interior architecture in fashion shows.

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Chapter Two Fashion as Entertainment Whilst the historical overview of the origin of the runway show has been discussed in the first chapter, this chapter will discuss the emergence of the fashion show as a form of entertainment, and consequently proving the power of transformative spatial design through ephemeral interior forms is integral to the success of the runway show. Through the explanation of haute couture and the introduction of prét-à-porter, the fashion show is seen to emerge as a theatrical production that required more consideration to the interior architectural form that makes up a runway (Rogers 2018). These terms, specific to the fashion industry, aid in the understanding of how the once-exclusive fashion show became a tool of entertainment through ephemeral interiors. The chapter then discusses the evolution as a by-product of cultural and social forces, such as the emergence of prét-à-porter in a post-World War II society and the incessant rise of modelling as a professional industry (Finamore 2016). Through a small analysis of John Galliano’s Autumn Winter 2008 prét-à-porter fashion show, the idea of social sustenance and memorability through interior form on the runway is discussed in preparation for the final chapter of this dissertation. This chapter utilises the voices of fashion bloggers and critics to establish that whilst the current fashion show is vastly different from its founding concept, it retains a strong connection to its ‘origins in theatrical display’ (Finamore 2016).

Translated literally, haute couture is French for ‘high dressmaking’ whilst prét-à-porter is French for ‘ready-to-wear’ (Magnenat-Thalmann and Volino 2005: p506). As discussed by Cassandra Fisher in her post for sustainable shopping blog MOCHNI, the real difference between these two fashion-specific concepts lies within the production, sales and runway shows of each type, respectively. Regarding production, every haute couture piece is ‘made to measure for a single client… and is deemed [of the] highest quality and highest price’ (Fisher 2016). There are specific standards, set by Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, that a piece must meet to be regarded as haute couture which then, if granted, protects the fashion house under French law (Fisher 2016). The Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture is a regulating commission within The Chambre Syndicale De La Confection Et De La Couture Pour Dames Et Fillettes, which is an association of couture houses that was founded in 1868 to stop the replication of couture designs (Weston Thomas 2001). The criteria are simple yet strict, and was implemented to ensure that haute couture houses ‘deliver impeccably tailored 18

pieces that will be an exact and perfect fit for the client’ - a fashion house must have a workshop in Paris with fifteen full-time employees, and must design made-to-order pieces for clients with a minimum of one fitting (Fisher 2016). In vast contrast, prét-à-porter is ‘high quality, factory made fast fashion’ that is available to a wider variety of customers by being ‘designed within the bounds of standardised sizing’ (Fisher 2016). Regarding sales, haute couture involves handmade, made to measure pieces that require an abundance of time and skill, resulting in ‘high prices and high end customers’ (Magnenat-Thalmann and Volino 2005: p508). Haute couture houses are mandated to create seasonal collections for both summer and winter, which are precedents for prét-à-porter collections that are available ‘pre-seasonally, to cater for climate and economic changes’ (Fisher 2016)and are more readily available through online retail and in-store, due to their standardised sizing (Magnenat-Thalmann and Volino 2005: p508). In terms of runway shows, haute couture houses present seasonal collections biannually, half a year in advance of the season their showing, whilst prét-à-porter shows present one year in advance (Fisher, n.d.). Fashion week provides the basis for haute couture houses to cross over into prét-à-porter fashion, with fashion houses such as Chanel and Dior presenting both collections in equally artistic, elaborate and exclusive shows (Fisher, n.d.). The understanding of these two fashion-specific concepts is fundamental to the greater understanding of the emergence of the fashion show as a theatrical production for entertainment purposes, made evident in the remainder of the chapter.

As mentioned in chapter one, the runway has evolved from an exclusive in-salon presentation of haute couture fashion, to a ‘biannual spectacle of both couture and ready-to-wear clothing that is seen by a vast cross-section of consumers, the mass media, and the fashion industry’ (Finamore 2016). Blogger Michelle Tolini Finamore, for the Beauty & Fashion section of Love To Know, suggests that the evolution of the runway show is the by-product of many cultural and social forces such as the emergence of prét-à-porter in a post-World War II society and the incessant rise of modelling as a professional industry, which gives reason to the ‘increasing attention paid to the runway by the popular press’ (Finamore 2016). The rise of prét-à-porter in the late 1950s had an immense impact on the ‘organisation, number and scale of runway shows’ (Finamore 2016). Pierre Cardin’s 1959 prét-à-porter fashion show in the Parisian department store Printemps, as seen in figure 2.01, is recognised as the initial introduction of prét-à-porter high, fast fashion and ‘by the mid-1960s, ready-to-wear was regularly included in the fashion calendar’ (Finamore 2016). This change of location, from in-house presentations

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to department stores, highlights the change in the audience that was receiving these collections, which is integral in understanding the emergence of the fashion show as a tool of entertainment as its audience became significantly larger and, therefore, required more of a production to capture and maintain public interest (Magnenat-Thalmann and Volino 2005: p510). Finamore (2016) states that the growth of the prét-à-porter market was also related to the ‘decline in interest in haute couture by the younger generation, who did not want to follow the fashion dictates of Paris’ which was responded to by designers through the ‘youthful energy’ added to their fashion shows. For example, Welsh fashion designer Mary Quant presented her prét-àporter collection to jazz music and had her models skip and dance down the runway, visible in figure 2.02 - the faster paced show allowed her to show forty looks in fourteen minutes (Finamore 2016). Quant chose print models to model her clothes, rather than runway models, ‘because she liked the way they moved’ - this convoluted the distinction between runway and print models (Finamore 2016).

Figure 2.01. French fashion designer Pierre Cardin presenting his first prét-à-porter collection for women at the Printemps department store in Paris, France in 1959.

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Figure 2.02. A print-model dancing down the runway in Welsh fashion designer, Mary Quant’s 1959 fashion show in London, England.

The 1960s saw the beginning of modelling as a legitimate profession, with London becoming a fashion hub due to the models it produced like Twiggy, Jean Shrimpton and Joanna Lumley (Helmer 2018). The 1980s saw the birth of the world’s first Ford Supermodel of the World Competition which led to the 1990s being known as the decade of the ‘supermodel’ for producing some of the world’s current supermodels, such as Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford and Heidi Klum (Helmer 2018). Relevant to the runway show as a tool of entertainment, the 2000s and the introduction of social media, established another need for runway models as a means of cross-promotion for a luxury fashion brand with models like Gigi Hadid and Cara Delevingne, and their ability to reach millions of people through social media, becoming a prominent factor in a brand’s decision to cast them in their runway show (Helmer 2018). This discussion is necessary to convey the relationship between the fashion show and the models – which further highlights previously discussed topics of social presence and brand identity, which is achieved through this cross-platform promotion of the fashion show. With the potential to reach millions of people instantly through social media, luxury brands began to funnel large amounts of cash into their runway production to achieve ‘instagrammable’ design that would attract attention of the public, with the hope of promoting sales (Fraser-Cavassoni 2013). For example, in figure 2.03, Delevingne opens Chanel’s Autumn Winter 2019 prét-à-

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porter show in a snow-haven transformed Grand Palais, which attracted an unprecedented amount of attention due to it being Karl Lagerfeld’s last collection with the fashion house before his passing (Lucioni 2019). This growth of the prét-à-porter market altered the function of the haute couture show, ‘shifting its targeted audience from private clientele to one consisting mainly of press and buyers’ (Finamore 2016). This growth also paved way for the beginning of the fashion show as a spectacle - a useful marketing tool to promote the house and their prét-à-porter collections.

Figure 2.03. Cara Delevingne opening Chanel’s Autumn/Winter 2019 prét-àporter collection in a snow-haven transformed Grand Palais in Paris, France.

The use of fashion shows as a means of entertainment emerged in the 1980s, as did the magnitude of the production and public visibility due to prét-à-porter collection target market and the rise of social media (Finamore 2016). In 1983 French fashion designers Thierry Mugler and Claude Montana presented their prét-à-porter collection by means of a theatrical show that ‘caused crowd frenzy and feverish excitement’, as seen in figure 2.04, which highlighted a breakaway from haute couture tradition (Fraser-Cavassoni 2013). The show was attended by six thousand people, and three thousand tickets were available to members of the public - which

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‘marks a trend toward the fashion show as mass entertainment’ (Finamore 2016). In the mid1980s ready-to-wear shows were part of regular broadcasting schedules on cable television which broadened public visibility and consequently led to the ‘supermodel’ decade, as discussed above (Finamore 2016). Whilst there are still traditional runway shows being held, many now have 'specific themes, mood music, special lighting’ and purpose-built ephemeral interior forms that alter the user-experience and visitor-experience of fashion shows. In the 1990s designers like Alexander McQueen became famed for producing ‘extravagant shows in unusual spaces with narratives and fictional characters’ which successfully transformed the fashion show into a celebration ‘beyond the garment and into the realm of the conceptual fantasy’, which will be discussed further in chapter three (Finamore 2016). It is at this point that fashion shows came to function primarily as entertainment and promotional techniques to sell prét-à-porter collections, and increase brand-awareness through public visibility (Finamore 2016).

Figure 2.04. Designer Claude Montana at his F/W 1983–1984 fashion show in Paris, with models wearing his designs.

Despite their ephemerality, fashion shows maintain a permanence through immersive experience, that are as compelling as they are functional (Rogers 2018). The elaborate stage designs are capable of transforming a basic, rudimentary catwalk into an almost-ostentatious event that transports attendees through ‘space and time, and occasionally into otherworldly

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settings’ through smart, elaborate ephemeral forms (Rogers 2018). Meticulous stage design, coupled with intricate lighting and curated musical backing, has the inherent power to transform often large empty spaces into bustling, energetic scenes, such as that of designer John Galliano’s Autumn Winter 2008 prét-à-porter collection. As Vogue journalist Sarah Mower reports, Galliano’s collection was presented amongst ‘a Vegas-style Buddha-themed garden’ set within a ‘cavernous hall’ (Mower 2008). Evident in Figure 2.02, the interior form revealed its significance to the audience - it was a ‘pastiche of a Rudolf Valentino-era silentmovie set, and Galliano was dressing the leading lady’ (Mower 2008). Galliano’s carefully designed show, as is the case of many fashion shows today, remains memorable to fashion enthusiasts alike due to its extravagance and opulent immersive experience - not necessarily the clothing it presented (Rogers 2018).

Figure 2.05. Atmosphere at the John Galliano fashion show during Paris Fashion Week Fall Winter 2008 held at the Grande Halle de la Vilette on March 1, 2008 in Paris, France. The foreground depicts an art installation whilst the background contains the silent move-like set of the ready-to-wear fashion show.

This chapter established the connection that the current fashion show maintains to its traditional incarnate concept, despite its vastly different presentation style (Finamore 2016). Through the explanation of haute couture and the introduction of prét-à-porter into the fashion world, the fashion show emerged post World War II as a theatrical production, whilst still skilfully employing marketing techniques to improve brand-awareness and sales (Finamore 2016).

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Through the use of ephemeral interior forms, accompanied by other spatial arrangement techniques that will be further established in chapter three, the fashion show became a form of entertainment that was consumed by both its original exclusive clientele and the wider public through television and social media (Finamore 2016). The concept of social sustenance and memorability through interior form on the runway is discussed in preparation for the final chapter of this dissertation. This chapter utilised the voices of fashion bloggers and critics to establish that whilst the current fashion show is vastly different from its founding concept, it retains a strong connection to its ‘origins in theatrical display’ (Finamore 2016). After this it becomes clear the transformation of the fashion show’s function to primarily serve as entertainment and contain promotional techniques, such as innovative ephemeral interior architecture, to sell collections and increase brand-awareness through public visibility. Thus, proving that the power of transformative spatial design is integral to the success of the runway show, which is inextricably linked to the success of the luxury fashion brand in their pursuit of creating aesthetic merit and reflecting the ever-changing nature of fashion. The next chapter of this dissertation will explore and analyse three case studies of contemporary luxury fashion brands, Chanel, Dior and Prada that employ the use of ephemeral interior forms to effectively market and promote their individual brands to the global consumer market.

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Chapter Three Luxury Fashion Show Case Studies This chapter of the dissertation will analyse the ephemeral interior architectural design of three contemporary luxury fashion shows – Chanel Autumn Winter 2015, Dior Spring Summer 2018 and Prada Menswear Spring Summer 2019 – and apply them to the theory discussed in the previous two chapters. The first case study, Chanel Autumn Winter 2015, exemplifies the importance of strong brand identity and presence in an oversaturated fashion climate whilst also showing the frenetic society of overconsumption within the fashion industry. Lagerfeld, the then Creative Director of Chanel, abandoned the traditional linear runway design for a supermarket-like arrangement that allowed models to interact with the space at random, and provide his audience with an unprecedented experience of a luxury fashion show (Moschini 2014). Dior SS18 is used as a case study to demonstrate an alternative approach to the interior architecture of fashion shows that has a more potent focus on the influence of the online market and social media presence. Bureau Betak, the design firm in charge of producing the show, created a ‘frozen wonderland’ by decorating the white, curved walls and ceilings of the temporary pavilion with clusters of mirrored pieces, creating a continuous, uninterrupted line of sight (Duddy 2017). The final case study, Prada Menswear SS19, is used to display the shift in the purpose of the design of fashion shows, from relating directly to its content to being far removed and having the purpose of sustaining an atmosphere for its spectators. AMO purposefully juxtaposed the rough interiors of Fondazione Prada against the smooth, iridescent industrial plastic incorporated throughout their design of the show (AMO 2018). These three specific case studies will be analysed through pictures and comments from critics to represent the power of transformative spatial design and how it aids the fashion show as a tool of entertainment. Ultimately, these three case studies are tangible evidence of the theories and research presented in the previous two sections of this dissertation.

For Chanel’s Autumn Winter 2015 prét-à-porter fashion show, the then creative director Karl Lagerfeld presented the brand’s women’s collection in a purpose-built Chanel supermarket, visible in figure 3.01 (Byrnes 2014). Set in Paris’ Grand Palais des Champs-Èlysèes (figure 3.02), a typical location for the French house’s fashion shows, the space was transformed into a food market filled with Chanel-branded products of daily life, as seen in in figure 3.03, which were created exclusively for the occasion (Wendlandt and Evans 2014). Similar to Lagerfeld’s 26

other shows, the AW15 collection broke the unspoken rule of the typical linear catwalk order by leaving the models to freely interact with the space, rendering them ‘one with the scenography’ that also involved the public in a ‘work that has something unique and theatrical’ (Moschini 2014). Figure 3.04 depicts the audience in relation to the runway itself, demonstrating the unprecedented runway design and its intention of treating the audience as viewers to a theatre show. The phenomenological concept of spectacle, regarding the measure of perception and observation of users in a space, can be applied here (Richards 1990:5). The strategic placement of the audience demonstrates an attention to the perception and observation of the models on the runway by the spectators, as well as being spectated by other guests (Richards 1990:5). Furthering this concept of spectacle, the phenomenological concept of gaze ‘considers the user’s perception of space as a consumable object’ that activates perceptive behaviours of emotional response and interpretation (Hirschman & Holbrook 1982: 134).

Chanel’s AW15 runway used gaze and spatial perception to manipulate the audience’s spatial awareness to recognise the consumable commodity through the design’s continuous scheme (Richards 1990:5). As seen in figure 3.04, the space not being occupied by the models is instead permanently occupied by the merchandise, controlling the spectators gaze (Hirschman & Holbrook 1982: 134).

Figure 3.01. Models walking in the Chanel Supermarket for the brand’s AW15 prét-à-porter fashion show.

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Lagerfeld understood that branded goods that will never be available to purchase are the ‘pinnacle of desire in a materialistic world’ which lends itself to his silent statement – ‘brand anything with Chanel and they will want it’ – played out predictably at the end of the show with fashion editors and celebrities alike rush onto the catwalk to claim the exclusive goods (Fox 2014). This accentuates the notion of the frenetic society of overconsumption within the fashion industry, which was discussed earlier in chapter two of this dissertation. Integral to the success of the showspace design is the décor; by presenting arguably one of the world’s most luxurious and exclusive brands in a world of ‘overconsumption, mechanical reproduction and industrial vacuum’ Lagerfeld posed question signification to the consumer-fashion relationship – ‘what is the place of haute couture in a world of fast fashion?’ (Dupuis and Martel 2014).

Figure 3.02. The Grand Palais des Champs-Èlysèes, Paris France. The Beaux Arts structure was designed by Henri Deglane and built between 1897 and 1900 for the 1900 Exposition Universelle.

Discussed earlier in this dissertation is the importance of brand identity and how symbolic power is used to propel the luxury fashion brand to success in the contemporary fashion climate – the transformative spatial design and ephemeral interior forms within Chanel’s AW15 fashion show successfully aids this argument by inundating its audience with Chanel branded ephemerae through both interior architecture and merchandising (Fox 2014). The multitude of presences under one singular brand identity, coupled with creative communication and 28

branding, nurtures and strengthens the symbolic power of the luxury brand (Kapferer 2012: 455) Without denying the Chanel constants that awards the brand its luxury status, Lagerfeld reinvigorated the brand out of its ‘classic lethargy’ and presented it amongst relatable and accessible scenes which invited the otherwise excluded consumer into the world of Chanel (Dupuis and Martel 2014). Through its blurring of boundaries between ‘tradition and renewal, past and present, art and fashion’ the interior architectural design of the Chanel AW15 has maintained a memorable immersive experience in fashion history, for not only those in attendance but also the global consumer market (Dupuis and Martel 2014). Lagerfeld strengthens the brands longevity, another integral component to the success of the luxury fashion brand in the contemporary fast fashion climate, through his reinterpretation of significant brand iconography such as the double interlocked C’s into the taste of the show, in this case as Chanel-branded toast which is evident in figure 3.04 (Dupuis and Martel 2014).

Figure 3.03. Karl Lagerfeld closing the show with model Cara Delevingne. This figure depicts the audience placement in relation to the runway itself – integrated into the design. The audience is placed in one section, amongst the ephemerae rather than parallel and lining the traditional linear runway.

Without following in the footsteps of their luxury fashion siblings and their constant desire for reinvention, Chanel remains faithful to its heritage and uses trends to evolve with its clientele rather than rebirth the brands image in its entirety, which gives reason to this case study and its importance in understanding the true power of transformative ephemeral interiors within the realm of the fashion show (Dupuis and Martel 2014). Also key to the understanding of transformative spatial design in fashion showspace is the power of digital presence and online 29

influence, which should be integrated into the purpose of the design itself, to assist in achieving the collective long-term goal of contemporary luxury fashion brands – sustenance in an oversaturated global fashion climate.

Figure 3.04. Chanel branded merchandise on the shelves of the Chanel supermarket at the AW15 fashion show.

Another example of ephemeral interiors on the runway that demonstrate the power of transformative spatial design can be observed in Dior’s Spring Summer 2018 prét-à-porter fashion show. Design and production agency Bureau Betak, founded by French designer Alexandre de Betak, has successfully transformed runway shows into major multi-sensory events for contemporary luxury fashion brands (Yotka 2017). Presented in the courtyard of Musée Rodin in Paris, seen in figure 3.05, Bureau Betak designed a mirrored pavilion inspired

by French-American sculptor Niki De Saint Phalle’s The Tarot Garden, a ‘Gaudi-esque mosaic-filled sculpture garden’ opened 1998 in Tuscany, Italy (Figure 3.06). However, Betak’s reinterpretation is starkly different due to its white concrete interior, visible in figure 3.07 (Duddy 2017). Despite its tough materiality, Betak’s interior architecture is soft, fluid and ephemeral, decorated by clusters of mirror pieces along the walls, floor and ceiling to give the runway the ‘feeling of a frozen wonderland’, seen in figure 3.07 (Duddy 2017). The runway’s portal was strongly lit with its walls and ceiling containing a higher concentrate of the mirrored pieces, that became less dense and more sporadic as the models moved further along the runway (figure 3.08), further adding to the illusion of a ‘frozen wonderland’ mentioned previously (Duddy 2017). As the models entered and paraded around the showspace’s central

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bench seating, visible in figure 3.09, the scattered clusters of mirror created a luminous space which reflected the bold colours of creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri’s collection throughout the interior rendering it visible even after the model has passed (Duddy 2017).

Figure 3.05. The exterior courtyard of Musée Rodin in Paris, France whereby Bureau Betak constructed their ephemeral pavilion for the Dior SS18 prét-à-porter fashion show.

Figure 3.06. Niki De Saint Phalle’s The Tarot Garden, a Gaudi-esque mosaic-filled sculpture garden. Opened 1998 in Tuscany, Italy.

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Figure 3.07. Interior view of Dior SS18 show, designed and produced by Bureau Betak. Image depicts the similarity in design to Niki De Saint Phalleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s The Tarot Garden.

Figure 3.08. Interior view of Dior SS18 show. Image depicts the portal that the models enter and exit the runway from, integrated into the design of the runway through mirrored columns, which become less dense and more sporadic further down the space.

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Figure 3.09. Interior view of Dior SS18 show. Image depicts the central and surrounding parallel bench seating that lines the traditional linear runway.

The image also shows the higher concentrate of mirrored pieces towards the runways portal, and less towards the end of the runway.

Critics, such as Steff Yotka from Vogue Magazine, reviewed Bureau Betak’s fashion sets as pushing the fashion industry onto the brink of a new revolution, whereby despite fleeting fashion trends the physical fashion show itself cannot be recreated – held at one moment in time at a specific site for a select group of people, fashion shows are becoming ‘the last aspect of the fashion system that accepts its fleeting nature’ (Yotka 2017) During an interview for Vogue US in 2017, Alexandre de Betak stated:

We are at a time when the designers and the luxury houses are realizing the fact that their most important audience, in addition to the one in the room, is really the one on social media. The measurement to judge things one does today is its impact on Instagram and on the rest of social media. Once we’ve acknowledged that and learned from that, I think we can call it a new revolution.

Previously mentioned in chapter one of this dissertation is the power of contemporary fashion marketing and the creation of a permanent social presence, in person, on paper and online.

Through her article written regarding the purpose of fashion shows in the digital age, Yotka

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recognises that whilst it isn’t the goal for De Betak, his sets achieve ‘social media stardom’ through traditional yet innovative interior architecture that cements his, and his production’s, presence in the physical and online fashion world (Yotka 2017). Yotka notes that De Betak understands that the overindulgence and overpopulation of information readily provided to consumers shortens their attention span, and therefore shortens the life of the memory afterwards, further reinstating the importance of creating a memorable moment through the ephemeral interior forms that encompass fashion shows (Yotka 2017). She also mentions that De Betak uses the fashion show as a ‘stone in a global life of the communication of a brand’ that continues what was prior and assists in the transition into the future as an integral part of a ‘continuation of image-making’, further emphasising its purpose as tool of entertainment (Yotka 2017). Former fashion editor of French Vanity Fair, Virginie Mouzat recognises Betak’s ability to ‘create a meta-happening around a collection, a perspective inside a perspective, a show within the show, without killing the collection itself’ which is fundamental in designing a successful, and memorable, fashion production (Mouzat 2017). As mentioned earlier, ‘the function of luxury brands is to create dreams, not to answer to problems and needs…Luxury is a non-necessity made desirable’ (Bastien 2015), and Betak’s ephemeral interiors aid the luxury brands desire to create dreams, ensuring long-term sustainability is balanced with short-term consumer accessibility to the dream (Richard 2016). This case study highlights the true power of transformative ephemeral interiors within the realm of the fashion show that creates a sense of digital permanence for luxury brands in an inundated online global climate. To aid in the communication of the fashion show to the global consumer market, fashion show design no longer needs to relate directly and explicitly to the collection it is presenting, creating room for more innovative interior design, which is explained further in the next case study.

Prada’s Menswear Spring Summer 2019 show was designed in collaboration with Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas’ Office for Metropolitan Architecture, more specifically through their research and design studio, AMO (Hitti 2018). Prada presented their brightly-coloured mens collection in the stripped-back concrete interiors of Fondazione Prada in Milan, Italy, which was designed by Koolhaas himself (Hitti 2018). AMO treated the set as an ‘architectural field’ which was designed to ‘control the dynamics of the show’ (Hitti 2018) To counteract the harsh concrete interiors of the venue, seen in figure 3.10, AMO employed mathematical precision by way of the Cartesian plane, a coordinate system that is used to determine each point uniquely in a plane through two numbers (Rouse 2016). This grid-coordinate system provided the 34

framework for the areas occupied by the spectators, ‘while four different trajectories are left unoccupied for models to cross the room longitudinally, enforcing a strict serial layout’ (AMO 2018). This counterbalance between the space and its occupying ephemeral interior highlights the ‘industrial elegance of the space’, which proves that the power of transformative space design is imperative to the success of the fashion show (Del Omo 2018). Through ongoing collaboration, AMO developed an ‘otherworldly presentation comprised of an endless amount of inflatable stools’ which were re-editions of Verner Panton’s 1960s design, seen in figure 3.11 (Estiler 2018). Figure 3.12 shows each transparent plastic stool, branded with Verpan x Prada, and positioned atop of the geometric pattern, effectively categorising the space into appropriate occupancies – runway and spectator. The space, in its entirety, is covered in industrial translucent sheets ‘to produce an installation that disappears in the dim light of rare glowing sources’ (figure 3.13), which gives the room ‘a psychedelic yet uncanny atmosphere’ (AMO 2018).

Figure 3.10. Fondazione Prada in Milan, Italy, designed by Rem Koolhaas and used as the showspace for many Prada fashion shows, including Prada Menswear SS19.

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Figure 3.11. Verpan x Prada inflatable stool, a re-edition of Verner Pantonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1960s stool, used in the Prada Menswear SS19 fashion show.

Figure 3.12. Verpan x Prada inflatable stool placed upon the Cartesian grid system flooring arrangement, implemented by AMO.

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Figure 3.12. Runway of the Prada Menswear SS19 show. The image shows the linear design of the runway, as well as the mathematically precise positioning of the inflatable stools on the labelled grid flooring.

According to AMO, the showspace design aimed to ‘bring fashion to the foreground’ through its questioning of recent practice that ‘sees shows sets as explanatory efforts to contextualise collections’ (AMO 2018). As evident in the previous two case studies, and furthermore in the previous two chapters of this dissertation, there is no longer a need for the fashion show to relate directly to the collection it is exhibiting, rather for the show, related or not, to act as a tool of entertainment which effectively markets the brand to the global consumer, prompting brand-presence and sales (Finamore 2016). Design reporter and critic Natashah Hitti covered the show for DeZeen Magazine and she noted the correlation, or lack thereof, between the design of the showspace and the design of the clothing itself. With the space being designed before the collection was conceived, the use of plastic and transparent materials was the only original commonality between the two firms, explaining the choice of inflatable stools to give an ‘unexpected experience’ to the guests (Hitti 2018). Hitti also highlighted the correlation between the transparency of the materiality selected for this show and these notions of ephemerality. The design accentuated this detachment, yet cohesion, of space and program through the understanding of ‘the connection between fashion and space just during the show…the collection can be either in tune with the space or in opposition’ and it is for this reason, in this specific show, that there was ‘no specific relation between the catwalk and the 37

fashion’ (AMO 2018). This further emphasises the argument that ephemeral interior architecture is key to transformative space design within a fashion show, which is imperative to the success of the contemporary luxury fashion brand.

To conclude this final chapter of the dissertation, the three case studies discussed embody the theoretical research discussed in the previous two chapters of the dissertation – aiding in the understanding of transformative spatial design within the realm of the fashion show, and demonstrating how pertinent they are to fashion shows acting as a tool of entertainment.

Through analysis of Chanel’s AW15 prét-à-porter fashion show, findings confirm the importance of brand identity in an inundated fashion climate, whilst also warning the current society of the dangers of overconsumption and its effects on the fashion world. Dior’s SS18 fashion show, designed and produced by agency Bureau Betak, validates the impact of innovative and memorable design whilst specifically relating this impact to the online market.

Prada Menswear SS19 discerns the separation between the fashion and the show leaving room for inspirational design to impact spectator experience. This chapter explored three contemporary fashion shows as case studies that employ the use of ephemeral interior forms to effectively market and promote their individual brands to the global consumer market.

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Conclusion It is undeniable that the purpose of the current contemporary fashion show has progressed from its initial origins of conception as a means of simply displaying a designer’s collection, to become an all-encompassing immersive production that’s primary goal is to differentiate its house from a sea of similarity. This dissertation combines a contextual foundation of the evolution of the runway, both in its design and purpose, with contemporary theoretical research and reasoning as to the current approach to runway design to reveal the true purpose of the fashion show. This dissertation, in its entirety, aims to demonstrate that the power of transformative spatial design is integral to the success of the runway show, which is imperative to the success of the fashion world in their pursuit of creating aesthetic merit and reflecting the ever-changing nature of fashion.

A contextual foundation was required to form the basis of this dissertation as a core argument to prove this hypothesis lies within the historical evolution of the fashion show, as a natural progression adapting to its current social climate. A historical overview was presented in chapter one to provide a synthesised timeline of events regarding the fashion shows transformation in both form and purpose, which was integral to the overall understanding of this dissertation. Through this historical overview of the origins of the fashion show, crucial arguments are unveiled that string together the remaining two chapters of the dissertation. This chapter links these pivotal moments in the evolution of the fashion show to the success of the contemporary luxury fashion brand and relates the show itself to the foundation of luxury fashion, achieved through an exploration of the notion of ‘luxury’ and its relation to inherent human behaviour. The concepts of symbolic power and qualitative rarity are briefly discussed in relation to their implementation by luxury fashion houses, and how this has affected the transformation of the runway show into its current form. The emergence of prét-à-porter and its introduction into the fashion show is highlighted as the turning point for the contemporary fashion show, which created a public desire for more ‘energetic presentations in unusual locations’ (Idacavage 2016). This led the discussion onto the power of influence created by social media and online platforms, which saw brands take more design-based risks in terms of the production of shows to maintain presence and identity (Kapferer 2012: 455). A brief discussion on the use of the fashion show as a tool of entertainment to appeal to the masses through ephemeral interior form was conducted, reconnecting with the linear theme of the

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evolution of the fashion show, which is the encompassing theme for chapter two. The analysis demonstrates the role of social media and its relationship with the ephemeral interior of the runway fashion show â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which is integral to maintaining brand identity and longevity.

Chapter two explored various theories in relation to the emergence of the fashion show as a tool of entertainment, which gives cause to the argument that the contemporary fashion show has evolved from its origins to now hold a different purpose for the contemporary luxury brand.

This chapter is imperative to prove that the power of transformative spatial design is integral to the success of the runway show, which is inextricably linked to the success of the luxury fashion brand. The emergence of the fashion show as a theatrical production was discussed, supported by an in-depth explanation of haute couture and the introduction of prĂŠt-Ă -porter fashion, which is integral to the overall understanding of the dissertation. These terms, specific to the fashion industry, aid in the understanding of how the once-exclusive fashion show became a tool of entertainment through ephemeral interiors. Along with the brief discussion of the rise of the modelling profession, there is evidence of exploration into the marketing strategies applied by luxury brands to achieve maximum reach to both existing and potential clientele, promoting both brand and merchandise which prompts sales. The theoretical framework provided in chapter two was necessary to support the analysis of contemporary case studies that followed in chapter three.

Chapter three utilised the theoretical framework discussed in the previous chapter to analyse the effect that transformative spatial design has on the runway both in its form and in its perception by consumers. Through three case studies of fashion shows pertaining to three contemporary luxury fashion brands, there is ample evidence that the interior architecture associated with these specific runway shows was integral to the success of the show itself, and in turn, the success of the brand. The case studies chosen were Chanel AW14, designed and produced by Karl Lagerfeld, Dior SS18, designed and produced by Bureau Betak, and Prada Menswear SS19, designed and produced by AMO. The spatial analysis conducted on these three shows focused on form, lighting, space manipulation and configuration which best exemplifies the power of transformative space. This analysis provided a broad understanding of three different approaches to ephemeral architecture in runway design. The three chapters of this dissertation present an overall lineal evolution of the fashion show from its theatrical origins and straightforward purpose to its innovative contemporary form, showcasing how the fashion show itself has evolved to adapt to the demands of its current social and fashion climate.

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Reflecting on this dissertation, there is immense potential for future research to be conducted into the architecture associated with runway design and production. As the consumer world changes, the constraints with which runway design sits will expand and evolve to include new techniques and approaches to transformative space design. Therefore, the research conducted in this dissertation is not final and there is potential for expansion through several avenues. For example, further research could be conducted into ephemeral interiors on the runway and their relationship with environmental sustainability, exploration into the after effect and waste of over excessive fashion shows. The phenomenological concept of spectacle, discussed in chapter three, could also be expanded to explore the measure of perception and observation of the runway show. Due to the limited amount of time and word count constraints, the above avenues were not explored but could be achieved through further research. In summation, this dissertation sought to prove the power of transformative spatial design, achieved through ephemeral interior forms, is integral to the success of the runway show which is imperative to the success of the fashion world in their pursuit of creating aesthetic merit and reflecting the ever-changing nature of fashion.

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