By Giulia Piceni. Cover image Mr. StreetPeeper.
Fashion Week has long been the ultimate stage for designers to display their vision, but as a young journalist navigating the industry, I have noticed a quiet shift in how fashion shows are produced and consumed. With traditional runway shows becoming increasingly exclusive and presentations emerging as accessible and versatile alternatives, the future of fashion storytelling may not be a catwalk at all, but curated gatherings that resonate with the moment we live in.
I just returned from Fashion Week, and as a young journalist, the experience was both exhilarating and frustrating. Runway shows, the holy grail of fashion reporting, were largely inaccessible to me. Most invitations I received were for presentations rather than the traditional catwalk spectacle. At first, this felt like a limitation, but the more I attended these events, the more I realized that presentations are not just a substitute for runway shows. They may well be the future of fashion presentation.
How Fashion Presentations Are Shaping the Future of the Runway
Fashion presentations have been around for decades, but their relevance has skyrocketed in recent years. Unlike runway shows, they are more affordable, easier to produce, and can accommodate a greater number of people. Small brands in particular can collaborate on venues, themes, and models in a way that is far more economical than staging a full-scale runway. These curated events allow for a sense of cohesion between brands, creating a snapshot of the cultural and social moment that runway shows sometimes struggle to capture. Presentations are not just a practical solution; they are a lens through which the zeitgeist of fashion can be observed.
Are Runway Shows Losing Their Appeal with Today’s Fashion Audience?
Runway shows have been considered the pinnacle of fashion communication for decades, yet their very format is increasingly under scrutiny. The pandemic was a turning point. With physical attendance restricted, brands were forced to livestream their shows, democratizing access and opening them to audiences far beyond the industry elite. This virtual moment challenged the exclusivity that runway shows had long relied on and showed that fashion’s reach does not require a physical catwalk. Post-pandemic, some brands attempted to reclaim exclusivity through spectacle. Diesel for example staged shows attended by thousands, but these events were exceptions rather than the rule, and they came with staggering production costs.
How Fashion Presentations Are Making the Industry More Accessible
One of the most fascinating aspects of presentations is their accessibility. For young journalists, bloggers, or enthusiasts, they provide an entry point into the fashion ecosystem that traditional runway shows no longer guarantee. Presentations also offer a unique opportunity for smaller brands to shine without competing against the mega-budgets of fashion houses. By being thoughtful about venue, theme, and curation, these events become intimate yet impactful, giving emerging designers a platform that feels more democratic than a traditional runway.
The New Rules of Fashion Exclusivity
Fashion is increasingly moving toward exclusivity, particularly at the luxury end of the spectrum. Runway shows by their nature have always been selective, but the trend toward ultra-exclusive events is accelerating. Tickets, invitations, and front-row access are becoming symbols of status rather than access points to creative exploration. In this context, presentations become not just an alternative format, but a strategic choice for brands seeking to navigate a more economically divided industry. Middle-tier brands, which cannot compete with the spectacle of a Gucci or Prada runway, may find presentations an essential tool for survival and growth.
Some brands are experimenting with hybrid approaches, blending the spectacle of a traditional runway with the accessibility of digital or curated presentation formats. Demna’s recent work with Gucci is a case in point. A star-studded gala combined with a film projection made the collection accessible to a broader audience while retaining the allure of exclusivity. This balance between spectacle and accessibility may become the new template for fashion communication, allowing brands to engage both traditional buyers and a digital-first audience that consumes fashion differently than ever before.
Why Fashion Presentations Reflect Our Culture Better Than Runways
Presentations are not just practical; they are reflective of the times. By carefully curating which brands are presented together, organizers create a dialogue between different aesthetics, philosophies, and social narratives. Unlike the runway, which can sometimes feel like a monologue from a single designer, presentations are inherently conversational. They allow smaller voices to resonate alongside established ones, creating a mosaic of contemporary fashion culture that is both meaningful and memorable.
From the perspective of someone just starting in fashion journalism, presentations have been a lifeline. The first-hand experience of touching fabrics, interacting with designers, and seeing models bring a collection to life cannot be replicated through digital lookbooks alone. Presentations offer an intimate, affordable, and often more creative experience than the rigid format of runway shows. They democratize access, not just for the audience, but for those of us tasked with documenting fashion’s evolving landscape.
From Catwalks to Curated Fashion Experiences
Of course, presentations are not without their limitations. They cannot fully replicate the drama, energy, and pacing of a live runway show. The immediacy of a catwalk, the synchronized movement of models, the flow of music, and the collective gasp of an audience are difficult to reproduce in a gallery-like space. Yet the trade-off is significant. Presentations offer increased access, creative flexibility, and the potential for collaboration among brands. As the industry evolves, these trade-offs may no longer be compromises, but strategic advantages.
Runway shows will not disappear. They remain essential for the largest brands and for those moments when spectacle and exclusivity are part of the brand’s DNA. However, presentations are emerging as a parallel, and perhaps dominant, format for fashion communication. For young journalists, emerging designers, and middle-tier brands, they represent accessibility, creativity, and the ability to mirror the cultural pulse of the moment. In the next decade, the future of the runway may not be a literal catwalk at all, but a carefully curated, immersive, and democratic presentation that reflects the world we live in.
