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The vintage revival that is inspiring the main fashion houses does not only influence the style of the final product, with designers increasingly inclined to create clothes inspired by the archives of the great Maisons and style icons of the past, a fact that increases the interest for vintage and more conscious second-hand purchases. The vintage revival contaminates what is beyond the dress, such as the sets of the most spectacular fashion shows of recent times; today we want to share with you some of the most memorable ones.
In retrospect, one is still fascinated: who hasn't been impressed by the latest, epic, haute couture Dolce & Gabbana show in Venice in Piazza San Marco? Precisely where in the past the Doges welcomed ambassadors and heads of state from all over the world, world celebrities arrived in gondolas, wrapped in Rococo-inspired clothes; the set was worthy of Fellini's cinema, inspired by the venetian symbols par excellence, from Murano glasses to carnival masks, in a mix of 18th century suggestions revisited with a rock twist.
And what about Chanel which, for the Metiers d'Art 19/20 fashion show recreated Coco Chanel's iconic mirrored Parisian apartment inside the Grand Palais (in the picture), and in the Fall / Winter 2021/22 Haute Couture show (inspired by French painting movements), set the catwalk in the neo-Renaissance splendor of the Palais Galliera, the City of Paris Fashion Museum?
To adopt a more sustainable show mentality, Bottega Veneta, in its Fall / Winter 2020 fashion show, set up the event in a huge former 20s ice rink in Milan. When the models entered the catwalk, the projections of classic Italian villa facades and mosaic floors followed one another on white screens, evoking a perfect Palladian atmosphere obtained without wasting building materials.
Also in 2020, the creative directors of Jil Sander chose for their fashion show a recently renovated former thermoelectric power plant in Milan, a location which later became the exhibition venue of ADI, the Association for Industrial Design. Sander was the first brand to hold an exhibition in the space, at the center of which triumphed an installation of vintage chairs of Italian and French origin, each one different from the other, on which the models reclined after walking the catwalk.
For fashion designers, whether the task is creating red carpet outfits, up to setting up a fashion show and furnishing their stores around the world, the vintage mood is becoming a fundamental condition. Fans of the sector suggest that this could be a way to make the younger generations appreciate couture, through references, quotes and small details that, recontextualized in a contemporary key, are transformed into eclectic and creative mixes that put art, furniture design and fashion in dialogue. In totally new ways.
