An encyclopedic exploration of all facets of the fashion show, from its beginnings around 1900 to the present day. A beautiful catalogue from the exhibition at the Vitra Design Museum (and coming here to V&A Dundee in 2026) exploring the fashion show as a cultural ritual and a total artistic experience.
Featuring iconic shows by Balenciaga, Chanel, Dior, Gucci, Helmut Lang, Maison Martin Margiela, Issey Miyake, Prada, Viktor & Rolf, and Louis Vuitton. This catalogue brings together historical sources, contemporary image series, and essays by leading voices in the fashion world. Model Malgosia Bela recounts the highlights and challenges of international runways. Legendary sound supervisor Michel Gaubert reveals how sound shapes moods and dramaturgy. Visionary buyer and curator Andreas Murkudis offers insights into the selection of key fashion collections.
Fashion historian Caroline Evans analyses the social roles of the fashion show, Cathy Horyn reflects on its influence on contemporary fashion, and Valerie Steele, Director of The Museum at FIT in New York, situates it within the global cultural context. Our very own Kirsty Hassard, curator extraordinaire, writes about Mary Quant.
Catwalk is both an opulent visual archive and a definitive reference work, presenting the phenomenon of the fashion show in all its facets – well-founded, multi-voiced, and close to the action.
Product details
- Format: Hardback
- Size: 22 cm x 2 cm x 30 cm
- Page count: 304
- Illustrations: 200
- ISBN-13: 978-3-945852-70-5
- Detail: Marker ribbon bookmark