Runway has spent the past decade stepping out of the catwalk and into cinema. Alessandro Michele’s Gucci sent models clutching their own heads; Jacquemus painted Provence with a fuchsia stripe through lavender, Dolce & Gabbana swapped walkers for drones and Chanel turned the Grand Palais into a spaceport, a beach, then a snowed-in village. Coperni wrote the viral playbook—first with Bella Hadid’s spray-on dress, later with Kylie Jenner at Disneyland Paris—while Demna marched Balenciaga through literal mud and Louis Vuitton handed the mic to Rosalía on a lowrider.
Ahead of the upcoming 2026 runway season, Soigné looks back on the moments that reset the bar—not just for clothes, but for showmanship, scale, and how fashion wants to be remembered.
Rick Owens Spring 2016
At his “Cyclops” show in Paris, Rick Owens had pairs of models walking down the runway—one woman carrying another. It was a raw, sculptural meditation on solidarity and strength that transcended typical catwalk choreography.
Chanel FW17
Karl Lagerfeld transformed the Grand Palais into a space station, complete with a colossal Chanel-branded rocket. The show ended with a dramatic faux launch, feauring smoke, a countdown, and Elton John’s “Rocket Man” playing.
Gucci FW18
Alessandro Michele turned creepy maximalism up to thirteen with a chilling, theatrical presentation. The Gucci FW18 runway featured uncanny props, most memorably, realistic severed heads – creating an eerie, dystopian vibe that continues to inspire runway production to this day.
Dolce&Gabbana FW18
Dolce & Gabbana revolutionized runway theatrics by having their ornate handbags carried down the runway via drones instead of models. Make sure airplane mode is on!
Chanel SS19
Karl Lagerfeld back at it again, in the best way possible. His SS19 collection for Chanel brought the seaside to Paris’ Grand Palais by engineering an indoor beach runway, complete with sand, waves, lifeguards, and barefoot models carrying their shoes.
Chanel FW19
Marking Karl Lagerfeld’s final ready-to-wear show for Chanel, the Grand Palais became “Chalet Gardenia,” a wistfully beautiful snow-draped alpine village. The show opened with a moment of silence and a voiceover honoring Lagerfeld’s legacy of iconic shows.
Jacquemus SS20
For his 10th anniversary, Simon Porte Jacquemus staged his SS20 show in the lavender fields of Valensole, Provence. Models strode along a bold pink carpet snaking through purple blooms, creating a dreamy landscape straight out of a painting.
Balenciaga SS23
Demna presented a gritty, post-apocalyptic show opened by Kanye. Models walked through a muddy runway resembling a grave or crater, with real earthy scent filling the air. A grim metaphor for luxury and life in the face of a growing, insidious crisis.
Coperni SS23
A homage to McQueen’s 1999 “No. 13 Finale,” Coperni closed its show with Bella Hadid standing in her underwear while a spray-on fabric (Fabrican) was applied live to create a sleek, body-hugging dress. The moment was a tech-meets-performance triumph that instantly went viral.
Louis Vuitton Men’s FW23
Rosalía took over Louis Vuitton Men’s FW23 show with a performance that quickly went viral. Perched on a vintage lowrider in the middle of the runway, she performed a genre-melting set that moved from “SAOKO” to “DESPECHÁ” and even viral Arabic hit “Basbousa.” Think a block party-meets-global sound clash.
