The Rise of the Showman

It all started with Alexander McQueen and his holographic Kate Moss, catwalks drenched in artificial rain and ‘ready to wear’ that slowly transformed into Haute Couture. Before and after McQueen sadly passed on in 2010, with Sarah Burton taking the helm later in the year, the label was all about the exquisite, the exotic and the fantastical. An Alexander McQueen catwalk show is unlike anything you will ever see in your life. Yes, it did all start with McQueen; and the legacy laid down carries on into A/W 2012.

The fashion ‘Showman’ (or ‘Show-woman’) is someone we’re becoming very familiar with over the past few seasons through awe-inspiring sets and lavish prints. The backdrop and the patterns on the catwalk are fast becoming just as important as the models and the fit. Atmosphere is key; designers want to impress you, indulge you, intimidate you with their budget breaking scenery. Others just want you to have fun with their kooky and frankly crazy clashing prints and colours and over done accessories – bangles stacked up their arms to the point at which the front row fear an off balance model could strike at any time. Autumn/Winter 2012 in New York, Milan and London showed us that Showmanship is not dead, and its revival is imminent.

Karl Lagerfeld – arguably one of the most influential creative geniuses in the world – showed this at Chanel, and has been doing for the past five or so years. We’ve had ‘The Praire’ in 2009 where Lily Allen made a special guest appearance and provided the soundtrack. Six months ago for their Spring/Summer show, the Grand Palais was transformed into an underwater wonderland. This season, however was his most spectacular yet. Crystalline statues almost twenty foot tall jutted from the runway; white, black and purple. The models, dressed in three piece suits and elaborate sportswear navigated the catwalk like it was a beautifully serene obstacle course, which their matching handmade crystal eyebrows that took each individual makeup artist almost four hours to apply. Twenty minutes of utter magic left the audience speechless.

It’s not just the sets and theatrics that make up the Showman. It’s the fun factor too, seen on the catwalks at Jeremy Scott, House of Holland (his provocative and affordable slogan t-shirts proving extremely popular) and Meadham Kirchhoff this year. With a soundtrack of Abba and Mariah Carey the point of the collection was to enjoy yourself, be dazzled with colour and smile. Think tartan, check, brights, pom poms, sequin and face paint. Together. What should have been a horrendous clash of everything hideous about the 80s working incredibly to create a piece of pure and awe inspiring genius.

In times like these, it’s important that fashion not only acts as a comfort blanket, but also as a form of escapism. The more elaborate the collection, the more comforting for women everywhere. Lagerfeld, McQueen and Meadham Kirchoff provide theatrics that seem to have become lost around the money-friendly high street which nowadays seems to lack the sparkle that Couture does. One thing is for certain, with the rise of the Showmen there will always be one industry that refuses to accept the recession, and for that women and men everywhere breathe a sigh of relief.