HELLO! India Exclusive: How fashion's biggest names are reshaping the ramp

Gone are the days when runways meant a mere platform for models to strut on. They now present theatrical experiences, weaving stories that complement — and sometimes explain — the collections showcased. Taking that idea even further, designers now turn the catwalk into art beyond simple creative backdrops. They conceptualise immersive installations that transport the audience into the world that inspired the collection well before the models step onto the stage.

From nature-influenced reveries to architectural marvels, we bring you the runways that illustrated the designer’s vision and creative mindscape.

THE AQUATIC ALLURE

There’s something inherently dramatic about water — in the way it ripples, reflects light, and transforms a static space into a fluid entity full of life. So, it’s unsurprising that the aquatic theme has become one of fashion’s most favoured storytelling devices. Chanel has turned to water a number of times: Karl Lagerfeld’s 2018 S/S showcase featured a wall of mossy rocks highlighted by a flowing waterfall within the Grand Palais; the very next year, he created a beach within the museum to present his 2019 S/S collection, bringing summer back during a grey day in Paris. Pharrell Williams tapped into this beachy imagery for Louis Vuitton earlier this year to present his 2027 S/S collection, models walked out of a towering, cascading wave that served as his “runway

WILD CHRONICLES

Much like life itself, which often mirrors patterns found in nature, several fashion houses have drawn inspiration from the earth’s scenic grandeur for their runways, over the years. Think blooming florals, sprawling greens, thick woodlands, the glow of fall, and more.

For Dior’s F/W 2019-20 showcase in Paris, models emerged through verdant, foliate arches dotted with flowers. The following year, Dior maintained its relationship with the garden but with a darker twist, presenting its S/S 2020 lineup amid tall trees with a grim, cloudy sky overhead.

Back in 2017, an autumnal forest, replete with deep orange leaves strewn across the Grand Palais museum in Paris, set the stage for Moncler Gamme Rouge’s F/W collection. Tory Burch’s 2018 F/W edit was unveiled surrounded by over 14,000 tall pink carnations sprouting from mossy grass at New York Fashion Week. And for their 10th anniversary show, Jacquemus took their 2020 S/S presentation to nature, showcasing their designs in the wondrous lavender fields of Provence.

CRAFTED WITH A CONCEPT

Often, the idea that inspired a collection can be rooted in something specific to the designer, and conveying that to the world at large requires creating a visual spectacle to get the message across. In this regard, Chanel has had considerable practice. For her first solo couture collection for the brand in 2019, Virginie Viard transformed the Grand Palais in Paris into an imposing circular wooden library. Creative Director Matthieu Blazy has carried this legacy forward quite well: In 2025, he presented the 2026 S/S collection on a galactic runway in the museum, and earlier this year, he had models walk amid a powder-pink mystical forest, dotted with giant mushrooms and rosy willows.

Louis Vuitton’s set for their 2025 S/S showcase in Paris is particularly hard to forget — Nicolas Ghesquière, the Artistic Director of the brand’s women’s collections, used 1,000 Louis Vuitton trunks to create the runway. Bottega Veneta, on the other hand, used the audience’s seats to showcase their animal beanbags for Matthieu Blazy’s 2025 S/S presentation.

Designer Glenn Martens brought Diesel’s unapologetic ethos to life at Milan Fashion Week’s F/W 2026 show, with a potpourri of over 50,000 pieces of archival Diesel memorabilia sprawled across the venue. Finally, Burberry’s 2026 F/W collection by Daniel Lee came alive during London Fashion Week amid recreations of the city’s under-construction streets, complete with scaffolding and resin puddles.

THE MONUMENTAL ROUTE

There’s no grander way than turning a world-renowned landmark into a platform for a fashion show — and numerous luxury fashion houses agree.

An early — and iconic — instance would be the Great Wall of China playing a makeshift ramp for Karl Lagerfeld and Silvia Venturini Fendi’s 2008 Fendi S/S collection. Nine years later, Fendi celebrated their 90th anniversary at the historic Trevi Fountain in Rome. A transparent plexiglass runway stretching across the fountain created an illusion of models walking on water.

The options in Italy never disappoint. In 2019, Dolce & Gabbana staged its Alta Mode F/W 2020 collection at the Valley of Temples in Agrigento, Sicily, providing an ethereal venue for the designs. Former Creative Director Pierpaolo Piccioli unveiled Valentino’s F/W 2022 lineup on the Spanish Steps in Rome.

Jacquemus travelled further west to Corsica to reveal their S/S 2027 collection, with models emerging from a winding cliffside path overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

In 2022, former Artistic Director of Dior Men Kim Jones took the luxury maison to Giza for his Men’s Pre-Fall 2023 collection, which blended ancient Egyptian symbolism and cosmology with a futuristic aesthetic inspired by Frank Herbert’s novel Dune.

A few months later, Maria Grazia Chiuri brought the brand’s Fall 2023 ready-to-wear edit to Mumbai’s Gateway of India, draping the majestic tructure with a meticulously handcrafted 46-foot-tall toran for the show.

To recall another Indian spectacle, Anita Dongre transformed the expansive grounds of the 19th-century Lukshmi Vilas Palace with a winding runway framed by wild elephant grass for her Rewild 2026 showcase.

This story was featured in the Vol 1. Issue 10 of HELLO! India. For more exclusive stories, subscribe to the magazine here.