Catwalk

An encyclopedic exploration of all facets of the fashion show, from its beginnings around 1900 to the present day

The exhibition at the Vitra Design Museum explores the fashion show as a cultural ritual and a total artistic experience. It features iconic shows by Balenciaga, Chanel, Dior, Gucci, Helmut Lang, Maison Martin Margiela, Issey Miyake, Prada, Viktor & Rolf, and Louis Vuitton. The accompanying 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. 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.

About the Author

Jochen Eisenbrand is Head Curator at the Vitra Design Museum.

Jens Balzer is a pop culture critic and feature writer at Die Zeit.

Katharina Krawczyk is an art and cultural historian, she works at the intersection between art and fashion.