Image credits: Getty Images and Vogue Runway

Like many other industries, the fashion world can provoke reactions. Whether warranted or not, the visions presented by designers can occasionally shock and create awe, and sometimes, that’s the designer’s intention; take Alexander McQueen and Schiaparelli’s Daniel Roseberry, who’ve both made collections that inspire and ruffle feathers in equal measure.

Other times, talked-about moments can emerge for unexpected reasons; take Prada spring/summer 2009, where slippery shoes made models fall in an otherwise perfect presentation, or Balenciaga spring/summer 2012, when the front rows at Nicolas Ghesquière’s immaculate Parisian presentation collapsed, a possible safety hazard that meant leading editors and spectators watched standing up.

Keep reading for 14 fashion row moments that caused a stir. 

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Schiaparelli’s faux animal heads at haute couture spring/summer 2023

The intention of an haute couture fashion show is to bring its viewers into a world of fantasy and impeccable craftsmanship, and that’s exactly what happened at Schiaparelli’s haute couture spring/summer 2023 show. The house, which has a history of surrealism, presented a collection that featured false animal heads made from faux fur on three looks to represent deadly sins, as an embodiment of Italian writer Dante Alighieri’s story about the nine circles of hell.

While the looks were cruelty-free, some criticised the collection for presenting endangered animals as something that could be worn. Viral moments reigned off the runway too; Kylie Jenner attended in one of the lion head dresses before it even hit the runway, while Doja Cat wore red full-body glitter to represent the devil. Despite the initial scandal, the remainder of the collection was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful at couture that season. 

Kendall Jenner’s high-fashion debut at Marc Jacobs autumn/winter ’14/’15

In 2023, it’s hard to imagine a fashion world without Kendall Jenner, the reality star-turned-supermodel who dominates editorials and campaigns. However, few remember that Marc Jacobs was the first major designer to cast her in a runway show, and picked a suitably high-fashion look which rendered her unrecognisable. 

Jenner walked her very first NYFW runway with powdery face makeup, a blunt bob and a headband. Perhaps that was the point—Jacobs, always the showman, might’ve wanted to help Jenner fly under-the-radar, so she could walk the major runway without feeling like all eyes were on her. 

The slippery shoes at Prada spring/summer 2009

Prada’s fashion show is one of the standout moments of any runway season, and just like anyone else, they aren’t immune to the occasional mishap. At the brand’s spring/summer 2009 show, several models collapsed on the runway due to difficulty walking in the brand’s towering stilettos which were styled with slippery silk socks. It made for difficult viewing, as several of the models either tripped, stumbled or fell over altogether in the shoes. Despite the drama, the collection and its elegant ruffled pieces came to define much of fashion over the following decade. 

The collapsing runways and shoes at Yeezy Season 4

After the debut of Kanye West’s brand Yeezy, his shows became a hot ticket at New York Fashion Week—but those who attended the designer’s Season 4 show in 2016 likely wished they were elsewhere. It wasn’t because the clothes were sub-par, but because the show was held outdoors on New York’s Roosevelt Island, amid sweltering early autumn heat. Models wore wintery coats and boots, and the rickety runway caused various models to stumble (or even sit down during the show’s final presentation due to the heat, which you can see in the above image). Regardless, it made for NYFW’s more memorable moments. 

The (rumoured) shaman at Louis Vuitton Cruise 2019

Like many brands’ resort collections, Louis Vuitton’s are often held at far-flung locations around the world. Rumour has it that the brand picked an unexpected strategy to stop the rain at their Cruise 2019 show, held on the Côte d’Azur in the South of France. It’s been reported that LV hired a shaman to prevent it from raining at the show, and considering celebrities, editors and fashion buyers had flown out from around the world to see it take place, we’re not surprised at the effort. After all, it appeared to work—there were clouds in the sky, but thankfully, no rain. 

The dangling models at Valentino Haute Couture autumn/winter ’20/’21

When fashion shows were rendered obsolete at the start of the pandemic, brands were pressured to make virtual presentations more interesting. During the first mid-pandemic couture season, Valentino’s presentation was one of the most unforgettable—the brand showing an array of dresses on models suspended high in the sky, in a symbol for how inventive fashion could be when faced with obstacles. You can see the entire breathtaking collection here. 

The PETA protesters at the 2002 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show

The divisive Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show might be a thing of the past, replaced in 2021 with a new initiative supporting diversity. For many years, the supermodel-flooded runway was the scene of many headline-making moments—including this stage-storming by PETA protesters in 2002, while Gisele Bündchen was walking the catwalk. In a visual that’s become memorable, Bündchen—then a full-time ‘Angel’—continues walking the runway in an unbothered manner while surrounded by protesters, who are eventually yanked off the stage by security.

A green dress renaissance at Versace spring/summer ’20/’21</h2

The green Versace dress worn by Jennifer Lopez at the 2000 Grammys needs no introduction at this point (aside from the fact its popularity led to the invention of Google Images), but nobody was prepared for how it would be reinvented some two decades later. 

The closing act of Versace’s spring/summer 2020 show was none other than Lopez herself, who wore an updated version of the gown to finish off the proceedings. There wasn’t an audience member not standing, or a readily-filming iPhone not in sight. 

The broken front row benches Balenciaga spring/summer 2012

In every image from Balenciaga’s spring/summer 2012 show, guests are standing. That’s not because Nicolas Ghesquière’s work was receiving a show-length standing ovation from many guests (though many would argue that his work at Balenciaga deserved one), but because the front row chairs collapsed underneath attendees, forcing them to spend the show on their feet. 

Vogue Japan editor-at-large Anna Dello Russo had the right take when she tweeted about the incident: “Amazing Balenciaga show by Nicolas Ghesquière! All standing like in a church!”

The runway crasher at Chanel spring/summer 2020

In another case of unwelcome runway crashing, French comedian Marie S’Infiltre broke into Chanel’s spring/summer 2020 show at Paris Fashion Week, climbing onto the runway and making a scene on the Parisian rooftop-inspired set. Gigi Hadid was an unexpected saviour, taking S’Infiltre by the arm and escorted her off the runway. 

The unforgettable robotic spray paint at Alexander McQueen spring/summer 1999

If we were to list every jaw-dropping and unforgettable runway moment to take place at an Alexander McQueen show, we’d be here a long time, but many would argue the most memorable McQueen moment was the finale at spring/summer 1999. Wearing a wide dress that was initially white, model Shalom Harlow stood on a revolving wheel and was sprayed by two paint guns that jetted black and gold paint to the dress, eliciting applause from the audience.

Walking on water at Balenciaga autumn/winter ’20/’21

At a fashion show, the clothes are obviously the main point of interest—unless of course, a designer uses staging, and an incredible set, to expand on their vision. Demna used his Balenciaga autumn/winter ’20/’21 show to convey a tacit message about climate change, inviting his audience into a projection of a dystopia. 

Guests were greeted by partially-submerged front rows, a nod to the climate catastrophe (and perhaps the fashion industry’s impact on it). Models then exited and walked the water-seeped runway, with a resounding image that will stay in our minds forever. 

The popcorn floor at Calvin Klein 205w39nyc autumn/winter ’18/’19

Aside from the apocalypse-inspired garments and set, this Calvin Klein show involved an unexpected component: the floor, made to look like snow or powdery debris, was actually popcorn. This could be chalked up to then-creative director Raf Simons’ love of films—his spring/summer ’19 collection involved homages to Jaws and The Graduate, and he’s sold t-shirts with muse Laura Dern’s face on them under his own eponymous brand. Per The Cut, guests were advised not to eat the popcorn, for obvious reasons. 

Gucci autumn/winter ’18/’19

Former Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele made a name through his whimsical designs, but decapitated heads on a runway were a step up in eccentricity, even for him. At Gucci’s autumn/winter ’18/’19 show, Michele had accurate casts made of two models’ heads, which they clutched while walking the runway. Adding to the craziness was the choice to send miniature dragons down the runway in the hands of models, making for a show that was as supernatural as it was incredible.