Long gone are the days when journalists and editors piled into in-house ateliers to see the presentation of a new collection. Nowadays, the catwalks are as much the expression of the artistic vision of the designer as the clothes are. With some costing six figures and beyond to produce, fashion shows have become a brilliant publicity move, drawing attention to an industry that (even in the best of economic times) attracts a limited clientele. As we find ourselves in the midst of another season, Running in Heels takes a look back at a few choice shows of the past, from the über-extravagant to the blatantly bizarre.

Jean Paul Gaultier RTW Spring/Summer 1991

Often referred to as the “enfant terrible” of fashion, Jean-Paul Gaultier lives for shock value and quite often stretches the limits of an already outlandish industry. Remember: this is the guy who introduced the world to Madonna’s cone bra, put men in skirts and makeup, and created a fashion exhibit for a Paris museum out of bread. For his Spring/Summer 1991 show, Gaultier offered his public a plethora of unconventional ideas on one catwalk. Held in a Parisian nightclub on the Champs Elysées, the show, a play on the Garden of Eden, was more of a theatre than a runway. An untraditional group of models; including a pregnant woman and a grandmother, took over the catwalk doing anything but the typical walk; they skipped, danced, chatted, smoked and even undressed. The clothes (typical of the Gaultier that was to come) were sexy and futuristic, and the show had a serious androgynous undertone with many looks blurring gender lines. Fantasy, frolicking and fashion: Gaultier’s take on original sin.

Christian Dior Couture Autumn/Winter 2007

To commemorate the 60th anniversary of Dior, John Galliano brought the world back to the origins of French fashion: the Palace at Versailles. This was the Granddaddy of French fashion houses in the Granddaddy of French castles. Staged on an awe-inspiring 500ft catwalk that snaked the entire length of an interior gallery, the exuberance of the show lived up to the decadence of its backdrop. The over-the-top collection, featuring elaborately draped gowns, tailored dresses à la Dior’s “New Look” and huge headpieces, was a tribute to Mr. Dior’s life long passion for art. Each ensemble, representing the work of artists including Michelangelo, Degas and Toulouse-Lautrec, was presented to an audience of 1,100 guests. The show even called supermodels Linda Evangelista, Helena Christiansen and Naomi Campbell back to the haute couture runway and was followed by a Flamenco fiesta in the castle gardens. The price tag for the Dior extravaganza was reported at $2 million. Marie Antoinette would have certainly approved.

Victor and Rolf RTW Autumn/Winter 2007

In 2007 Victor and Rolf overtly played on the idea of the catwalk by completely reversing the role of a collection within a fashion show. Instead of staging a show to highlight a series of looks of one collection, each model, built into metal rigs and lighting, became an independent show. The models paraded awkwardly through a darkened room encircled by scaffolding and shining spotlights on themselves. Quite simply, these models personally created and starred in their own fashion show. To hazard a guess about the concept behind the metal and light attachments, one might suggest that Victor and Rolf had attempted to draw focus away from the extravagance of a catwalk production, back to the heart of the matter: the clothes. Whatever the artistic ideology was, the collection (an ode to Dutch folk costume and tapestries complete with wooden clogs) was sadly almost forgotten underneath the bizarrely cumbersome metal contraptions. We wonder whether the Dutch duo and this show somehow inspired Lady Gaga’s fetish for crazy huge shoulder pads or the metallic orb she donned for her latest video.

Chanel Couture Spring/Summer 2008

What comes to mind when you think of Chanel? Without question: quilted bags, the interlocked C signature and tweed. Lagerfeld took a literal approach for the Spring/Summer 2008 show, at which he featured a perfectly white, round runway built directly underneath the highest of the vaulted glass ceilings at the Grand Palais. The centerpiece of this circular catwalk was a 75ft wooden, rotating replica of the classic Chanel tweed coat. As models entered and exited the runway through a small flap at the base of the jacket, it seemed as though Lagerfeld wanted to advertise the message that Coco Chanel’s iconic style still very much drives the brand. The collection was an eclectic mix between a younger, flirty spin on the classic suit (that drew on Lagerfeld’s own personal style), yet proved that Mademoiselle Coco’s tweed fetish will continue to shape Chanel and influence fashion’s future.

Maison Martin Margiela Couture Autumn/Winter 2009

Maison Martin Margiela has long been the big question mark in the fashion world. Never granting an interview and always seemingly missing during the presentation of his collections, it’s perhaps the mystery of the house and the guy who runs it, that continues to intrigue us. For his Autumn/Winter 2009 show (a 20th anniversary collection, no less) previous creations were mixed in with concepts for the future. The silhouettes represented the house’s inherent style and reminisced over body suits, leggings and jackets with strong shoulder detail. Current trends were incarnated in each piece, showing the forward thinking, trendsetting magic of this house. But to drive home the unwillingness of the designer to reveal his identity; were the “incognito” models that marched up and down the runway, faces covered by masks, hair or fabric. This phantom designer, bewildering and fascinating; will surely continue to inspire and mystify.

Alexander McQueen RTW Autumn/Winter 2006

Although he trained on the rather traditional Savile Row, Alexander McQueen’s collections and catwalks shows never, ever play it safe. This is a designer who produces garments that really aren’t for everyone and his catwalks always provoke a reaction. From mental hospital-inspired runways  and merry-go-rounds to wind tunnels and models accompanied by packs of huskies – McQueen puts as much imagination and showmanship into his presentations as he does his clothes. His Autumn/Winter 2006 show featured an extraordinary collection, but that was not all. The audience watched, entranced, as by a feat of technological wizardry, McQueen conjured up Kate Moss in 3D hologram form. A puff of white smoke inside an empty glass pyramid slowly unfurled and there was Moss in a billowing white chiffon gown; a magical vision of beauty and grace. In the fashion world, this was a true relevation; an all-time high for the lucky chosen few who witnessed  the incredible event.