PERFORMANCE ART OR FASHION SHOW? HENRIK VIBSKOV’S SS24 SHOW THEATRICALIZES THE RUNWAY
Photo Jannick Boerlum
05 jul 2023, for frame
Location
23 Rue Clovis, 75005 Paris, France
Brand
Production
Charly @ White Is White Productions
The SS24 show by Henrik Vibskov in Paris reaffirmed the designer’s signature blend of fashion and surrealistic theatre, utilizing a temporary textile installation and performance art to bring his designs to life.
Key features
To celebrate his 20th anniversary of showing in Paris, Danish fashion designer Henrik Vibskov showcased his SS24 collection with an installation dubbed the ‘Vibskov Boxing Arena’ at Lycée Henri-IV secondary school’s private garden. The production-cum-fashion-show was made of fringed orange textiles and began with eight performers dressed in orange, opening the textile canopies on both sides of the central boxing ring. The fashion performance, entitled ‘The Unboxing Waltz Tutorial’, was led by ring announcer Jahmarl Crick (also known as @KyleLondonnn), who introduced the models as fighters. After stepping out, they were enveloped by the constantly changing canopies. The activation of the installation represented a low-tech yet dynamic intervention.
FRAME's take
Though simple in its concept, the platform on which the models walked was not just a passive backdrop but an active participant in the show. The activation transformed the ordinary space from a school courtyard into one of high fashion. Through the space’s programming – like the emcee’s act and interaction with the models and the dynamic set design – the SS24 show was not merely a fashion presentation but a performance, an approach that the brand has used in the past like with its AW23 show. This demonstrates a deviation from the black box approach, which is the norm in the high fashion space, this and the performative aspect were also captured by Louis Vuitton's most recent menswear show.
To achieve this the choice of textiles as a design medium was a deliberate one. Not only is it a cost-effective, easy-to-transport and versatile material that echoes the garments themselves, but textile is a material with which the designer is, obviously, highly familiar. In a fusion of low-cost design, dynamic space utilization and stimulating narrative storytelling, Vibskov's SS24 show exemplified how fashion can be effectively paired with performance art to create an impactful, immersive and economically viable presentation.