Vetements will no longer stage fashion shows

By

Emily Jensen

Published
Jun 2, 2017

In yet another disruptive move, Vetements has declared it will no longer stage fashion shows. The label, which recently moved to Zurich, feels runway shows don’t reflect the reality of the clothes.

The news was first reported in an interview with Demna Gvasalia in Vogue on Friday, which Fashion Network has confirmed through a source. 

The brand maintains that it will still produce new collections every season, however it won’t present them in the typical fashion show setting. Vetements has staged previous shows in the likes of churches and sex clubs, and the brand’s founder Demna Gvasalia believes the shows have become repetitive. Runway shows often do not reflect the actual pieces that will be sold to customers, and Vetements says it wants to sell real clothes, not a fantasy. 

Vetements will present its upcoming collection in the form of private appointments at its Paris showroom, rather than during Couture week, as was previously reported. Gvasalia, who runs the brand with his brother Guram, maintains that the label could stage another runway show in the future if the time called for it.
 
In a similarly bold move, Vetements announced in March that it would move the company from Paris to Zurich, partly for creative purposes, but also to take advantage of Switzerland’s more favorable tax system. The Gvasalia brothers also have hopes of turning Zurich into a fashion capital. Demna Gvasalia also remains creative director of Balenciaga, which is based in Paris.
 
Many major fashion labels have taken steps in recent months to move away from the traditional fashion calendar. New York City-based Jason Wu recently announced it would combine its collections into just two shows per year, showing its resort and spring collections as one cohesive presentation. Other New York labels like Proenza Schouler have also chosen to show their collections during Paris Couture week in July, while Tommy Hilfiger recently announced it would show its men’s and women’s collections simultaneously in London. The American sportswear brand has also experimented with the see now, buy now model for runway shows.