The experiential shows are becoming increasingly popular in the fashion world. The fashion industry is changing from season to season, so it cannot resist the modern ways of how things can be showcased. Using performance makes it possible not only to advertise the collection for commercial goals, but  invite viewers and customers to a wider cultural dialogue, and change the catwalk from passive to inclusive.

We all remember Lee Alexander McQueen, who brought robotics to the runway and pushed the boundaries of what a fashion show could be.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia, the largest fashion week in Russia and CIS, is no longer an exception, as a trend for the theatrical has come to Moscow catwalks as well.

Tigran Avetisyan & glo

The last day of MBFW Russia finished with a performance. Collaboration of the glo brand  and Tigran Avetisyan, a Saint Martins graduate and LVMH scholarship holder, combined fashion and art in a new format.

During the performance show, art objects appeared on the catwalk instead of a collection of clothes. White towers of geometric shapes were installed on the catwalk. Plastic buckets of paint were standing nearby.  A performance was staged by a theater director, and the designer himself created the sculptures right in front of the audience: he poured cubes with multi-colored elastic expansion foam, which tends to swell 15-20 times - as if it was a living substance. So in just a few minutes, the designer created several sculptures.  Metal plates on the top of the exhibits showed their descriptions. 


As part of the collaboration, Tigran Avetisyan created accessories for the glo brand in his peculiar style  - these are cases and bags with an external pocket for the device, which have become part of art objects. 

The designer for the first time acted as a performer,  challenging himself, being inspired by the philosophy of the glo, which encourages to do what you have not tried before,  implement bold ideas and go beyond borders - “Today I Will”.

ARTIS PROJECT

On October 16 and 17, the first performance of ARTIS PROJECT (a noncommercial organization for promotion of modern art) took place at the Manege hall.  Its main theme was dedicated to conscious consumption and environmentally friendly production of clothing. 

The girl’s meditative cutting of a colorful paper waterfall from a canvas, as if continuing her dress and reproducing the plot of Lost Unity 2 by Lia Safina, was a mesmerizing sight that made MBFW Russia visitors stop and think of what, in addition to taste preferences and brands, determines their choice of clothes.

Fashion Shows’  Mediatisation

We can’t help but mention an active mediated participation of guests during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia events. The life of catwalk shows and performances is now extended by  both the professional   media, as well as user-generated social media platforms.  The audience, not actually present at the shows, is involved in the process through mediatisation, which is now an integral part of the modern fashion world.