SAINT LAURENT IS DRIVING RUNWAY DESIGN FORWARD.
HERE'S WHY
Photo Zoe Joubert, Courtesy of Bureu Betak
21 jun 2023, for frame
Location
Potsdamer Str. 50, 10785 Berlin, Germany
Design, Production
Brand
Held in an architectural icon in Berlin, Saint Laurent's SS24 menswear show triggered emotions using a minimalistic installation and cutting-edge lighting.
Saint Laurent (YSL) hosted its Bureau Betak-produced SS24 menswear show at Berlin’s Neue Nationalgalerie, a landmark designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in 1968 that was recently renovated by 2023 Pritzker Architecture Prize laureate David Chipperfield. A lightbox fusing the idea of an abstract sun and a large-scale studio light took centre stage outside the building, glowing as dusk approached. The installation – built specifically for the fashion show – blended into the architectural scene seamlessly, as if it was a part of the Chipperfield renovation. Its artificial sunlight accentuated the collection’s slender, strong-shouldered silhouettes; the garments, appropriately, are inspired by van der Rohe’s famous ‘form follows function’ philosophy, deviating from unnecessary ornamentation and embellishment. YSL’s guests were seated on Barcelona ottomans, also conceived by the architect for the Barcelona Pavilion in 1929.
FRAME’s take
This is not the first time Saint Laurent has amplified the emotional impact of runway design. Last year, for its SS23 presentation, the brand set up show in the Agafay desert near Marrakech, providing one of the most poetic spatial experiences in recent fashion history. Saint Laurent sought a totally different, yet equally evocative, location for the SS24 collection this year. Neue Nationalgalerie sits in an area that could be described as an ‘urban desert’. With its sparse surroundings, this urban counterpart offers a sense of emptiness amid a bustling city, much like the barrenness of a natural desert, yet with great modernist architecture. The unique juxtaposition amplifies the sense of space and gave the audience the impression that they were in a fashion oasis amid the city sprawl.
An integral part of this experiential set-up was the brilliant use of the light installation outside the building which was not only innovative in the context of fashion sets, but deepened the architectural icon’s emotional power. By creating these deeply atmospheric spatial experiences, Saint Laurent does not merely showcase clothing collections but establishes a dialogue between garments and their surroundings, allowing the audience engage with the brand's vision in a holistic, immersive and emotional way.