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Anthony Vaccarello’s latest show for Saint Laurent divided opinions, with the pros and cons often falling along gender lines. Male critics praised the singularity of Vaccarello’s vision of noirish after-dark glamour. Female writers pointed out the near impossibility of wearing such sheer clothes anywhere but a runway.
As Barbara Kruger so succinctly put it in 1989, our bodies are a battleground. Clearly, in this case, a little controversy was good for the numbers: Saint Laurent tops Vogue Runway’s ranking of the most-viewed shows this season.
A little controversy may also have helped Guram Gvasalia, whose Vetements collection, ninth on the list, seemed mostly about sibling rivalry (the Marcia Cross cameo might’ve given Vetements a boost too). His brother Demna’s Balenciaga show is at number eight.
Fashion loves a debut, especially a successful one, and Chemena Kamali’s universally praised launch collection for Chloé landed the brand on our list for the first time ever. As Sarah Mower put it in her review, there’s no better person for the job; given Kamali’s previous experience at the label (under Phoebe Philo and Clare Waight Keller), “it flowed naturally, not like a designer dutifully ticking boxes for a house entrance exam.”
People sometimes argue that there’s nothing new in fashion, but our list says differently. Five of the 10 brands didn’t make the cut last season — that’s a first. And that’s not the only record broken: the ranking has never been majority women-led brands before.
Stella McCartney, another list newcomer in the 10th spot, had Paul and Ringo in her front row, the celebrity gets of the season. That may have juiced her numbers, but I like to think it was her climate change manifesto that garnered her all the attention. She enlisted Olivia Colman and Helen Mirren to represent Mother Earth in a voiceover played during the show (“Do you still love me? I need you to show it”).
See the top 10 most-viewed shows of the season below.
10. Stella McCartney, rank last season: new entry
Photo: Isidore Montag/Gorunway.com
9. Vetements, rank last season: new entry
Photo: Umberto Fratini/Gorunway.com
8. Balenciaga, rank last season: new entry
Photo: Isidore Montag/Gorunway.com
7. Louis Vuitton, rank last season: new entry
Photo: Umberto Fratini/Gorunway.com
6. Chloé, rank last season: new entry
Photo: Carla Scarpato/Gorunway.com
Photo: Umberto Fratini/Gorunway.com
4. Miu Miu, rank last season: 9
Photo: Daniele Oberrauch/Gorunway.com
3. Prada, rank last season: 1
Photo: Isidore Montag/Gorunway.com
2. Chanel, rank last season: 8
Photo: Umberto Fratini / Gorunway.com
Photo: Alessandro Lucioni/Gorunway.com
