The emotion hits before the first look does.
Fashion shows don’t become unforgettable by accident.
Behind every immersive runway moment is a team of set designers and production agencies, shaping the space, the pace, and the emotion; often without being seen. Think Bureau Betak, La Mode en Images, or Villa Eugenie: the creative minds who turn empty rooms into full experiences.
And to be clear: this isn’t about aesthetics alone. Beautiful runways, striking chairs, impressive décor; those deserve a category of their own. What we’re talking about here goes further. These are shows that feel pulled from a dream, a mirage, a memory. Spaces that don’t just frame the clothes, but shift your mood, slow you down and finally pull you in.
At KHAMSA, we’re drawn to shows that do more than look good, the kind you feel in your chest before you can explain it. That subtle je ne sais quoi that stays long after the lights go out.
So just before fashion week begins, here’s our roundup of 10 fashion show sets we love.
١. “Le Coup de Soleil” by Jacquemus – SS20/21
Set among the lavender fields of Valensole, Provence, you could almost smell this runway. On paper, it’s disarmingly simple, yet it speaks volumes. The colors, the textures, the heat, the lavender field: everything is somewhat studied to pull you straight into the countryside. It’s total immersion.
This is where Jacquemus excels. One glance at the set and you know immediately who it belongs to. Designed by Bureau Betak, this show feels effortless yet deeply intentional. Proof that simplicity, when done right, can be the most powerful statement of all. And without question, a personal favorite!
٢. “Chanel Shopping Center” by Chanel – FW14/15
The Chanel Supermarket show is the kind of moment that happens once and instantly enters fashion history. Created by Bureau Betak for Karl Lagerfeld, it transformed the runway into a full-scale supermarket, where models casually shopped mid-walk.
Every detail was thought through: Chanel-branded groceries like “Coco Pops” and “Délice de Gabrielle”, shopping baskets stamped with the logo, even accessories mimicking everyday food items. The concept spilled seamlessly into the collection itself, blurring the line between luxury and the mundane.
٣. Louis Vuitton – SS13/14
Following the shopping-centre fantasy, this show took immersion to another level. Guests walked in to find four fully working escalators rising from the middle of the Louvre, wrapped in oversized black-and-white checkerboard panels, glossy checkered floors, and a ceiling shining with little spots as a sky full of stars. Instantly surreal. Instantly transportive.
The energy felt straight out of the sixties: in the mood, the palette, the graphic checks. Models descended in pairs, perfectly coordinated, their looks echoing one another and the rhythm of the set itself. Presented under Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton, the collection unfolded like a moving scene rather than a traditional runway. Brought to life by La Mode en Images, it was bold, cinematic, and flawlessly executed–proof that a set can carry the entire narrative.
٤. FENDI – FW16/17
Karl Lagarfeld hits again. The Fendi Fall 2016 Couture show is pure fashion mythology. Few places carry as much emotional weight as the Trevi Fountain – and Fendi didn’t try to compete with it. They simply let it speak.
Models walked across a transparent glass runway stretched over the fountain, creating the illusion of walking on water. Almost unreal, some would say: A Miracle! The setup was minimal, restrained, and impossibly powerful. A reminder that when the setting is this iconic, less isn’t just more, it’s everything.
٥. Dior Menswear – SS23
This one felt like stepping straight into a dream. Two houses stood at opposite ends of the runway, evoking a quiet, pastoral fantasy — somewhere between Little House on the Prairie and cinematic escapism — connected by a garden in full bloom.
Models moved from one home to the other, walking across real grass, weaving through bursts of colorful flowers under a perfectly clear blue sky. Everything unfolded slowly, softly, almost unreal. Poetic without being precious, immersive without excess. Conceived under Kim Jones and brought to life by Bureau Betak, the set blurred the line between runway and film.
٦. Balenciaga – FW22/23
I’ve rarely watched a show that made me feel so many things at once. Sadness, fear, tenderness, anger, relief; all colliding during Balenciaga FW22–23.
It begins in complete darkness. No visuals, no distraction, just a voice reading a Ukrainian poem about love and peace. The silence is heavy. Then the space opens onto a vast arena: a circular runway covered in falling snow. Models emerge slowly, pushing forward against the storm.
Conceived by Demna, the show was dedicated to Ukraine. A statement of resistance, fearlessness, and belief in love over violence. Stripped of spectacle yet overwhelming in impact, it didn’t just move the audience. It stayed with us. For many, it hit uncomfortably close to home.
٧. DSQUARED – FW25/26
For FW25, Dsquared2 turned the runway into full-scale performance. Celebrating 30 years of the house, Dean Caten and Dan Caten staged a gritty, high-energy New York night scene: part underground club, part street block party #Studio54.
Vintage limos, yellow cabs, and patrol cars set the tone as models arrived like characters rather than looks. From Doechii opening from an armored truck to Naomi Campbell’s commanding walk, the show felt loud, lived-in, and unapologetically bold. Less a runway, more a night you were pulled into.
٨. “Day of Victory” by Casablanca – SS24
Day of Victory for Casablanca Spring–Summer 2024 unfolded as a tribute to movement, colour, and collective optimism. Drawing inspiration from Nigeria’s cultural vitality, the show translated energy into a layered atmosphere.
Much like shifting landscapes across the Sahara, the set and collection moved through tones, moods, and rhythms, echoing the richness of African art, music, and film. It wasn’t about literal references, but about exchange — a meeting point between Casablanca’s universe and a vision of Nigeria driven by youth, momentum, and belief in what’s ahead. A show rooted in admiration, forward motion, and the promise of a future in expansion.
٩. “The Loubi Show VI” by Louboutin – 25
For a new chapter of the Loubi Show, Christian Louboutin reunites with David LaChapelle and Blanca Li, imagining a world where art and athleticism continuously collide.
The performance unfolds as a series of striking tableaux, introducing the iconic Cassia line as it expands into a full ballet-inspired collection. Set somewhere between high-gloss sports spectacle and American fantasy, the show feels playful, stylized, and surreal as if every athlete on the field were a Louboutin-clad muse.
١٠. Maison Margiela Artisanal Collection – 24
Last but not least, the Maison Margiela Artisanal 2024 show, led by John Galliano, felt less like a presentation and more like slipping into a nocturnal Parisian dream. Set beneath the Pont Alexandre III by moonlight, the space came alive with shadows, fog, and reflections from the Seine — a version of Paris that feels hidden, fragile, and deeply cinematic.
Every element worked in quiet harmony: the haunting soundscape, the lighting, and the porcelain-doll makeup by Pat McGrath, which rendered the models almost unreal, suspended in time. The atmosphere was raw, intimate, and emotionally charged, as if the garments themselves were the thread stitching together memory, place, and feeling. Also the fact that the silhouettes reminded us of Mr Pearl’s silhouettes, made the whole experience mesmerizing from start to finish.
If there’s one thing these shows remind us of, it’s that fashion doesn’t start or end with the clothes. The sets, the spaces, the worlds built around them are often what stay with us longest. They’re the moments that make our stomach drop, our breath slow, our mind wander.
As fashion week approaches, we’re excited for what’s next for the emotions & the surprises escapes still waiting to unfold.
And honestly? Sometimes we catch ourselves more impatient to see the sets than the collections themselves. If that’s wrong, we’re happy to stay guilty.
