The most viral fashion shows of the FW23 season

"Is the sky blue?" Asked a voice during the Courrèges show to a group of alienated models who didn't look up from their phones. Many members of the audience didn't take any notice either. And the fact is that, in the hands of those interested in recording or taking photos of the show to - most probably, publish them on social media afterwards - the front row - as usual - was full of mobile phones.

The influence of social media on fashion shows

The undisputed viral moment of the fashion year 2022 was the Coperni SS23 show during which a dress was painted on model Bella Hadid's body in real time.

In the days following the show, searches for Coperni increased by 3,000 percent, making it the most searched brand of the fashion weeks held in September. Since then, the fashion world has shown its collections through particularly eye-catching shows with which it has demonstrated not only its intention to differentiate itself, but also having taken good note of the elements that work on Instagram or TikTok.

Social media have evolved as consumer models have changed and have become a key element in how markets develop. In addition, they have also begun to have a strong influence on consumer decisions. Therefore, as going viral translates into impact, brands are giving their all to achieve it.

Heliot Emil’s Man on Fire

In true Hunger Games style, in the middle of the FW23 'Connected Forms' fashion show presented by Heliot Emil in Paris, a model engulfed in flames appeared on the stage and set the label's social networks on fire.

You can watch the fashion show below.:

source: Heliot Emil FW23 show in Paris, by Entertainment 26 via Youtube.

Although they have shared each and every one of the up to 35 looks in their collection in the form of a social media post, the look that they chose to share through a reel was their 'Man on Fire' look. The video of the look has reached over 1.2 million views and more than 34k likes (as of the date of publication).

In addition, those present at the show, who were required to wear a strict black dress code, were quick to post their own videos of the fashion moment on their personal profiles. Something that the brand itself made sure to highlight on its own profile. This made the look go viral, as many of the guests were influencers.

Avavav blows itself to smithereens

Hailing from Milan, but presented in the context of the Parisian fashion week celebrations, we couldn't miss the opportunity to mention Avavav. Based in Florence and Stockholm, the brand defines itself as "creatively designed and consciously produced".

The title of its fall/winter 2023 collection was already a declaration of intent against the fashion industry as we know it: 'Fake It Till You Break It'. Visually speaking, this translated into the most literal version of the word 'break', with garments that were torn to pieces on the catwalk.

As if that wasn't enough, when creative director Beate Karlsson took the stage at the end of the show, the wall collapsed behind her, revealing what looks like a clandestine textile factory, a reference to fast fashion.

Anrealage's colour-changing collection

Tokyo-based fashion label Anrealage presented a versatile collection made of UV-sensitive fabrics that changed colour in real time. The show notes detail the duality of the collection, stating: "Two equal worlds. Two different worlds. How we see the world. How they see the world. They dress the same. But not the same"

You can watch the fashion show below.:

Source: Anrealage via Youtube.

Each of the 21 looks that have shaped the FW23 collection have been shared in individual reels that in less than five days - at the time of writing - have reached over 326k views and 17.7k likes.

Coperni’s robot dogs

Coperni, who set the bar very high last season, didn't want to be absent from this list. They chose to include several robot dogs in their FW23 show, which interacted with the models before they stepped onto the catwalk.

Coperni's fashion show recap featuring the robotic dogs, has accumulated over 354k views on Instagram and 16.7k likes at the time of writing.

This same video on YouTube barely exceeds 1000 views and has 31 likes, which shows that the forms, but especially the formats, of consumption have changed and nowadays a viral moment is achieved in short and vertical format, something that the leading global audiovisual platform has taken into account by introducing the 'shorts' to its platform to compete with TikTok and Instagram's 'reels'.

You can watch the fashion show below:

Source: Coperni, via Youtube.

This article was originally published on FashionUnited.ES. Translation and editing from Spanish into English: Veerle Versteeg.