Guy Debord in ‘The Society of Spectacle’ has developed the notion of detour, which is ‘a way of turning spectacle back on itself and ‘revising its normal ideological functions’ As he informs that Martin Margiela could be argued for turning the rules of spectacle back on itself, referring to his shows where the models were replaced completely with ‘fashion technicians’ the catwalk had six tall white pedestals on which description of clothes was projected. The descriptions included information such as displaced shoulders etc. The written descriptions were accompanied with video shots of models wearing the clothes, to a sound of thunderous applause. At the same time there were men in white coats who demonstrated the garments by carrying them around on hangers pointing out the features. The following year for spring/ summer 1999, the designer sent the models out with pictures of models on a sandwich board rather than the models wearing the clothes.

It would not be far-fetched to say that a range of performances are exploited by designers to convey their ideas and concepts, through which each designer obtains an image. This practise can be related to the theory of signification called ‘Semiotics’. The semiotics theory claims that objects themselves are not meaningful; it is the people and the language that produce a meaning. In terms of a runway show the ambience (including sound, any sort of props, lighting, images etc) could be termed as the signifier. Whereas, the thoughts that come to the mind of the audience while watching the show could be termed as the signified. Therefore, it is the signifier and the signified that work together and produce a meaning to a runway show.

Other than shows being in a form of a movie, spectacular designers indulge in producing garments which definitely leave an impact and deliver a message, those garments are often not commercial, for example we could look at Hussein Chalyan’s 2000-01 collection, ‘Afterwords’, the designer was inspired by the refugee crisis in Kosovo. The designer wished to explore the reality of evacuation during the war through the collection. 

‘The Afterwords Collection’- included furniture which was transferable and could be carried away as clothing -referencing the nomadic existence of war-refugees. The collection was gain presented in a form of a performance. It was shown on a bare white stage set, with a living room of 1950s style chairs and tables. The idea behind the collection was of hiding personal possessions and carrying them away as clothing. At the end of the show the chair covers were taken off the chairs and worn as dresses by the models. The chairs were folded and were carried as suitcases. The most striking of all was when the last model stepped into the centre of the round table, and the table transformed into a skirt.