It’s the closing look of a show that is relied upon to make a lasting impression. Just think of Naomi Campbell gliding down the runway in a sumptuous translucent black gown for Valentino’s spring/summer 2019 couture presentation. Visibly emotional, she stood beside Pierpaolo Piccoli as the crowd applauded and a dazzling cast of models lined up behind them wearing the designer’s ruffled creations. It was a fitting finale for a collection that put diversity, romance, and hope center stage.
Over the last few years, these are the images that have been burned into the fashion industry’s collective memory: the original 1990s supermodels reuniting at Versace’s S/S 2018 show to the strains of George Michael’s Freedom! ’90; Rihanna speeding down the catwalk on the back of a motorbike after her S/S 2018 Fenty x Puma show; Christopher Bailey taking his final bow at Burberry after Cara Delevingne closed the show in a rainbow-colored cape.
Here, Vogue looks back at the 22 most memorable runway finales of all time.
Rihanna for Fenty x Puma, spring/summer 2018 at New York Fashion Week 2017
Dior Haute Couture Collection spring/summer 1998
Donatella Versace, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Carla Bruni, Claudia Schiffer and Helena Christensen for Versace, spring/summer 2018 at Milan Fashion Week
Philipp Plein fall/winter 2014-15 at Milan Fashion Week
Dior Homme pre-fall 2019
Chanel Haute Couture spring/summer 2008 at Paris Fashion Week
Louis Vuitton Menswear fall/winter 2019-20 at Paris Fashion Week
John Galliano ready-to-wear autumn/winter 2009 at Paris Fashion Week
Alexander Mcqueen at London Fashion Week 1998
Sonia Rykiel fall/winter 2011 at Halle Freyssine, Paris
Dries Van Noten spring/summer 2015 in Paris
Virgil Abloh, Naomi Campbell at Off-white spring/summer 2018 at Paris Fashion Week
Chanel spring/summer 2019 at Paris Fashion Week
Kenzo spring/summer 2014 ready-to-wear collection.
Louis Vuitton spring/summer 2013 at Paris Fashion Week.
Stella McCartney fall/winter 2017.
Jean Paul Gaultier spring/summer 2015 at Paris Fashion Week.
Naomi Campbell, Kim Jones and Kate Moss for Louis Vuitton fall/winter 18-19 at Paris Fashion Week
Cara Delevingne at Burberry at London Fashion Week 2018
Michael Kors spring 2017 at New York Fashion Week
Vivienne Westwood spring/summer 2018 at London Fashion Week
Naomi Campbell for Valentino Haute Couture, spring 2019
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Originally published on Vogue.in