Fashion Runway as Choreographic Device: A Critical Analysis

Laurent Goumarre examines the relationship between fashion shows and dance, arguing that the runway is a speculative, non-discursive spectacle that fascinates choreographers. He traces historical collaborations: Régine Chopinot's 1985 "Le Défilé" with Jean-Paul Gaultier, Christian Rizzo's "100% polyester – objet dansant à définir" (1998), and Fanny de Chaillé's "Underwear, Pour une politique du défilé" (2003). Goumarre critiques de Chaillé's attempt to politicize the runway, citing fashion historian Farid Chenoune who states that fashion shows "claim nothing." He contrasts the runway's blocked movement—models walk toward a wall of photographers and flashbulbs, then turn back—with dance's desire to "break down the wall" and create a continuous crossing. He cites Steve Paxton's 1967 "Satisfying Lover" as a choreographic precedent: a march of 30–80 participants across a stage, with the verb "traverser" (to cross) repeated nineteen times, eventually standing alone as a pure act. Goumarre also notes Nadia Lauro's 2000 Dior show, where the photographer wall was removed to allow models to walk through without returning. He concludes that de Chaillé's "Underwear" failed to achieve this crossing.