Catwalk shows transcend the domain of fashion. They offer an immersive experience that highlights artistry in every detail, from environments to set design to soundtracks that capture a collection’s spirit. With the Fall/Winter 2026 collections upon us, we’re shining a spotlight on the creative minds behind these legendary events — scene-setters as responsible for fashion-show virality as the clothes.
Bureau Betak
After 30 years in the business, Bureau Betak remains at the forefront of event production while pushing boundaries in sustainable creativity — its ‘ten commandments’ manifesto emphasises upcycling and a ban on single-use plastic. Founded by fashion and furniture designer Alexandre de Betak and now run by Benedicte Fournier, Paco Raynal and Guillaume Troncy, it harnesses architecture and art to produce pure theatre while weaving poignant narratives. See Bottega Veneta’s S/S 23 show, with candy-coloured seating by Gaetano Pesce; or the Valentino S/S 25 space, where antiques were disguised with ghostly throw-sheets. Even back in 2016, when the Dior Cruise show took over Antti Lovag’s Palais Bulles, the company was raising the backdrop bar. Valentino’s S/S 26 Haute Couture Specula Mundi collection was last month’s most reposted show: Team Betak reproduced a life-sized 19th-century Kaiserpanorama with eye-level holes for guests to peep through. It made for irresistible drama while honouring the label’s founder, who’d passed away a week earlier.
Focus Group
Focus operates at the heart of New York‘s slick, tailored fashion scene, and in eight years has made itself known for slick, tailored set-design in support. Founded by Dominic Kaffka and part of the IMG group, it’s is a top player at New York Fashion Week with clients like Toteme, Proenza Schouler and Altuzarra, creating evocative backdrops that just about stop short of stealing the show. Among its most extraordinary achievements are Jason Wu’s S/S 20 runway, with catwalk landscaping inspired by the beach scene in Tulum, Mexico, and his S/S 26 show, which put a wildly coloured Robert Rauschenberg artwork, ‘A Quake in Paradise (Labyrinth)’ at centre stage.
Villa Eugénie
With 1,000 shows under his belt and counting, Etienne Russo has crafted showspaces for fashion’s biggest names. Beginning his career as a model himself, the Belgian founded Villa Eugénie in the 1990s, in the heyday of the Antwerp Six: game-changing designers like Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noten, and Walter Van Beirendonck. Responsible for their memorable early shows, Russo took on the rest of Europe to fashion environments for Ferragamo, Miu Miu, Lanvin and particularly Karl Lagerfeld — his creative vision helped redefine Chanel’s contemporary image by recreating a supermarket, an oversized ice cube, rocketship, casino and an entire alpine village.
La Mode en Images
If you ever wondered who was behind those eerie robotic dogs on Coperni’s S/S 23 catwalk, we’ll tell you: it was La Mode en Images, Parisian creatives working out of the communication powerhouse Mazarine Group. They’ve been top players in set design for more than 40 years, dreaming up immersive productions with a pool of 90 talents based all over the world. The studio conjures whimsical worlds that incorporate fine art, architecture and zeitgeisty imagery, transforming runways into immersive theatre. Without La Mode, Balenciaga‘s models would have had no mud to trudge through at its S/S 23 Paris show.
Playlab Inc
Known for set-construction rather than all-round vision, Playlab summons irreverent, kaleidoscopic worlds that bridge fashion with bold experimentation and fun, befitting of its name. Founded in 2009 by Archie Lee Coates IV and Jeff Franklin, both with backgrounds in architecture, the Los Angeles outfit has remained relevant by consistently pushing boundaries and materials to their fullest expression. More than fashion shows, the partners also do film backdrops, music videos and retail sets, gaining global recognition for their collaboration with the late Virgil Abloh. Along with La Mode en Images, they’ve worked on some iconic Louis Vuitton menswear presentations, building a supersized toy-car racetrack in canary yellow for the house’s S/S 23 menswear extravaganza that made fashion look so damned fun.
