Construction site alert! Or when fashion changes scenery

"There has been a real trend in recent years to exploit raw spaces where there are only load-bearing walls and nothing else," Rod Reynolds, a space hunter who heads the company Records Collection, told AFP.

Since 2017, he has been finding unusual locations for brands like Chloé, Victoria Beckham, and Stella McCartney. Among his loyal clients is the Dries Van Noten label.

On Thursday evening, in the middle of men's fashion week, the Belgian brand presented its collection on the first floor of a building under construction, south of Paris - a location discovered by Rod Reynolds.

A few days earlier, the space was just an empty 1.500 m³ platform, 80 meters long and five meters high, with exposed concrete beams, damaged walls and a cracked floor.

On the day, there was not much to see. Large black curtains had been hung on either side, one covering the windows, the other delineating the backstage area. Two rows of chairs lined the stage, and spotlights hung from the ceiling.

The irregularities in the ground, however, persist. "Watch out for the holes!" warns one of the guests.

Aesthetics and efficiency

Since Covid, demand for these types of spaces has "exploded," says Rod Reynolds. A view shared by his colleague Benjamin Roussel, founder of Subspaces, created in 2024.

Last June, he made available a parking lot awaiting conversion for the fashion show of Israeli designer Hed Mayner.

According to them, the success of these austere sets lies as much in their aesthetics as in their effectiveness. With this "very stripped-down imagery, the creations are highly valued," explains Rod Reynolds. "What's really appealing is the contrast between the pristine cleanliness and something a little dirty, a little raw," adds Benjamin Roussel. And there's a practical advantage: locations without pre-existing sets, therefore without significant constraints.

They are also less expensive. "Compared to the Palais Brongniart (which hosts the Hermès fashion show on Saturday, editor's note), which has a similar capacity of 500 to 600 people, we are half the price," explains the specialist.

Rates range from 8.000 to 13.000 euros per day, excluding production costs, "but in the end, it remains cheaper," he assures.

"Fundamental theatricality"

For the past two and a half years, the real estate company Covivio has been offering buildings under construction or unoccupied for rent, a way of increasing their value while awaiting their transformation.

Dries Van Noten was their first client. In April 2023, the Belgian designer—who has since left the brand—visited one of their buildings. He fell in love with this former Orange telecoms building. He decided to "create a collection entirely inspired by the building's facade and to hold his fashion show there" in June, recalls Céline Leonardi, the real estate company's marketing and customer experience director.

Since then, the company has opened other venues, such as a former postal sorting center built in the 1900s in the heart of Paris, which has hosted 23 fashion shows in a year and a half. The French brand AMI organized a concert there for its January 2025 show, and Lacoste installed sand, tennis nets, and giant screens during Fashion Week in October 2024.

For sociologist Émilie Coutant, this trend is part of a continuum. "Margiela had a show in a metro station, John Galliano on the roundabouts of the Pont Alexandre-III... The location has always been a key element of the show," she points out.

Fashion shows are based on a "fundamental theatricality" which requires designers to "reinvent themselves by seeking out new venues," she points out.

A dynamic further removed from the giants of luxury: while Matthieu Blazy at Chanel recently staged his Métiers d'art show in the New York subway, his haute couture collection will return to the Grand Palais next week. At Dior, Jonathan Anderson will present his collection in the gardens of the Rodin Museum, following in the footsteps of his predecessor, Maria Grazia Chiuri.