The Ten Most 'Oh Ma Gawd!' Runway Moments

The world of fashion may seem all glitz and glamour, but the click-clack of heels down the runway is nothing without its scandal and shock.

Vivienne Westwood has become known for her challenging and innovative fashion that continues to challenge normal conventions with every year. The location is Paris, 1993 and as rising star Naomi Campbell hits every beat down the runway, disaster strikes. One misplaced foot later and the supermodel becomes a super noodle, hunched on the floor with a shocked grin plastered across her face. That day will go down alongside the phone throwing incident as one of Campbell’s most defining.

Sisters who fall together stay together seems to be a staple mantra in the fashion industry, at least as far as the Hadid sisters are concerned. As Gigi began her attack on the runway during Anna Sui’s 2018 show, the strap of her stiletto began to unravel. Although this wasn’t one of the displayed features of the shoe, what it did show is Gigi’s great display of professionalism and overall fierceness. In fact, many onlookers hadn’t even noticed the mishap as Gigi kept her composure during the walk. It was only when sister Bella acted as a crutch, did the everyone finally realise what had happened. Funnily enough this echo’s Bella’s own fall from grace in 2017 during Michael Kors. As the sister approached the catwalk corner in a gorgeous embellished dress she, unfortunately, fell to her knees, tweeting later that day “Guys, I am a professional break dancer now, I forgot to tell you”.

“Have you ever wondered if there was more to life, other than being really, really, ridiculously goodlooking?” Because after Valentino’s 2015 show it is no longer in question. Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson showcased ‘real modelling’ in what was a genius marketing tool for the upcoming Zoolander 2. It was no surprise that the occasion went viral and was sure to bring extra attention to Valentino’s lace dresses that appeared just before the actor’s arrival.

Every year us common folk lay sprawled across our beds eating ice cream as we delve into that year’s instalment of the Victoria Secret show. The 2002 show, however, had some surprise guests on stage who were not the usual aesthetic Victoria Secret presented. Four women representing PETA (People for the ethical treatment of animals) stormed the stage with signs that read “Gisele: Fur scum”. This uninvited intrusion came after Gisele had starred in an advertisement for Mink coats. While Tyra Banks would have been the star of the night with her Flamenco dance number, the show will always be known for those four angry PETA members.

The all-knowing entity Google says that “Good girls go to heaven and bad girls make you feel like you’re in heaven” and as history shows us, there is no one as bad as Kate Moss. Moss has always been something of a bad girl, and even at 16 she was described as a “dirty realist”. Despite her rebellious nature it was shocking to see Moss spark a cigarette during her assault on the catwalk. The show was centred around the idea of ‘freedom of choice” and so as the trolls continued to display their disgust, designer Marc Jacobs revelled in his genius message. With the theme of the show put aside this was still a grungy display of ‘badassery’, something moss has become the poster child of.

Every year, French fashion dynasty Chanel continues to top the previous year’s fashion show. Their catwalks have transcended mere fashion shows and have become living art exhibitions that often capture the hearts and minds of its audience. When you have staged your show in a makeshift rocket silo and grocery store where is left to sashay down the runway. Well, this year Chanel was inspired by mother nature herself; as they recreated something from a fairytale inside the Grand Palais. With the floor littered with leaves and invitations to match, the front row would not be ‘leafing’ soon (Pardon the pun). The fashion itself was quintessential Chanel, with bulky coats and elbow length gloves being showcased to the max. Set your alarm clocks ladies and gentleman because if there is one thing we should be waiting for it’s the next Chanel show.

Another member of fashion royalty, McQueen destroyed the conventions of fashion year on year until his sad passing in 2010. Making huge historical statements was McQueen’s forte and there was no more shocking than his depiction of Joan of Arc in 1998. As the floor was ignited to form a circle around what could only be a very nervous model, crowds were said to be in total silence at the spectacle before them. Combing the themes of sex and female empowerment were staple McQueen aspects that continue to drive the fashion house into the future. There were so many shows to choose from but the use of pyrotechnics display what it truly takes to remain etched into the minds of fashions elite.

Now we couldn’t discuss shocking runway moments without noting the impressive ‘fashuns’ that prance down the runway of the popular reality show. The most shocking moment came in season four when frontrunner Willam Belli was disqualified just after hurling to stage right. Since her exit there has been an air of mystery around “what did Willam do” and it is only this month that light has finally been shed. In a twitter exchange with comedian Leslie Jones, Willam spilt the T on exactly what went down all those years ago. In a series of screenshots, Willam Explains the numerous occasions the powers that be and herself came to blows. To paraphrase a long situation, it seems that Willam was removed from the show after standing up for what she thought was right. Read the screenshots here.

Anna Wintour move aside because fashion has a new matriarch. This year, At a Richard Quinn show, the utopian hierarchy of the front row was shifted with the new ‘IT’ girl, none other than Queen Elizabeth herself. Cosying up next to the Vogue Editor in chief, onlookers couldn’t help but hope the famous words of “oooh cows” would spill from her majesty’s mouth. Her baby blue dress by Angela Kelly had the audience questioning whether she would be appearing as a model herself, unfortunately, this was not the case (Although there is always next year). This rare occasion is one the fashion community and the world will hold dear to their hearts forever. Long live the Queen.

No, this statement was not in relation to Hillary Clinton’s email scandal but instead took place on cycle four of Americas Next Top Model. Although not strictly a catwalk moment it did appear on a runway so I am letting it slide. After supermodel and host Tyra Banks ever so slowly revealed the names of the girls who would remain in the competition, she then shocked the world with a surprise double elimination. If that wasn’t enough to have you ‘gagging’ then you simply had to wait for a few more uncomfortable moments as the wannabe models said their goodbyes. Tyra expressed her “admiration” for Rebecca’s show of emotion but the mood turned sour when addressing Tiffany. The following rant of a lifetime has inspired memes for over a decade and is still used when someone just needs to say… “BE QUIET TIFFANY”.

So, now you are educated on the shocking moments in fashion history, keep your eyes open for future noteworthy events. Somethings to keep an open mind about are: General falling in any context, shock eliminations, surprise front-row guests and location, location, location!

Curation and words by Kieran Galpin