From Corsica’s La Pietra Lighthouse to Egypt’s Pyramids of Giza and China’s Great Wall, designers are redefining the runway by pairing collections with evocative landscapes. These spectacular settings deepen sartorial storytelling, turning shows by Jacquemus, Dior, Fendi, Pierre Cardin and others into immersive experiences where location, light and local culture become integral to the fashion narrative.
On June 29, 2026, Jacquemus unveiled its Spring/Summer ‘27 collection titled Le Bonheur (Happiness in French), replacing the runway for a striking coastal path to the La Pietra Lighthouse on the Mediterranean island of Corsica. Capturing the essence of summer, the collection was defined by a soft sculpturing, featuring chiffon dresses, panelled and taffeta skirts, weightless robe coats, leather trousers, and triple-organza tailoring, to name a few. These were paired with strappy sandals and freshly debuted ruched ballet flats. Ivory tones featured consistently across the collection, accentuated with shades of turquoise, burnt orange, vibrant greens, and sun-soaked yellows, juxtaposed against the carefully selected rugged earthen backdrop of the Corsican shore. For a collection inspired by the lightness of a seaside summer, the location made perfect sense.
In a world where notions of design and aesthetics are growing increasingly homogenous, designers have had to find more than one way to stand out. And while the central focus of a runway show is the clothes and accessories, the venue plays a major role in elevating the designer’s sartorial storytelling. Moving away from standard city-centre venues, several fashion labels have flown out to unconventional destinations around the world to showcase their work — this isn’t an attempt to evoke the exotic but a way to effectively communicate the tone, character, and inspiration of their collection. The transience of a runway show demands that it make an impression, and these are some of the most iconic runway show locations in the past two decades that we’ve still not forgotten.
Creative director Kim Jones took his collection Celestial to Egypt, where seventy five models walked in front of the ancient Pyramids as the setting autumn sun gradually made way for a snaking LED-lit runway amidst the tombs. Inspired by Egypt’s age-old fascination with astrology, the collection included NASA photographs and desert-inspired looks to complement the setting, metamorphosing celestial motifs and archival embroideries into looks that brought together the past and present. A blending of masculine and feminine tailoring resulted in woollen demi kilts, asymmetrical capes, sheer trailing scarves, and futuristic velcro neoprene boots. The show was closed with Max Richter’s surprise musical performance, which reinterpreted Antonio Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons (1723).
French founder-designer Simon Porte Jacquemus has proved time and again that his off-calendar runway shows deserve to be presented in the most untypical yet scenic locations. Following suit, he flew his Fall/Winter ‘22 show to the stunning white salt hills of Salin de Giraud, in the South of France. With an otherworldly pink lake visible in the horizon, his collection Le Papier (The Paper) engaged in an intimate dialogue with the hills, designed with natural fabrics in a subdued and neutral colour palette of white and beige, punctuated with hints of brown, black, and olive green. While the men’s collection featured relaxed silhouettes and utilitarian detailing with twisted white tulle on casual suits, luxe overcoats, and utilitarian cargo pants, the women’s collection offered strapped sheer dresses, crop tops, and structured suits.
Dior under Maria Grazia Chiuri presented their Cruise 2020 Collection at the 16th-century El Badi Palace in Marrakesh. Collaborating with African designers, over 110 looks were showcased as an intentional synthesis between luxury, craftsmanship, and cultural exchange. The show was also a homage to Yves Saint Laurent, a former mentee of designer Christian Dior, who considered Marrakesh a second home. Hundreds of floating candles lit up the El Badi Palace, with a long, narrow runway stretched across the courtyard, surrounded by towering ochre-red earthen walls, bathed in the hypnotic cadence of Jajouka musicians and British electronic band, The Orb. Most notably, Ivory Coast’s Uniwax reinterpreted Dior’s iconic Toile de Jouy and tarot motifs using the visual language of African fabrics.
For the 10th Anniversary show, designer Jacquemus transported his Spring/Summer ‘20 collection titled Le Coup de Soleil (The Sunburn), to the rolling lavender fields of Valensole, Provence. Having grown up an hour away in Mallemort, the choice of location suggested a homecoming for the designer. The landmark show presented both menswear and womenswear together for the first time in the label’s decade-long history. For the runway, a 500 metre fuchsia-pink carpet stretched through the lush purple lavender fields, flanked by a stunning blue sky, closely resembling a David Hockney painting. As white butterflies drifted through the fields, weaving through the models as the “tequila sunrise” moodboard-inspired looks manifested in voluminous skirts, oversized straw hats, asymmetrical draped dresses, and more.
One of the most unique and geo-culturally relevant runway shows of all time, Pierre Cardin’s Spring/Summer ‘08 show in the Singing Sand Dunes in Dunhuang, China was famously quoted by the label’s namesake designer as “showing fashion on the edge of infinity.” Located in the Gobi Desert, the rolling dunes were known to produce a musical note when swept by the wind. Cardin’s show began with models appearing one by one from behind a sand dune along a silky 280 metre long runway. Shades of white, beige, khaki, brown and black appeared across the looks, with lightning symbol motifs, Chinese dragon shaped ties, and bronze lock-inspired neckpieces — closing with a model slowly emerging on a camel in a traditional Chinese wedding gown.
Finally, no iconic runway roundup is complete without mentioning Fendi’s 80th anniversary Spring/Summer ‘08 Show at the Great Wall of China — the first ever show to be hosted at the monument. The 88-look collection was jointly designed by Karl Lagerfeld and Silvia Venturini Fendi, featuring abstract circular prints, watercolour effects, geometric patterns, and leather cut details. Some of the most memorable looks include a narrow-waisted white sculptural coatdress, a gently draped silver satin evening gown, and an open-back ivory silk dress with delicate floral appliqués. The show brought together one of the most important Chinese landmarks with fine Italian craftsmanship to create one of the most celebrated runway shows in fashion history.