The Fashion Show as Artistic Medium.

Many of the Fall/Winter 2012/2013 and Spring Summer 2013 Runway Shows have a distinctly artistic look.  Granted, the world of fashion has very often enthralled the masses with its theatrical charms - but, at this moment, there are clear-cut standouts. 

With life-size cutout figures displayed on stands, Norma Kamali's FW12/13 Collection gives the viewer a feeling of observing paper-doll fashion.

Manish Arora's FW12/13 show was presented against a backdrop of graffiti artwork in-progress.  Parisian graffiti artists Vizion, Rude, and Broke completed the scenery as the final looks began to reflect the colorful imagery.

A show-goer might think she had awakened in a retro Op Art fashion show from another planet - here at Thom Browne's SS2013 Collection.

Marc Jacob's SS2013 Louis Vuitton collection also had a contemporary Op Art appearance.  Behold this impressive escalator presentation:  Magnificent display!

Conversely, more intimate and like turning the pages of a fairytale book - are these RED Valentino FW12/13 Collection stills.  Viewing them may bring to mind Theatre De La Mode.

Tsumori Chisato's SS2013 apparel is art-to-wear - with perhaps a Peter Max similarity of line and color:

ThreeASFOUR FW12/13 presents embellishments like tatting - but magnified, and of the 21st century.  Imagine viewing this while listening to the vibrational-frequency "singing" of glass bowls - the actual introduction:

Stella Jean's SS2013 Runway Collection looks like it jumped from Frida Kahlo's paint palette.  One might imagine a cheerfully-bright and energetically-patterned Stella Jean turban or long skirt on Kahlo, or a frolicking Josephine Baker.

All photos this post - Vogue Italia Runway Collections.
Another art-lover's post here - "do you hear or feel color".