A Fashion Show Invite Is The Coolest Fashion Merch You Can Get

We have come a long way from the time when fashion shows were just the creme de la creme of society attending parades of designer’s latest collections at their stores. You could even argue that fashion shows today are everything beyond just the clothes. In an era where everything is scrutinized down to the last detail, even the set design - or lack of it- could trigger a whole discourse in the industry (if you know what I mean). Today, a fashion show is not just a display of the best and the latest in fashion, it’s a complete, curated experience, starting from the first point of contact - the invitation.

Some arrive as objets d’art, others as outright outrageous product placements, but every single one is a little souvenir that you can keep with yourself forever. Or maybe cook for your next meal. If anything, it’s great marketing. Fashion social media laps it up. Or, like Dior's latest show invites (which included the green chains attendees would be sitting on), they are a little clue, a teaser to what the show would be like. Below, we curated some of the most interesting invites we have seen in the recent years. 

The Balenciaga Energy Bars

Under Demna, Balenciaga often took the crown for being viral-worthy in general, and their invitations were no exception. For its first show in Los Angeles in 2023, the brand handed out fake energy bars as invites. The energy bars featured, instead of nutritional information, details about the brand’s history and the milestone of its first-ever show in Los Angeles.

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The Dior Eggs

For Jonathan Anderson’s debut menswear show, the invite were three eggs (not real) attached to a white plate. Eggs were Christian Dior's favourite food, and the new invitations were a tribute to the legendary designer.

The Diesel Condom

So yeah, you read that right. Obviously, this move is an advertisement disguised as an invite. Diesel, in keeping with its rebellious image, collaborated with Durex to create the condom invitations for their Fall/Winter 2023 Show.

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The Water-reactive Invite at Rains

For their Spring Summer '24 invitation, guests received a plain white sheet of paper. But when you held it under water, it gave way into the show details. A pretty smart tactic for a house named Rains and a collection named Drenched, I would say.

The Jacquemus Bread-and-butter

Jacquemus sent out an encased piece of toast (completely real and very much edible), bread knife, and dab of butter with printed brand logo for an event held at Galerie Lafayette in 2023. Additionally, there was a pack of cookable Jacquemus letter pasta for its Como performance.

The Fendi Pasta

Fendi’s Spring/Summer 2021 invitation arrived as a pack of Rummo pasta. Rather than presenting guests with another precious keepsake, the brand opted for something grounded and domestic, tapping into the wave where fashion seemed increasingly fascinated with food culture.

The Louis Vuitton Board Games

For their Spring summer 22 show, Louis Vuitton’s invitations were a literal stack of cards, bear pong, and a puzzle. Pharrel would return to the concept of board games again, with the dice invites for the Spring Summer ‘26 show, and a whole set inspired by snakes and ladders for the same collection.

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