How the front row becomes a meme

Never has the front row of the fashion shows been so filled with celebrities and familiar faces as at this last MFW. Perhaps it's the effect of the writers' and actors' strike that has limited the Hollywood elite's ability to attend public events, but Milan Fashion Week has turned into an opportunity for stars to meet, be seen, revive their popularity and at the same time increase the hype around the brand of which they are guests. It was enough to flank Rosalia and Kylie Jenner at Prada or gather a group of enthusiastic models and actresses like Kate Moss and Demi Moore at Fendi to give rise to memes and viral videos that are among the most memorable moments of the last seven days in Milan. It is not so easy to attract the attention of society and magazines by inviting the right celebrity. It is not enough to make a list of who is the coolest or most popular at the moment. Making a front row is almost an art form, a delicate and fragile balance that, if disturbed, can end collaboration, give rise to harsh criticism and even trigger diplomatic crises that can affect future working relationships. Remember Law Roach leaving the Louis Vuitton fashion show in a huff after being denied a front row seat next to Zendaya?

A brief history of the front row

Dior by Mak Shaw

Dior by Mak Shaw

Dior by Mak Shaw

As long as there have been catwalks, there have been front rows. But it wasn't until the 1920s that Coco Chanel, Madeleine Vionnet and Elsa Schiaparelli began inviting celebrities to their fashion shows. in 1947, Christian Dior opened the door for the first time to photographers to immortalise guests like Harper's Bazaar editors Marie Louise Bousquet and Carmel Snow or Princess Margaret applauding his models. This officially began the Front Row culture that exploded in the following decades. Legendary are the Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Cardin shows in the 1960s, where Barbra Streisand, Marlene Dietrich, Catherine Deneuve and Bianca Jagger sat on the ground floor; those of Halston in the 1970s, who could count on the support of his Studio 54 friends like Marisa Berenson and Lauren Hatton; or the Valentino shows in the 1980s, where Andy Warhol and Brooke Shields sat in the front row. From the 1990s to the 2000s, the number of celebrities who were regulars at the fashion shows grew. Who doesn't remember Paris Hilton texting with her inseparable chihuahua Tinkerbell, or the Olsen twins studying Marc Jacobs' collections before founding The Row?

I front row più indimenticabili di sempre

Il front row più iconico di sempre? Anna Wintour e la regina Elisabetta II da Richard Quinn nel febbraio 2018 durante la LFW. Due Queen sedute vicine ad ammirare gli abiti sfilare. Continuando a parlare di reali, resta nella storia della moda la principessa Margaret che si godeva una sfilata di Christian Dior al Blenheim Palace nel 1954. E come non citare Catherine Deneuve da Yves Saint Laurent nel 1967,  Andy Warhol e Bianca Jagger che sostenevano Carolina Herrera nel 1981 o Hubert de Givenchy che invitava Audrey Hepburn nel 1986 a prendergli la mano. Facendo un salto in avanti nel tempo fino ai primi anni 2000, chi non ricorda il cast di Sex and the City da Narciso Rodriguez nel 2002, Mary-Kate e Ashley Olsen da Marc Jacobs, molto prima di diventare guru della moda minimalista con il loro The Row. Altri momenti cult Lana Del Rey, alexa Chung e Kate Moss per la SS2013 di Mulberry, Baby North West, in braccio a mamma Kim Kardashian, che ha conquistato un ambito posto accanto ad Anna Wintour durante la New York Fashion Week FW15, esperienza già fatta prima dall'adorabile Harper Beckham che a due anni, in braccio a papà David, sedeva naturalmente in prima fila allo show Victoria Beckham FW14.

The difference between the various rows of a fashion show

If you're not in the first three rows at a Fashion Week show, you might as well stay home, says fashion pr-queen Kelly Cutrone. But even in this microcosm there is a hierarchy that must be respected, a precarious power system that, by assigning a particular chair, also seems to pass judgement on the worth and work of those who occupy it. The first row is, of course, the Holy Grail, the Privé, reserved for the crème de la crème of the fashion world, evenly divided between the most important fashion editors like Anna Wintour or Cathy Horyn and the most popular celebrities and influencers of the moment. The second row is for the slightly less important, such as fashion magazine editors, deputy editors of international fashion magazines and the partners and children of celebrities. The third row is occupied by high-profile designers and influential buyers. From the fourth row onwards, what could be called the Siberia of fashion begins.

The art of front row

We have said it before: finding the formula for the perfect first row is an art. It's a tricky game of chess, and if you don't make the right move or allocate the right space, everything goes wrong. But who is the front row reserved for at a fashion show? It should be a balanced mix of editors, influencers, celebrities, but also friends and family members of the designer. But that's not all: you also have to make sure that everyone takes the seat that best suits their needs and those of the brand. For example, an editor should stand near an aisle so he or she can see details better. When Anna Wintour attends a fashion show, she prefers the end of the catwalk near the photographer's booth. That way she can get out quickly after the show and has the best view of the individual looks, because that's where the models stay for photos. Celebrities, on the other hand, should stay in the middle of the front row so that they're easy for the photographers to spot and capture them all in one picture, also known as the "money shot".

How to have a celebrity in the front row

Brands actively court big stars to get them to participate in their fashion shows, sometimes paying them to do so. Invitations are officially sent out to final participants two to three weeks in advance. When the replies arrive and the stage set is decided, the real work begins on the seating arrangements, which are decided a few days in advance, although the seats reserved for the stars are often changed at the last minute. Usually, they try to seat friends next to each other so that people can talk to someone sitting next to them while they wait, as happened with Fendi at MFW 2023. Especially when celebrities pay a lot of money to sit in the front row, publicists try to ensure through an exclusivity agreement that it is the only show they attend that week.

What will the front row of the future look like?

Brands benefit from the prestige of celebrities in the front row and the hype that comes with it. In the beginning, editors and buyers had a monopoly on the front row, then it was royalty and movie stars, in recent years influencers came along and now it seems celebrities are dominating again. Just look at the guests who attended Sabato De Sarno's debut at Gucci. And this could be the trend of the future too. Why do we suspect this? Because François-Henri Pinault, CEO of Kering (the group that owns Gucci, Saint Laurent, Balenciaga and other luxury houses), recently announced that Kering has acquired a majority stake in CAA, one of Hollywood's largest talent agencies. This acquisition could secure the luxury giant a monopoly on many stars - perfect for increasing the hype and prestige in the front rows of the fashion shows of the brands belonging to Kering.