Fashion may be misguidedly branded as frivolous, but its power to court controversy has always been part of its allure. Far from being ‘pithy’ or ‘surface-level’, style sits at the crossroads of identity, politics and art, making it one of the most potent cultural lightning rods. A hemline can spark upset, a slogan T-shirt can ignite debate, and a silhouette can redraw the boundaries of gender. In fact, there are so many instances of fashion being a catalyst for controversy, it’s hard to know where to even begin.
Alexander McQueen's 'Voss' Spring/Summer 2001 collection at London Fashion Week
Think of Vivienne Westwood’s punk rebellion, Jean Paul Gaultier’s subversion of gender norms, or even the divisive naked dress, which still carries weight today. Provocation has long been a sartorial muse, with the most celebrated designers across the globe utilising boundary-pushing elements in their cutting-edge collections. After all, fashion will always hold a mirror up to the zeitgeist, reflecting the socio-political climate under which it was conceived.
There have been many recent examples of notable fashion controversy. In 2018, Melania Trump sparked global controversy wearing a Zara jacket emblazoned with the text “I really don’t care, do u?” while visiting detained migrant children in Texas. The message, dismissed by her team as meaningless, was widely interpreted as callous, igniting fierce debate over symbolism, empathy, and political optics.
Likewise, Lady Gaga's meat dress, crafted from real flank steak and designed by Franc Fernandez, was lambasted by animal rights activists. The singer responded that the look, worn to the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, was a protest against the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy and a statement on the rights of women. Regardless, the dress was preserved like beef jerky and is now displayed at the Haus of Gaga museum in Las Vegas.
US first lady Melania Trump sparked outcry with her slogan Zara jacket back in 2018
As the birthplace of trends, fashion month is no stranger to the odd controversy. Headline-hitting moments, although more commonly associated with celebrity red carpet style, have been known to take place on the runway. From obscene collection themes to model protests, commentary on mental health and religious outcry, the catwalk isn’t without its drama.
From human backpacks to blood-curdling highland tales, discover the five most controversial runway moments of all time below.
5 most unforgettable controversies in fashion month history:
Gucci Spring/Summer 2020
Bar the odd tumble, models rarely cause a scene at fashion shows. During Gucci's spring/summer 2020 show, model Ayesha Tan-Jones appeared on the travelator catwalk with 'Mental health is not fashion' written on their hands, in silent protest against Alessandro Michele's use of straitjacket-inspired designs. The moment cause sensation online, leading Michele’s collection to go viral.
Tan-Jones later explained on Instagram that, as someone who has experienced mental health challenges and witnessed them in loved ones, they found it "hurtful and insensitive" for a major fashion house to use such imagery for a fleeting fashion moment. They emphasised that straitjackets symbolise a cruel era in medicine when mental illness was misunderstood and patients were abused and tortured in institutions.
Rick Owens’s spring/summer 2016 show shocked the fashion world with its stark, confrontational aesthetic. Models walked the runway in minimalist, draped leather and sheer fabrics, but the true provocation came from the show’s pièce de résistance: humans literally strapped together, one carrying another like a backpack.
A comment on the commodification of the body, Owens’ dark, dystopian vision, paired with his signature drapery and monochrome palette, leaned into performance art - an uncomfortable, confusing experience for viewers confronted with the limp figures paraded down the catwalk.
Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 2001
Like Gucci's spring/summer 2020 show, McQueen's commentary on mental health was a hot topic of debate. The designer's Voss spring/summer 2001 collection shocked audiences with its dark, immersive spectacle. Set inside a mirrored, asylum-inspired box, the show featured models (including Kate Moss and Erin O'Connor) in sculptural dresses, bondage-esque garments, and skin-baring ensembles that married vulnerability and provocation. The centerpiece, a model concealed behind a translucent curtain shrouded in real moths and nude except for strategically placed adornments, flabbergasted viewers, forcing them to confront beauty, desire, and entrapment.
McQueen’s choreography of glamour and grotesque, paired with haunting music and theatrical staging, created an unsettling tension while redefining the boundaries of couture.
Alexander McQueen Autumn/Winter 1995
Alexander McQueen’s autumn/winter 1995 Highland Rape collection shocked audiences with its brutal, confrontational vision of Scotland’s history. Models stormed the runway in torn tartan, distressed fabrics, and asymmetrical layers, their hair and makeup deliberately disheveled, evoking images of violence and sexual violation. McQueen described it as "a metaphorical rape of the Highlands,” referencing England’s historic oppression of Scotland - but the explicit imagery and raw, aggressive styling deeply unsettled audiences.
The show cemented the Saint Martins graduate’s extraordinary status in fashion, showcasing a creative genius that would soon establish him as one of the industry’s true visionaries.
Jean Paul Gaultier’s 1993 Chic Rabbi collection stunned audiences by fusing traditional Hasidic Jewish religious attire with provocative, high-fashion silhouettes. Models strutted in tallit-inspired capes, kippah-like hats, and exaggerated beards, fused with Gaultier’s signature corsetry and theatrical tailoring. The collection created uproar as it challenged conventions around sacred symbols, mixing reverence with playful irreverence.
Critics and spectators were divided: some cried blasphemous cultural insensitivity, while others praised Gaultier’s fearless subversion of norms and religious iconography, arguing that no subject is untouchable in fashion.
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