Off the Wall

2007: The Year In Fashion
Off the Wall

A $10 million Western fashion spectacle staged on the most recognizable landmark in the world's largest Communist country? But of course. Given China's rapid emergence as an economic power over the last decade, it was only a matter of time before someone like Fendi decided to mount a runway show, complete with fur-clad socialites flown in from New York, on the Great Wall. Karl Lagerfeld, the brand's designer, was quick to point out the historical inevitability. "The wall is built to be a runway, huh?" he shrugged. "They don't have to use it for fighting Mongolians anymore; now they can use it for fashion."