The in-demand creative recalls bringing sets for Dries Van Noten and Karl Lagerfeld to life and shares a cherished piece of artwork from his personal collection.

When a <a href="https://lofficielusa.org/tags/designer">designer</a> has an idea for a <a href="https://lofficielusa.org/tags/runway">runway</a> show in mind that veers away from the traditional, they often enlist the aid of a show producer. These specialists assist fashion designers in making their dream sets come to life, often in challenging locations. Even among the revered short list of go-to show producers, Etienne Russo stands out.
Russo&rsquo;s path to becoming fashion&rsquo;s premier show producer began with training at a prestigious Belgian hospitality school before connecting with the influential Antwerp Six in the 1980s. A pivotal moment came when he modeled in an early show for his friend <a href="https://lofficielusa.org/tags/driesvannoten">Dries Van Noten</a>, sparking his interest in production design, and leading him to begin collaborating with the Belgian designer on his show sets. &ldquo;He was the first to trust me, 33 years ago,&rdquo; Russo says of Van Noten. &ldquo;It was the beginning of a long collaboration&mdash;we did 129 shows together.&rdquo;

Fresh flowers encased in melting ice at the Dries Van Noten Spring/Summer 2017 show; Getty Images.

The timeline for creating these spectacles varies dramatically. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve done some in three weeks, which is crazy. Others in six months,&rdquo; Russo explains. &ldquo;Generally, two or three months are sufficient.&rdquo; Some productions push boundaries even further, like &ldquo;the reconstruction of an asylum for <a href="https://lofficielusa.org/tags/alexandermcqueen">McQueen</a> in 2001, or <a href="https://lofficielusa.org/tags/chanel">Chanel</a>&rsquo;s &lsquo;supermarket&rsquo; in 2014.&rdquo;
His process begins as &ldquo;a creative ping-pong with the designer,&rdquo; developing from collection briefings and mood boards. After the show season wraps up, Russo would visit bookstores with his creative assistant and &ldquo;buy 30, 40, or 50 books on art, fashion, photography, and design, and then put Post-its on pages, without knowing what we might do with them.&rdquo;

Karl Lagerfeld takes his bow with model Cara Delevigne at the infamous “supermarket” Chanel Fall/Winter 2014 show.

Through his agency Villa Eug&eacute;nie, which recently expanded to <a href="https://lofficielusa.org/tags/milan">Milan</a>, Russo continues innovating while emphasizing sustainability. The Milan space embodies his eclectic vision, featuring &ldquo;vintage furniture, skulls, modern design pieces and contemporary artwork... sculptures ranging from Italian Monica Bonvicini to Korean Do Ho Suh.&rdquo; This contrast of opposites, as he describes it, is &ldquo;a common thread in my journey as a creator of emotions.&rdquo;
In his personal archive, however, is an item he cherishes the most&mdash;a Keith Haring print, cradled in a gilded Baroque-style frame. &ldquo;I am particularly fond of this artwork because it reminds me of my first meeting with Keith Haring. I met him while working on the pre-planning of an event and asked if we could collaborate. This artwork keeps his legacy alive and reminds me of the extraordinary person he was.&rdquo;

A framed Keith Haring print, photo courtesy of Etienne Russo.

Each fashion designer he&rsquo;s worked with has also left a unique impression: &ldquo;McQueen was transgressive and poetic; Martin <a href="https://lofficielusa.org/tags/margiela">Margiela</a> is introspective; and <a href="https://lofficielusa.org/tags/karllagerfeld">Karl Lagerfeld</a> only looked forward, saying he was never interested in starting from the past, only thinking about the future.&rdquo;
Russo&rsquo;s philosophy is to embrace the unpredictable nature of live shows. As he puts it, &ldquo;A show doesn&rsquo;t happen by chance; experience is the sum of mistakes. Often something doesn&rsquo;t work, something unexpected happens, yet everything works out and the public will never know&mdash;they&rsquo;ll simply enjoy the show.&rdquo;

Etienne Russo, photo courtesy of Etienne Russo.

Fashion Show Producer Etienne Russo Opens up His Archive

Fashion Show Producer Etienne Russo Opens up His Archive

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