Crowdsurfing Models Capped Milan Fashion Week

The hometown heroes at Sunnei may have taken the prize for best gimmick at Milan Fashion Week 2023. That’s what these things really boil down to, you know — it’s all about engagement over clothes if you really wanna make an impact.

If that sounds like I’m jaded, I’m not. I genuinely enjoy the potential spectacle promised by these big flashy fashion moments and I appreciate when brands cut through the noise with something fun.

Everyone enjoys a quality presentation but the only way to really get stuck in the public’s craw is by doing something really unexpected.

In Sunnei’s case, this meant crowdsurfing models at its Fall/Winter 2023 fashion show, held on February 25.

Yep, at the end of the catwalk, models turned around as if they were preparing to head back but they instead gently fell backwards into the arms of the crowd.

Presumably, everyone was prepped ahead of time so no models ended up on the floor (I know the dangers of crowdsurfing gone wrong first-hand… long story).

Sunnei was certainly ready, though, as you can tell by the cameras it cleverly embedded into the ceiling to allow for candid shots looking directly down at the levitating models being carted away.

The clothes came second in this case, if only because the spectacle was wild enough to stand alone, but that doesn’t mean that Sunnei FW23 is boring.

How could you consider contrast-stitched workwear jackets trimmed with faux fur, knee-length tunic shirts, and raw-hemmed patchwork denim robes (double-breasted, if you please) boring?

Anchoring it all was a fresh selection of Sunnei’s signature chunky eyewear and equally beefy footwear.

Sunnei was hardly alone in shooting for virality this year: we’ve witnessed everything from surprise actors to penis doodles so we’ve seen a lot.

But we certainly hadn’t seen models surf away on the arms of fashion week attendees before, so color me impressed.