Best Fashion Show in Pop Culture: The Delightfully Absurd Zoolander Catwalks

This year’s Forces of Fashion, taking place on October 16, is dedicated to the art, drama, and influence of the runway throughout history. In honor of that, Vogue editors are sharing their favorite fictional fashion shows that have appeared in movies and television shows throughout the years.

I may have only been 9-years-old when 2001’s Zoolander first came out, but I remember it instantly becoming one of my favorite and most-watched films. (It still is.)

Growing up in rural Canada, the high-fashion world was a total enigma to me—but I was fascinated and enchanted by it, especially after watching Zoolander. Even though the film—which stars Derek (Ben Stiller) and Hansel (Owen Wilson) as competing, not-so-bright supermodels—satirizes the fashion industry to a comical degree, I was instantly obsessed with the crazy, glamorous world that it created. My favorite scenes, of course, were the absurd and theatrical catwalk moments—whether it was the dramatic “walk-offs” between Derek and Hansel (and judged by David Bowie, no less), or the garbage-themed couture collection (called “Derelicte”) that evil designer Mugatu (Will Ferrell) debuts near the end of the movie. It was all a total feast for the eyes.