The iconic national dress of Japan
They've been hosting fashion shows in all sorts of weird and wonderful places for decades. Here, a catwalk parade is held aboard the Cunard liner RMS Franconia during Liverpool's Civic Week in England, c. 1925.
Models walk the runway during designer Karl Lagerfeld's Fall/Winter 2007 collection at the Fendi Great Wall of China fashion show that took place on the Great Wall of China itself, in October 2007.
Models walk a runway set outdoors in a Provence lavender field during the Jacquemus Menswear Spring/ Summer 2020 show in June 2019 in Valensole, France.
A model walks the runway during the Marc Jacobs Spring/Summer 2016 fashion show at the Ziegfeld Theater in September 2015 in New York City.
Models pose at the Underground Catwalk during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2013 in July 2012, presented on Berlin's U-Bahn (subway) system.
Models present creations by Silvia Venturini Fendi during a fashion show at the Trevi Fountain in Rome in July 2016. The runways were designed to appear as if the models were walking on water in a spectacular show designed by Karl Lagerfeld.
Models showcase designs on the runway during the Louis Vuitton Men 2021 Spring/Summer show at Tokyo International Cruise Terminal in September 2020 in Japan.
An evening presentation from the Henrik Vibskov fashion show at Copenhagen Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2011, held outdoors in August 2010 in a city center park.
Model Gigi Hadid walks the runway at the #TOMMYNOW women's fashion show during New York Fashion Week at Pier 16 in September 2016 in New York City.
The amazing catwalk set in the desert of Whistling Sand Mountain on the outskirts of Dunhuang in China's northwest Gansu province for iconic French fashion designer Pierre Cardin, this in October 2007.
Hussein Chalayan's Autumn/Winter 2000 show was staged at Sadler's Wells Theater, London's legendary performing arts venue.
The impressive Salon Impériale in the Westin Hotel in Paris provided the setting for the Thom Browne show as part of Paris Menswear Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2011-2012, held in January 2011.
The Venice Lido, one of Coco Chanel's favorite summer haunts, was used as the setting for designer Karl Lagerfeld's Chanel Cruise 2010 fashion show in May 2009 in Venice, Italy.
Models walk the runway during the Walk of Fashion at the Hauptbahnhof (main railway station) in October 2006 in Berlin, Germany.
Ralph Lauren's own garage, which houses his jaw-dropping car collection, was used as the runway for the Ralph Lauren Collection 2017 in Bedford, New York, in September 2017.
A model walks the runway during the Kenzo Ready-To-Wear Fall/Winter 2012 show as part of Paris Fashion Week in March 2012. The interior of a science lab building was used for the occasion.
Milan's Vigorelli Velodrome, originally created for track cycling, was the venue for the Moncler Gamme Bleu show during Milan Fashion Week for the menswear Spring/Summer 2011 presentation in June 2010. The models rode bicycles on the runway.
Westminster Abbey in London provided a historic backdrop for the Gucci Cruise 2017 fashion show held in the abbey cloisters in June 2016.
A huge replica of the Eiffel Tower's lower legs stands in the Grand Palais, under which models present creations for Chanel during the 2017-2018 Fall/Winter Haute Couture collection in Paris in July 2017.
Hanger 8 in Santa Monica, California served as a different kind of runway during the 2007/2008 Chanel Cruise show presented by Karl Lagerfeld in May 2007.
Pierre Cardin's Palais Bulle in Theoule-sur-Mer, southeastern France, was the chosen venue for Belgian designer Raf Simons' presentation during the Dior 2016 Cruise collection show in May 2015.
Models present creations on a catwalk during the Spring/Summer 2017 Christian Dior Cruise fashion show at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, England, in May 2016.
For his haute couture Spring/Summer 1998 show for Dior, John Galliano used the grand staircase of Paris' historic Palais Garnier opera house as a runway.
A model makes a splash on the runway at the Boheme Boutiques 2010 fashion show during the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim held at the pool deck at the historic art deco Raleigh Hotel in Miami, Florida, in July 2009.
A model walks the runway at the Issa show during London Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2015/16 at One Great George Street in London, England, in February 2015.
The historic Hôtel Le Bristol Paris used to present creations by designer Sadeem Alshehail and jewelry by Nourah Al Faisalin during a tea time fashion show at the luxury hotel property in January 2017.
In February 1935, the Orange Blossom Mid-Winter fashion show was held aboard the Orange Blossom Special, a train of the Seaboard Air Line Railway, en route from New York to Miami.
Tables at the Mayfair Hotel in London serve as a temporary catwalk during a 1935 fashion show.
The staircase inside Maison Dior in Paris was used to seat guests during this 1956 Christian Dior fashion show.
See also: The best red carpet looks of all time
The catwalk has served as a showcase for new clothing collections since the concept of the fashion show itself. And while the tradition of the runway continues, an increasing number of brands have opted to leave the confines of conventional venues in favor of a more unusual backdrop.
Click through, and admire the scenery (and fashion).
The coolest, craziest fashion show venues
Unconventional catwalk locations
FASHION Catwalk
The catwalk has served as a showcase for new clothing collections since the concept of the fashion show itself. And while the tradition of the runway continues, an increasing number of brands have opted to leave the confines of conventional venues in favor of a more unusual backdrop.
Click through, and admire the scenery (and fashion).