Fashion show production and set design, Milan
A show in Milan, produced from the set to the backstage
Runway shows, static shows and short runway formats: concept and set design, location, casting, styling, music, lighting, backstage, photo and video, guests and press. One team, one calendar, in the city where shows are made.
A show is the most exposed moment a brand has. We produce it with the same discipline as a collection: a plan in weeks, a budget agreed first, and people who have done it during Milan fashion week.
Why a campaign made in Milan looks different
The city of shows
Locations, set builders, lighting and sound companies, casting, dressers, backstage crews: Milan has them all and they are busy. We know who is right for which show, and we book early.
Set design that serves the clothes
Our art direction designs the set, light and pace around the collection. The room is built to make the garments read from the front row and on camera.
The collection in our hands
For brands producing with us, the samples are finished, fitted and sequenced in our ateliers. The run of show is built with the garments, not after them.
Everything captured
Runway photography, multi camera video, backstage, guests, delivered the same night for press and social.
What fashion show production in Milan requires
A runway show is the most concentrated production in fashion: months of work for twelve minutes. This is what has to happen for those minutes to go right.
Runway show, static show or short runway and cocktail
Fashion show production in Milan starts with the choice of format. A runway show, with models walking in front of a seated audience, is the classic statement and needs a venue, a set, a casting of twenty to forty models and a backstage that runs like a kitchen. A static show has no runway: the models pose or move slowly in a space, the guests arrive in slots over two or three hours, and press and buyers can look at the garments closely and talk to the designer. It costs less and gives more time with the clothes. The third format is a short runway of five to ten minutes followed by a cocktail where the collection stays on models or mannequins: you keep the runway images and add the contact time. It is what we advise for a first season. We choose the format with you from the budget and the goal, then produce it.
Venue, set design and the Milan calendar
Milan offers palazzi, courtyards, industrial spaces, galleries, theatres and private clubs, and during fashion week every one of them is booked months ahead. We hold relationships with venues across the city and select the one that fits the collection and the number of guests, then design the set: runway, lighting, sound, seating plan, branding, backstage layout. For shows off the official calendar we work with the city on permits and timings. Set construction, lighting rig and sound are built by crews that do the official shows.
Casting, fittings and backstage
Runway casting is faster and more physical than campaign casting: walking tests, height and sample size, the ability to change in ninety seconds. We cast with the Milan agencies, run fittings with the stylist and the designer, write the running order and the backstage board, and staff hair, make up and dressers so each look leaves the rail in the right order at the right second. The show caller runs the backstage from the first music cue to the final walk.
Guests, press and buyers
A show with nobody important in the room is an expensive video. The guest list is built with our press office: editors, stylists, buyers, influencers chosen for the brand and the market, invitations, seating and a press kit ready on the chairs. After the show the images and the runway video go out within hours, and the showroom or presentation space is ready for appointments the next morning.
The show as part of the launch
A runway show presents a collection that has to be delivered. Because we also produce collections in Italy, the samples walking the runway are the samples going into production, and the orders written in the showroom after the show go straight into the production plan. For a brand launching a first season, the show, the campaign, the lookbook and the press office are one project with one timeline, from the first sketch to the first delivery.
What the service includes
Everything is produced and coordinated by our team in Milan. Nothing is left for you to book separately.
From brief to delivery, in weeks you can plan around
- Month 03 beforeBrief and budget
Format, size, date, the range you can invest. We answer with a scope and a calendar.
- Month 03 to 02Concept and venue
Set design, location options, casting direction, music. Approved before booking.
- Month 02Booking
Venue, set builders, lighting, sound, casting, press, insurance.
- Month 01Fittings and run of show
Collection fitted, looks sequenced, rehearsal planned.
- Show weekBuild and rehearsal
Set build, technical rehearsal, full rehearsal with models.
- Show dayShow and delivery
Backstage, show, guests, press, same night highlight edit.
Timings refer to a runway show during or around Milan fashion week. Static shows and the short runway format can be produced on a shorter calendar.
Ways to work with us
- Set design and build
- Full casting and fittings
- Lighting, sound, music
- Coverage and press
- Models posing in a space, no runway
- Guests arrive in slots over two or three hours
- Press and buyers close to the garments
- Coverage and press
- Five to ten minutes of runway
- Collection then shown on models or mannequins during a cocktail
- Runway photos and video, plus contact time
- Coverage and press
- Show, campaign and lookbook from one plan
- Shared casting and styling
- One calendar for the season
Every format is priced on the brief. The request form asks for your budget range so the first answer is already realistic.
One contract, from the fabric to the picture
Riccitelli Milano is a production agency first. We develop and manufacture collections in Italy, and that changes how we shoot them.
The samples are in our hands weeks before the shoot, so fittings happen on the real garment and the art direction grows with the collection instead of arriving at the end. The same project manager follows production and campaign, the delivery dates are aligned, and you sign one agreement instead of five. For brands producing in Italy from abroad, this is the shortest path between the first sketch and the first sale.
The problems brands bring us
- Budget"We had no idea what a show costs and got lost in quotes."
One scope that covers venue, set, crew, casting, coverage and press, agreed before any booking.
- Timing"Everything in Milan was booked."
We book early and we know which venues and crews fit which show. Fashion week is planned months ahead.
- Clothes"The samples arrived the day before and nothing was fitted."
When we produce the collection, the garments are fitted and sequenced in our ateliers weeks before the show.
- Coverage"The show was beautiful and we have no usable footage."
Photo and multi camera video are part of the production, with a same night highlight edit.
- Press"Nobody came."
Guest list, invitations and press office are produced with the show, not after it.
Frequently asked
Can you produce a show during Milan fashion week?
Yes, with a calendar that starts months ahead. Venues, crews and press are booked early.
What is a static show?
A show without a runway. The models pose or move slowly in a space, the guests arrive in slots over two or three hours and can look at the garments closely and talk to the designer. It costs less than a runway show and gives press and buyers more time.
What is the short runway and cocktail format?
Five to ten minutes of runway, then a cocktail with the collection shown on models or mannequins. You keep the runway images and add the contact time of a static show. It is the format we advise for a first season.
Do you handle casting for the show?
Yes. Full line up, fittings, rehearsal and agency management on the day.
Is the photo and video coverage included?
Yes, when the brief asks for it. Runway, backstage and guests, delivered the same night for press and social.
Can you produce a show outside Milan?
Yes. Our direction team travels and we work with local crews selected by us.
Can you make the collection and the show together?
Yes, and it is the safest way. Samples finished, fitted and sequenced in our ateliers, then the show built around them.
Request
Tell us about the show
Services, timing, a short description and your budget range. You receive a dated reference straight away and a scope as soon as possible, in order of arrival.
The request opens on a dedicated page and takes about three minutes. Nothing is shared outside our team.