Printed & Pressed
Why physical invitations still matter, the connection to the tangible and my favourite fashion invites
While flipping through the latest issue of The Gentlewoman, I couldn’t help but thinking about how much I love the feeling of paper under my fingers—the smell of just-printed pages, the heavy presence of the volume, the dark letters on glossy paper.
It struck me just how rare this whole experience has become in our increasingly digital world. As someone who cherishes the physicality of objects like magazines and fabrics, I realise how much I miss this connection to the tangible. Even though I was born in the 90s and didn’t live fully through the pre-digital era, I enjoy technology and its achievements very much. However, I inevitably keep finding myself longing for objects with weight.
To me, the weight of an object has always signified its importance, its presence in the world. When you flip through a magazine, for example, you’re not just reading the words, it’s a full sensory experience. The same goes for other objects, like a tailored wool coat. Its heaviness often indicates a higher wool content, suggesting its quality. Or those heavy chairs at our grandmothers' houses, their sturdy wood meant to endure through the years.
A few months ago, I received a wedding invitation via WhatsApp. A lovely invite, and for many reasons, digital made sense. It is cheaper, and it is better for the environment. But my first reaction was still disappointment.
Are we really leaving behind those beautifully handwritten, luxurious paper invitations with the couple's names elegantly inscribed? Have we reached the point of fully digital? Where’s the weight? Where’s the presence? An invitation, just like a handshake, can say more about the person, or the event in this case, than anything else. An invitation creates first and lasting impressions very hard to erase.
The idea drew a clear connection to fashion in my mind. Physical invitations are still very much alive. Often overlooked, the runway invitation is a testament of the brand’s visual identity and so much more. It’s the first point of contact with the guest, and it offers an irresistible clue to what lies ahead at the show. The perception of the brand begins here, hinting at the season’s theme and narrative. Some brands have experimented with digital invites, but they’ve inevitably returned to physical ones. I believe invitations should remain physical—something you can hold, a tangible testimony of that moment, and a keepsake of the memory.
I’ve curated a list of some of the most special runway invitations I could remember, along with a few others I discovered during my research.
Maison Martin Margiela
The maison is famous for always sending very distinctive invites. One of my favorites is definitely this flashlight keychain that projected show details when shone onto a dark surface for the brand's AW12 défilé. Below, I’ve also included the AW89 classified advertisement and the SS06 ceramic plate because they’re too cool.
John Galliano
Fashion has always been obsessed with ballet. We’ve seen it on the catwalks many times, and with the return of ballet flats on our shelves, I’m not surprised to see it everywhere again. The most unforgettable of all invites is this SS96 Galliano one, no doubt. The invite is a cardboard box containing a scarlet satin ballet shoe and a music scroll printed with ‘Le Papillon et La Fleur’. A unique invite that tells a lot about that amazing show, featuring tutus and Kate Moss and Shalom Harlow as ballerinas, with an unmistakable touch of burlesque—the Galliano way. P.S. not to be a bitch but has anyone noticed how similar the latest Ferragamo invite is?
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Jacquemus
I’ve always admired Simon Porte Jacquemus for his creativity. For his SS20 show, attendees received a mini sunscreen bottle (with real sunscreen inside), a nod to the summer-in-the-south-of-France aesthetic that the brand has always expressed. But Jacquemus also sent out a piece of toast for his Lafayette event, with bread and butter featuring his logo printed on it. And when his shop in Como opened earlier this year, he thought of Jacquemus-branded pasta that could actually be cooked. Genius.
Gucci
A fashion invitation that was both sustainable and sustaining. Gucci’s invite for their Gucci Epilogue presentation in 2020 consisted of an assortment of organic, locally sourced fruits and vegetables. The invite aimed to reflect the playful experimentation "aimed at reversing traditional fashion rules and perspectives”. Gnammy (Yum in Italian).
Fendi
Further proof of the romance between fashion and food, Fendi SS21 runway invite. The Italian brand collaborated with Rummo (best pasta ever, trust an Italian) to create an F-shaped pasta. I love it!
Balenciaga
Demna Gvasalia has always been unpredictable in the most creative ways. He sent his guests a Balenciaga boutique receipt with the details of the event and a QR code to view the digital presentation. What do you think of this one?
Valentino
This is giving nostalgia. Valentino sent his guests the full soundtrack of its 1990 show, featuring A-ha, Chris Isaak, Dan Hartman, and Propaganda. I absolutely adore it.
Don’t get me wrong—without the digital world, there would be no Substack, and no The Inside Pocket, so I’m incredibly grateful for it. But imagine if, instead of an email, my letters arrived in your postbox every week. Picture this: every week, the postman rings at your door with a pretty white envelope, black inked letters written across it, with slight imperfections in the print, all on a beautifully textured plain white paper. The letters will stuck up week after week and they will make of you a little collector. Without the physical weight to anchor them, things feel so impermanent nowadays, washed away by the next digital refresh.
So digital is cool, but physical rules (:
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P.S. I am preparing the second volume of What’s hiding in your closet? —the article uncovering the emotional stories behind our clothes. There’s still time for you to be part of it! Just send me a message and let me know what pieces you struggle to let go of, and why. Share them with me for a chance to be featured in The Inside Pocket. I’d love to hear your stories!
Thank you, Giulia xx
Strong agree! I’m moving house atm and came across an old box of postcards sent between me and my (now) husband when we were briefly living apart. It reminded me how much I love handwritten, physical notes. And they’re not even expressing anything that deep. Versus old texts…super cool but I’m not gonna get teary eyed over them ya know?
I love this. If someone has ever written me a card, even just on a piece of notebook paper, I have kept it. I have a friend who, any time she gets a new note, she tucks it into a book to discover the next time she picks up the book.