A guide to the unspoken etiquette of the runway
TOTON 2027: KALA collection showcase. Image taken from @totonthelabel.
A fashion show is shaped by more than what happens on the runway. Beyond the clothes, models, lights, and music is an environment governed by a series of unspoken rules, from finding your seat to knowing when to put your phone away. These gestures can seem inconsequential, but they determine how smoothly a show unfolds and how the people within it experience the space. For those attending, much of this is communicated without instruction, absorbed through observation and repetition.
As Art Director at Fashion & Market, I look at fashion beyond garments, focusing on the objects, references, and rituals that shape how we dress and live. In my column, Fashion Footnotes, I explore the intersection of style, culture, and everyday life in Southeast Asia. Each quarter, the format shifts among edited finds, behind-the-scenes perspectives from the industry, and notes on personal style from practitioners working within it.
With Jakarta Fashion Week taking place this week, I turn for this installment to the rituals surrounding the fashion show itself. These are five simple do’s and don’ts for navigating the experience, whether you are attending your first show or simply looking for a refresher.
TOTON 2027: KALA collection showcase. Image courtesy of Sharrona Valezka.
Do arrive on time.
The show may not always begin exactly when the invitation says it will, but it is still worth arriving with enough time to settle in. Give yourself time to navigate the venue, check in, find your seat, and get situated before the show begins. Arriving late can mean stepping over seated guests, interrupting photographers, or, in smaller venues, becoming part of the spectacle yourself.
Attending Studio Jeje’s Jakarta Fashion Week 2025 collection showcase. Image courtesy of Sharrona Valezka.
Don’t assume every seat is yours.
Fashion shows are carefully arranged, right down to the seating plan. Your name may be printed on a place card, or an usher may direct you to a specific seat, so follow their lead. The front row is not necessarily first come, first served, and an empty seat does not always mean it is unoccupied. If you are unsure, it is always better to ask than assume.
Laurencia Irena: Final Round collection showcase at Fashion Nation 2026. Image courtesy of Sharrona Valezka.
Do keep the runway clear.
The runway is a working area. Once the show begins, avoid stepping into it for photographs, videos, or a better view unless you are specifically there to do so. The same applies before and after the show, when production teams, models, photographers, and crew are often moving through with little room to spare.
fbudi: Peta Perempuan collection showcase at Fashion Nation 2026. Image courtesy of Sharrona Valezka.
Don’t let your phone become part of the show.
There is nothing wrong with taking a photograph or recording a look you want to remember. But there is a difference between documenting the show and experiencing it through a screen. Keep your brightness low, avoid holding your phone above your head, and be mindful of the people sitting behind you. Once it begins, give yourself a moment to put the phone away and take it all in.
ELLE Magazine presentation at Fashion Nation 2026: PEREMPUAN, featuring designers: fbudi, Laurencia Irena and Nila Baharuddin. Image courtesy of Sharrona Valezka.
Do respect the work happening around you.
A fashion show is the result of months of work by designers, stylists, models, photographers, hair and makeup artists, set designers, and many others. What appears to be a few minutes on a runway is often the culmination of an enormous amount of preparation. What appears to be a few minutes on the runway is often the culmination of months of preparation. Treat the people and the work behind it accordingly. After all, a fashion show is a collective production. For a few minutes, an entire room is asked to look in the same direction. Being a good guest is simply understanding that the experience belongs not only to those watching, but also to everyone who made it possible.
These are small gestures, but they are also small ways of appreciating the work that goes into making a show happen. It is about knowing when to be present, when to step back, and how to move through the space with consideration. The rest comes with observation and a little practice.
I hope you enjoyed this edition of Fashion Footnotes. See you in the next one!