Tushy.23.07.16.apolonia.lapiedra.runway.ready.x... Instant
TUSHY began life in 2014 as a sanitation‑design startup focused on affordable, sleek bidet attachments. The brand’s ethos—cleanliness as luxury—found resonance in the broader wellness movement. By 2016, TUSHY had secured $5 million in Series A funding and was looking for a cultural moment that would elevate its reputation beyond the bathroom and into the realm of lifestyle.
The answer: a runway. Rather than a typical fashion partnership, TUSHY opted to re‑position its product as an object of desire, a symbol of intimate self‑care that could be celebrated publicly. The decision to bring Apolonia Lapiedra into the fold was therefore not a random publicity stunt; it was an intentional act of reclaiming the “tushy” (i.e., the buttocks) from taboo and framing it as an aesthetic focal point.
The cast was deliberately diverse in shape, age, and ethnicity. Apart from Apolonia, who walked the final segment, the lineup included: Tushy.23.07.16.Apolonia.Lapiedra.Runway.Ready.X...
Each model’s rear silhouette was deliberately highlighted through strategic lighting, underscoring the show’s thesis: the buttocks, long relegated to the background, deserve center‑stage treatment.
A deep‑dive into the most talked‑about moment of the summer‑mid‑2016 fashion circuit. TUSHY began life in 2014 as a sanitation‑design
The holographic “X” was more than a gimmick; it signalled a growing convergence between digital projection and fabric design. Designers began experimenting with responsive surfaces that changed color or texture when touched, an evolution that can be traced back to the TUSHY show’s interactive stage piece.
Fast forward to 2024, and the ripples of the 23 July 2016 show are evident: The cast was deliberately diverse in shape, age,
The date stamps itself on the memory of anyone who followed the European fashion calendar that year: 23 July 2016 marked the opening night of a surprise pop‑up runway in a reclaimed warehouse on the outskirts of Milan. The show was billed simply as “TUSHY.” The cryptic subtitle—Apolonia Lapiedra · Runway · Ready · X…—was a deliberate provocation, a puzzle that the press and social media tried to decode for weeks.
What made the event unusual was its hybrid nature: part fashion show, part performance art, part brand activation. While the runway is traditionally a platform for established houses to showcase seasonal silhouettes, “TUSHY” turned that expectation on its head, inviting a celebrity from the adult‑entertainment sphere (Apolonia Lapiedra) to co‑curate the narrative. The collaboration blurred the lines between mainstream couture and the underground aesthetic of “alt‑glam.”