First, McDonald’s couture debuted at Moschino, courtesy of Jeremy Scott. Then, at the Chanel show, Karl Lagerfeld had models — and later, Rihanna — traverse a gigantic grocery-store stage. Consumerism, fashion — you get it. But Iris van Herpen outdid them both on Tuesday when she vacuum-packed models in clear plastic, like tilapia fillets at Trader Joe’s.

Guests sat in awe as three women positioned themselves inside what were essentially oversize Ziploc bags before the air was sucked out, after which they remained suspended and motionless. Creepy! But cool nonetheless, and of course, they all had breathing tubes.

Van Herpen titled her show Biopiracy, and described it as commentary on the lengths we — people, scientists, whoever — have gone to to decode the human genome. This flair for the conceptual has made her a favorite of Lady Gaga, an avid fan of spectacle. But don’t confuse Van Herpen’s stunt with the gimmicks of Miss Artflop. The designer isn’t just peddling the abstract; she’s showing us — literally — our perfectly packaged products.