London’s Lightroom Exhibition Will Consider The History Of The Runway Show

Vogue: Inventing the Runway, an immersive new exhibition exploring the history of the modern runway show, will open this autumn at Lightroom in London.

With the space’s astonishing four-storey-tall walls as a backdrop, from 13 November visitors can experience and interact with era-defining runway presentations up close, and at an unprecedented scale. The exhibition’s production will combine animation, state-of-the-art sound design, and a score of classical and pop music to evoke the many iconic shows that have helped shape the cultural landscape.

“At Vogue, we’ve been lucky enough over the decades to see many incredible runway shows, which have often told the story of fashion as much as the clothes themselves,” says Anna Wintour, chief content officer, Condé Nast, and global editorial director, Vogue. “This Lightroom experience is a wonderful opportunity for a lot more people to experience first-hand the thrill of watching the history of fashion unfold right in front of them.”

Extending from the intimate couture salons of early 20th-century Europe to the mass-media extravaganzas of today, Inventing the Runway connects the past to the present and future of fashion, utilising Vogue’s extensive archive and contributor network to create an experience that unites the industry’s leading creative voices.

With a robust mix of participating fashion houses, including Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Chanel, Comme des Garçons, Dior, Iris Van Herpen, Marc Jacobs, Thom Browne and Yohji Yamamoto, the exhibition will examine how fashion shows became the ultimate statement of a designer’s vision.