VOGUE: Inventing the Runway
VOGUE: Inventing the Runway is a spectacular new immersive exhibition exploring the history of the fashion runway show, from the intimate couture salons of the early 20th century to the unforgettable pop-culture events of the present.
The show will utilise Vogue’s remarkable archive and contributor network to create an experience that brings together the industry’s leading voices from the past, present, and future.
“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. 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.”
Anna Wintour, Chief Content Officer, Condé Nast, and Global Editorial Director, Vogue.
With first-hand testimony and a rich mixture of media, Inventing the Runway reveals how fashion shows became the ultimate statement of a designer’s vision – at times, a walking expression of their identity – reimagined season after season and year after year. It is a celebration of the imagination, discipline and passion that has revolutionised how we experience fashion.
Through a cycle of thematic chapters, Inventing the Runway will use original animation in an experience that is both visceral and insightful, with immersive sound design and a score fusing original composition with classical and pop music, all of which will evoke the worlds when iconic shows shifted the cultural landscape.
“It’s fitting to host this Lightroom experience within skipping distance of Central Saint Martins, where so many of the UK’s fashion students begin their journeys to becoming designers we know and love. I hope that the exhibition can be an educational tool that brings to life the most iconic cultural moments through fashion’s lens, for the next generation of aspiring designers.”
Chioma Nnadi, Head of Editorial Content for British Vogue.
Houses and Designers
Inventing the Runway reveals how fashion shows became the ultimate statement of a designer’s vision – at times, a walking expression of their identity – reimagined season after season and year after year. The show will feature the work of the most significant creative minds in fashion history, including:
Alexander McQueen, Anna Sui, Balenciaga, Burberry, Chanel, Chloé, Christian Dior, Christopher John Rogers, Comme des Garçons, Coperni, Courrèges, Dolce & Gabbana, Dries Van Noten, Elena Velez, Fendi, Givenchy, Gucci, Gypsy Sport, Helmut Lang, Hood by Air, Hussein Chalayan, Imitation of Christ, Iris Van Herpen, Jacquemus, Jean Paul Gaultier, Junya Watanabe, JW Anderson, Louis Vuitton, Maison Margiela, Marc Jacobs, Martine Rose, Missoni, Miu Miu, Moschino, Patou, Prada, Pyer Moss, Rick Owens, Schiaparelli, Stella McCartney, Thierry Mugler, Thom Browne, Tomo Koizumi, Undercover, Versace, Victoria Beckham, Vivienne Westwood, Willy Chavarria, Yohji Yamamoto.
“Runway shows have reflected society and its values for more than a century. We hope that Inventing the Runway gives audiences a better understanding of how those shows mirror the changes not only in fashion, but also culture at large—the arts, entertainment, technology, politics, and the ways that they’re all intertwined.“
Mark Guiducci, Creative Editorial Director, Vogue.
Ticket prices
Adults from £25
Students & Under 18s from £15
Under 3s go free
Dates
From 13 November 2024 – 26 April 2025
Duration
One complete show lasts approximately 50 mins. You are welcome to stay for longer than one show.
Audience Suitability
Content guidance: Some instances of nudity, parental discretion advised.
FAQs
Inventing the Runway is a collaboration between Lightroom and Vogue.
The show will utilise Vogue’s remarkable archive and contributor network to create an experience that brings together the industry’s leading voices from the past, present, and future.
Houses and designers confirmed include: Alexander McQueen, Anna Sui, Balenciaga, Burberry, Chanel, Chloé, Christian Dior, Christopher John Rogers, Comme des Garçons, Coperni, Courrèges, Dolce & Gabbana, Dries Van Noten, Elena Velez, Fendi, Givenchy, Gucci, Gypsy Sport, Helmut Lang, Hood by Air, Hussein Chalayan, Imitation of Christ, Iris Van Herpen, Jacquemus, Jean Paul Gaultier, Junya Watanabe, JW Anderson, Louis Vuitton, Maison Margiela, Marc Jacobs, Martine Rose, Missoni, Miu Miu, Moschino, Patou, Prada, Pyer Moss, Rick Owens, Schiaparelli, Stella McCartney, Thierry Mugler, Thom Browne, Tomo Koizumi, Undercover, Versace, Victoria Beckham, Vivienne Westwood, Willy Chavarria, Yohji Yamamoto.
With Lightroom’s four-storey walls as our 360-degree canvas, we will experience and interact with designers’ visions up close, in new ways and at unprecedented scale.
Inventing the Runway will use original animation in an experience that is both visceral and insightful, with immersive sound design and a score fusing original composition with classical and pop music, all of which will evoke the worlds when iconic shows shifted the cultural landscape.