The exhibition, which will run from October 25 to March 30, 2025, aims to explore the rich history of fashion catwalk shows, tracing their evolution from the intimate couture salons of the early 20th century to today’s unforgettable pop-culture events.
Drawing from Vogue’s extensive archive and rare materials from various fashion houses and contributors, the exhibition promises to create an experience that unites the industry’s leading voices from the past, present, and future. Attendees will have the opportunity to witness first-hand testimony and a rich mixture of media that reveal how fashion shows have become the ultimate expression of a designer’s vision. Celebrated personalities, including editors who witnessed landmark shows, models who walked them, and the designers who created them, will be prominently featured.
Lightroom’s unique venue, with its four-story walls, will serve as a 360-degree canvas, allowing visitors to experience and interact with designers’ visions in new and unprecedented ways. This immersive environment will bring the history and art of runway shows to life, making it an unforgettable experience for fashion enthusiasts.
The 50-minute show will be organized into thematic chapters, combining original animation, state-of-the-art sound design, and a score that blends classical and pop music. This approach aims to evoke the worlds where iconic shows have shifted the cultural landscape. Anna Wintour, chief content officer at Condé Nast and global editorial director of Vogue, expressed her excitement about the exhibition: “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 firsthand the thrill of watching the history of fashion unfold right in front of them”, told The Guardian.
The exhibition will feature a stellar lineup of designers, including Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Burberry, Chanel, Chloé, Coperni, Dior, Dries Van Noten, Givenchy, Gucci, Iris Van Herpen, Jacquemus, Jean Paul Gaultier, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Moschino, Prada, Stella McCartney, Thierry Mugler, Thom Browne, Versace, and Yohji Yamamoto.
Mark Guiducci, creative editorial director at Vogue, highlighted the broader significance of runway shows: “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.”
“Vogue: Inventing the Runway” promises to be a groundbreaking exhibition, offering a unique lens into the world of fashion and its profound impact on culture and society.
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