A Must-See London Exhibition “Vogue: Inventing The Runway”

A new exhibition hosted in London’s Lightroom looks into Vogue’s extensive archives, dating back to its first publication in 1892, and explores the development and trajectory of the fashion show as a concept: how it has developed from an intimate and exclusive salon presentation to becoming a mass-audience culturally influential phenomenon. “Vogue: Inventing the Runway” opened in November 2024 and will run until April 26, 2025.

This immersive exhibition, projected on four walls and running on a loop, gives the audience a true understanding of how the industry and the runway have evolved over the past century. It includes original black-and-white footage of some early 19th-century presentations, which were intimate trade shows with just a handful of selected guests, and of some of the most iconic fashion shows that over the course of the past decades have changed the course of history.

The exhibition highlights the work of over 60 designers, brands and fashion houses. These include Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Burberry, Chanel, Christian Dior, Comme des Garçons, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Miu Miu, Prada, Versace, Vivienne Westwood and Yohji Yamamoto, in a vibrant documentary style film that embraces and celebrates their creativity, skill and innovation. It is narrated by the British two-time Academy Award-winning actor and producer Cate Blanchett and includes voices from fashion editors, models and designers describing their work and the thought processes behind it.

“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,” said Anna Wintour ( Chief Content Officer, Condé Nast, and Global Editorial Director at Vogue) in a press release. “The 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.”

The exhibition is projected onto the four walls of London’s Lightroom, a four-story building in King’s Cross that acts as a white canvas cube. It uses original animation and a soundtrack that combines classical and pop music, taking you through an enthralling journey. There are sofa units with cushions on them across the floor where you can relax and enjoy the show, as well as more traditional seating in rows at the back of the room.

Some key moments include supermodels Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford walking the runway together in baby doll dresses, lip-synching to George Michael’s “Freedom” in Versace’s Autumn/Winter 1991 collection. You will also see Tom Ford’s sexy elegant looks when launching his eponymous label in Spring/Sumer 2011—in an intimate setting with just a handful of select guests; Virgil Abloh’s debut for Louis Vuitton on a rainbow runway in Paris for Spring/Summer 2019 and Pharrell Williams’ first collection on the Pont Neuf, for Spring/Summer 2024. Here the models walked across the gold-painted bridge to live music. These are all pivotal industry moments that have contributed to the shift in perception and redefinition of fashion and continue to do so by pushing boundaries and inspiring popular culture.

“Vogue Conversations”, a series of intimate in-person events, has been announced at Lightroom London for 2025 in addition to the current exhibition. The first speakers to be announced are Sarah Burton (Creative Director at Givenchy), John Galliano (Fashion Designer), Andreas Kronthaler (Creative Director, Vivienne Westwood), Daniel Lee (Chief Creative Officer, Burberry), Seán McGirr (Creative Director, Alexander McQueen), Pierpaolo Piccioli (Fashion Designer), Simone Rocha (Fashion Designer) and Martine Rose (Fashion Designer), with more icons of fashion and creativity to appear in the coming months.

Vogue Conversations launches on January 14, 2025 at Lightroom London. Tickets are available now.