‘Inventing the Runway’: Exploring the evolution of the fashion show

1,750 guests watched Pharell Williams’s Louis Vuitton debut from the Pont Neuf bridge in Paris. Over 1 billion people watched on social media.

Over time, the fashion show has developed from an intimate affair reserved for wealthy clients to a globally recognisable spectacle, impacting culture and society. Viewers outside of the industry now have almost-instant access to these previously-closed off runways via brands’ owned social channels, not to mention those of the press, celebrities and influencers in attendance. But what is the purpose of a fashion show today, and who is it for?

It’s the theme of a new immersive exhibition, Vogue: Inventing the Runway, which will premiere on 13 November at London’s Lightroom, an immersive experience venue right in the shadow of Central Saint Martins, where many of the 60 designers featured in the exhibition studied. Tickets, which range from £15 to £25, are on sale until 26 April 2025.

The spectacles draw on Vogue’s vast archives (which date back to its first publication in 1892) and contributor network, bringing together the perspectives of leading industry voices, with narration from two-time Academy Award-winning actor and producer Cate Blanchett.