London Fashion Week comes twice a year, and with its influence growing thanks to street-style blogs and Instagram, brands are keen to get in on the act. Here are 5 innovative activations or effective stunts from the past few years that caught our eye…
Hololens Mixed Reality
Guests invited to Martine Jarlgaard London show during this September’s London Fashion Week weren’t met by the usual runway, but an empty space. Or that’s how it looked to anyone looking in. Five individuals at a time wore Hololens, Microsoft’s mixed reality headsets, to see the full spring/summer 2017 collection coming to life in the form of holograms in front of them. The tech enabled the guests to move about freely and explore the collection from all angles while it appears solid, real and lifelike before their eyes.
Juergen Teller’s bus stop exhibition
TfL hosted a unique exhibition in support of London Fashion Week in 2014 as part of TfL’s Year of the Bus campaign. A number of bus stops along the Strand were adorned with fashion shots and iconic images from photographer and artist Juergen Teller. The catch? They could only be seen by passengers on the top floor of a bus.
Ghd’s S&M Studio
Hair styling brand Ghd raised eyebrows when it played on the theme of ‘sleek & movement’ to create its pop-up “S&M Studio” at last September’s London Fashion Week. The inspiration for the interior was leather with added ‘tool wall’, keyholes, black mesh curtains and opulent light fittings with a fully functioning hair salon.
SpongeBob at Wonderland
When Nickelodeon launched its SpongeBob Gold fashion collection on the Farfetch online fashion retail platform, it wanted to create a real-life “moment” for fans of the cartoon. So the TV network worked with Wonderland magazine at its pop-up store on London’s Piccadilly to stage an activation featuring a printing station. Visitors could then design their own luxury merchandise featuring SpongeBob SquarePants-themed artwork, using touchscreens and customised design software. The shop was decked out with themed decorations, and visitors had the chance to pose for a photo with a life-sized gold SpongeBob character.
Vertical fashion shoot
If you think models have it easy – earning money simply by walking down catwalks – then Britain’s first vertical fashion shoot might change your mind. Stunt models defied gravity to slide down buildings in Oxford Street – all while wearing outfits and high heels, of course. The models dropped into central London to help launch London Fashion Week in 2010.
