On Tuesday, Forever 21 presented their fall collection on the runway. Models walked the catwalk, as they do, strutting, smiling, and then, they started walking upside down. On the ceiling. And then down invisible stairs. These are things you can do when the models are holograms.
Forever 21 is growing globally, with new stores in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing, so what better way to introduce the brand to new customers then with a dazzling hologram fashion show? And really, it was dazzling. At one point neon rain started to fall and models sprung up out of the raindrops.
What’s even sweeter about Forever 21′s hologram fashion show is that it’s for their customers–it’s not, as shows and previews generally tend to be, for press and buyers only. The show has already toured Europe (Vienna, Brussels, and London) and last week in LA at the Grove they presented the seven minute runway show 64 times to approximately 1600 people.
After the show at the we heard some folks buzzing about this being the “future of fashion.” Nicola Formichetti seems to think it is–he designed clothes for Zombie Boy’s avatar for a new video game he’s working on. And Burberry did a hologram fashion show to celebrate their store opening in Beijing back in April. The only thing is, while the shows are visually stunning, you can’t really see the clothes the way you’d need to if you were critiquing them or deciding whether to put them in a magazine. Of course, the exception to the rule is Alexander McQueen’s famous hologram dress, modeled by Kate Moss for his fall 2006 show.
Sure, it’s a gimmick, but if you want to create some hype around your brand and have dough to spend, this is an awesome trick.
See pictures below.
Photo: W
