It’s showtime! And for all you fashion lovers out there, Vogue’s immersive Vogue: Inventing The Runway show, currently on at London’s Lightroom, is a good distraction from the cold weather.  Narrated by Cate Blanchett, and split into ‘chapters’, the show unboxes Vogue’s archives to explore the history of the runway show from Dior’s iconic 1947 New Look show through to today’s multi-million-dollar extravaganzas by the likes of Chanel and Balenciaga. We take a visual trip through time, exploring the exclusive salon shows of the 1950s, the explosive effect of 1960s youth culture on the runways and the disco years of the 1970s. The late 1980s and 1990s shows were the era of the supermodel – the best time in my opinion for fashion shows and parties. Then we come to iconic shows from the past two decades. The fashion show today is aimed at a global on-line consumer audience as much as the key fashion editors, and the pressure is on to capture the attention of a world accustomed to endless footage of the hundreds of shows that take place during fashion weeks across the world each season. Today’s shows are therefore on another level to anything from the past. What’s clear is the amount of talent, energy and creativity in the fashion industry. Another point of interest is how fashion shows have reflected the culture of each decade they’ve taken place in.

A good fashion show combines theatre, innovation, performance art and fun – from the audience as much as the designer sometimes – as well as obviously showcasing the designer’s vision for the season. The archive footage included in Inventing The Runway highlights that and the huge array of shows featured across the walls, floors and ceiling of The Lightroom are mind-boggling in their variety and decadence. Prada, Gucci, Alexander McQueen, Margiela, Jacquemus, Fendi, Rick Owens, Comme des Garcons, Versace, Givenchy, Louis Vuitton and dozens more…all the big names are highlighted. There’s enough here to impress even the most jaded fashion person. A great, nostalgic, lesson in fashion history. Enjoy the view from the front row. Recommended.