A Glimpse of Things to Come at Forever 21’s Hologram Runway Show

Earlier this week Forever 21 debuted their fall collection with a runway show like nothing the fashion world has ever seen before. Holographic models walked an invisible runway and climbed stairs that rose up to meet them out of nothing, at one point it even started pouring neon yellow rain drops with models springing up out of the forming puddles. Sufficed to say this new Hologram Fashion Show as it has been dubbed, is the talk of the industry with many insiders wondering if we’ve just caught a glimpse of the “future of fashion.”

The often controversial fast fashion retailer, which has grown by leaps and bounds over the last few years with stores opening in London, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing, is not the first to incorporate holograms into a runway show. That distinction goes to Alexander McQueen’s 2006 show which featured Kate Moss in a holographic dress. However Forever 21 deserves some credit for putting on the industry’s first fully holographic show.

While many are dismissing this as merely a gimmick, there are some very unique things that can be said about this show without so much as mentioning a hologram. For one thing this runway show has been on a tour longer than many bands could manage, visiting L.A., Brussels, London and Vienna earlier in the month. For another this show is geared not toward major buyers or fashion editors, but rather the average customer who for once can get a seat beside the runway, even if it is a holographic one. More than a few industry insiders who attended one of the 64 L.A. shows (another benefit of holograms is that they don’t get tired or need lunch breaks) commented that while the uniqueness of the experience was exhilarating, the medium of holographic projection made it difficult to really get a feel for the clothing. This may be true, but like iPods and PCs before it, holographic technology has no where to go but forward so that may not be the case for long. What makes this show a sign of a change in direction for the fashion world is its accessibility, rather then flying to New York or Milan this is a fashion show that comes to its audience and in a world where even couture is loosing out to convenience, that is nothing to laugh at.