Vogue: Inventing the Runway – Review

Vogue was founded in New York on December 17, 1892, by  Arthur Turnure as a weekly newspaper covering high society, before global media company Condé Nast bought it in 1909 and transformed it into the iconic monthly fashion magazine we know today.

Over decades I have eagerly awaited the magazine hitting the shelves each month and latterly reading Vogue online. In the earlier days of my career, I pictured myself, seated on the front row at a Paris runway, dressed to the nines, possibly wearing a hat and making shorthand notes in my beautiful notebook. Should that dream have come true, I would have most likely experienced the drama and performance of one famous designer’s work, most likely in a venue unreflective of their vision. How times have changed!

Now, the opportunity to step into Vogue’s remarkable archive and fashion network is awaiting us at Aviva Studios in Manchester. Equally visceral and insightful, the experience awaits;  in the form of the collaboration with Anna Wintour and Vogue editors, exploring the history of the fashion runway show, narrated by Cate Blanchett.

From the intimate couture salons of the early 20th century to the unforgettable pop-culture events of the present, Inventing the Runway reveals how fashion shows became the ultimate statement of a designer’s vision, and at times, a walking expression of their identity.

The experience brings together the industry’s leading voices with first hand interviews and a rich mix of media. Original animation, immersive sound design and a score fusing classical and pop music combine to evoke the world of fashion and the moments when iconic shows shifted the cultural landscape. No longer in the studios of a couturier, we have been whisked, by live streams, to the tunnels under the Seine, the Great Wall of China, Rio and beyond.

From the moment the performance begins, I learn more than I could ever have done so, if my younger self had been seated by a Parisian catwalk. Who knew that English designer Charles Frederick Worth, the ‘father of haute couture’, is credited with inventing designer labels in clothing by sewing his signature into garments in the 1850s! Neither was I aware that early Balenciaga banned press from his shows until his invited clients had viewed the collection.

VOGUE: Inventing the Runway features the work of the most significant creative minds in fashion history, including: Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Burberry, Chanel, Chloé, Christian Dior, Christopher John Rogers, Comme des Garçons, Coperni, Courrèges, Dolce & Gabbana, Dries Van Noten, Fendi, Givenchy, Gucci, Helmut Lang, Hood by Air, Hussein Chalayan, Iris Van Herpen, Jacquemus, Jean Paul Gaultier, Junya Watanabe, Loewe, Louis Vuitton, Maison Margiela, Marc Jacobs, Martine Rose, Miu Miu, Moschino, Patou, Prada, Pyer Moss, Rick Owens, Saint Laurent, Schiaparelli, Stella McCartney, Thierry Mugler, Thom Browne, Tomo Koizumi, Undercover, Versace, Victoria Beckham, Vivienne Westwood, Willy Chavarria, Yohji Yamamoto

Not only is the audience transported into fantasy fashion but also into some of the designers’ very psyche, sharing part of themselves urging us to “see it, feel it.” From Dior’s 1954 ‘New Look’ to the rule breaking, fearless world of Vivien Westwood. Karl Lagerfield’s entertaining, never been done before shows for House of Chanel, always with his inimitable touch of humour, a direct opposite to the dark romance, sometimes violent shows from Alexander McQueen.

Anna Wintour, Chief Content Officer for Condé Nast and Global Editorial Director of American Vogue said: “At Vogue we’ve been lucky enough over the decades to see many incredible runway shows, which have often told the story of fashion as much as the clothes themselves. This Lightroom experience is a wonderful opportunity for a lot more people to experience first hand the thrill of watching the history of fashion unfold right in front of them.”

The statement: ‘Putting down the phone at a fashion runway is the most radical thing you can do’ has been attributed to several individuals in fashion commentary, it is certainly true of  this experience as the viewer becomes immersed in the theatre, drama and spectacle, not just before you but all around you. The Lightroom space is designed to be enjoyed from all angles and encourages you to move around the space during your visit. The joy, influence and flamboyant spectacles are brought to life by the incredible Lightroom technology. As well as the runway visuals the experience is elevated by immersive sound design, original animation, and a score fusing classical and pop music, which combine to evoke the world of fashion and key moments when iconic runway shows not only graced the pages of Vogue but shifted the cultural landscape.

Vogue: Inventing the Runway is at Aviva Studios from 17 December 2025 to 10 January 2026. It is one of three large-scale 360° immersive experiences from Lightroom running in repertory at Aviva Studios this winter with the return of David Hockney alongside new show The Moonwalkers: A Journey with Tom Hanks.