Inside Vogue at the Lightroom

The Vogue archives have evolved into a new, colourful experience exploring the history of the modern movement of runway shows. Not long after John Galliano’s exit from Maison Margiela, Vogue: Inventing the Runway is an opportunity to witness the rich mixture of the designer’s testimonies and media. I’ve been fortunate enough to indulge myself in fashion scriptures from the lecture hall at university. Journalists, photographers, and bloggers have captured many culture-defining moments, and I have spent the last few years researching instances of innovation. In the hype of the noughties, cultural change was prominent on the runways, a time I resonate with as there was a boom in youth subgenres. Addressing the history of creative direction and the development of fashion shows is an intimate affair that impacts the masses within society. Last month I was gifted a ticket to visit the Vogue: Inventing the Runway exhibition. I witnessed an astonishing four-storey-tall backdrop and have been lucky enough to attend incredible fashion shows on a smaller scale. These shows often tell the story of new designers as much as the clothes themselves. The stairwell takes you backstage of the glamour; the Kings Cross venue still managed to grasp an emotive experience whilst awaiting a high-budget production. For the next project in fashion, every historic step is projected differently from what we’ve witnessed before. At each moment, I was captivated by the industry’s most prolific experiences. Previously, an opportunity granted to be present on a runway has been exclusively for the elitists. As I sat in the field of moving images, I had a sense of privilege among the audience. Admittedly, I felt sceptical about approaching this show, which brought fashion critics and students for a journey through archives. Having seen several fashion documentaries over the years, do I need to see what will essentially be another recap of how designers have generated the meaning of luxury? Having seen several films about the industry over the years, do I need to see what could be essentially regurgitated information? But from the moment I took my seat, narrator Cate Blachett welcomed the public to their seats before she began storytelling. Her voice sounded calming and soft. I was utterly beguiled. “In 1999, Alexander McQueen’s magnificent show,” she explained. The walls burst with colourful rays of light as I was taken through decades of the list of designers, past and present. The list includes prominent figures, including supermodels Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, and Christy Turlington. They are featured together in baby doll dresses lip-syncing to George Michael’s “Freedom” in Versace’s Autumn/ Winter 1991 collection. Tom Ford’s sexy elegance graced us with his launch of the eponymous label in Spring/Summer 2011. With visuals and insights to staple black designers from past to present. Patrick Kelly triumphed in the 1980s and 90s with his belief that Black women needed a space within fashion to be celebrated. Kelly’s creativity has often been overlooked in fashion, and I’ve fallen in love with his work all over again. Now, I remember our pioneers in cultural change. As Wintour expressed, the Lightroom offers “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”.