This week a world first in the realm of virtual reality will take place in one of London’s iconic landmarks, Oxford Circus.
The TOPSHOP Unique show, will be live streamed from the Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern into a virtual world created by leading London based 3D agency Inition. TOPSHOP have long supported the idea of the democratisation of the fashion show and this installation will allow customers to live the experience from their virtual front-row seat.
TOPSHOP have worked closely with Inition to create a unique telepresence experience, which will not only transport the viewer but also give an insight into how we will consume media in the not so distant future. Participants at the brand’s landmark store in Central London will enjoy a virtual London Fashion Week catwalk, as if they were seated at the TOPSHOP Unique show, taking place in the Tate Modern’s cavernous Turbine Hall. Participants will wear specially commissioned head-sets to enter the 360 degree virtual world which will be a hybrid of live feed of the runway, the backstage action, the VIP arrivals, the set design and animated features. This fully immersive event promises to be a rich, hyper-real and enchanting experience which will be available to customers on the 16th, 17th & 18th of February during store hours.
The customer experience of London Fashion Week is equally important to TOPSHOP as the event itself, and this season continues to put customers at the heart of fashion week. In a move away from the concept of the sealed off show the set itself in the Tate will be open and visible to the Tate Modern’s visitors in the lead up to and during the event. The set-up, the rig, and the show will be visible from the various viewing platforms that overlook the Turbine Hall, allowing them to see the inner workings of the event as a spectacle in itself.
Furthermore, the online experience for customers at home, will once again offer a completely immersive journey that can be both personal and shared with friends, everything from the clothes and makeup to the music can be purchased and shared across every online platform, channel or device.
QUOTES ON THE PARTNERSHIP:
“The TOPSHOP Unique show is going from strength to strength; not only in terms of the Collection but also in how we share this with our customers at home and in our stores, giving them an up to the minute runway show experience. This season’s live stream in virtual reality between two iconic London destinations, the Tate Modern and our Flagship store in Oxford Circus takes the idea of the traditional fashion show to a new dimension, as we continually look for new ways to engage, excite and involve our customers.”
Sir Philip Green, Owner Arcadia Group
“We are excited that Topshop have the vision to explore the next revolution in mass media – Virtual Reality. VR is the ultimate interface to the digital world with the power to transport the user to another place as soon as they put on a special display. This unique technology has the potential to open up fashion shows to the consumer at home and we believe this will be the first of many executions of this kind. Inition is delighted to be working with Topshop on this ground-breaking project”
Andy Millns, Co-founder and Creative Director of Inition