Virtual Runway: Armani
The Giorgio Armani Women’s FW 2020-2021 show was live-streamed from an empty theatre today at Milan Fashion Week.
"Due to the status of the coronavirus in Italy, Mr. Armani has decided that he wants to safeguard the wellbeing of all his invited guests by not having them attend crowded spaces," a spokesperson said.
Giorgio Armani Instagram live video stream from Milan Fashion Week 2020
The seat vacancies were eerily noticeable in the live Instagram video. A seat prominently marked “A08” appeared in the foreground in the first shot of a model making her way down the runway, revealing rows upon rows of empty “A” section seats as the camera followed her. The letter and number combinations “A01” and “A02” were reflected in the catwalk like ghosts as the models paraded forward. My eyes were so drawn to the negative space, to the emptiness of human spectators. Then we saw the D row, equally bare.
Live fluttering digital heart emojis replaced the physical bodies of onlookers as a now remote audience watched over the Internet on their mobile devices and computer screens.
The show cancellation was a last minute decision. With more advanced planning, the runway could have been broadcast using Augmented Reality, enabling a 3D and multi-perspective view.
This month, British telecommunications and internet service provider Three UK teamed up with London Fashion Week and Central Saint Martin's to create an AR runway experience. Top-model Adwoa Aboah was digitized into a 5G fuelled, high definition, 360 degree, full-size capture. Showgoers were able to see the AR model walk the catwalk in the finale.
What if we could bring that same AR runway experience into your space, beyond physical boundaries?
Last year, London College of Fashion’s Innovation Agency partnered with AR software developer HoloMe to livestream the London College of Fashion MA show globally. Viewers were able to watch the show superimposed onto their physical surroundings using the HoloMe app on their smartphones.
The project was a proof-of-concept and could enable designers to share their shows beyond physical attendees and video live-streams. It could also be an extended solution in dire scenarios like the safeguards put in place at the Giorgio Armani show at Milan Fashion Week today. We will definitely see more AR enhanced livestreams from the runway; hopefully not as a necessity.
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