Anna Wintour unveils Vogue’s new exhibition tracing the rise of the fashion show

Dame Anna Wintour has reflected on the evolution of the fashion industry, describing its transformation from “a very small, elitist, private world where nobody was invited to the parties” to one where “everybody is encouraged to come, to see, and to watch it on a live stream.”

The legendary editor-in-chief of American Vogue, a role she has held since 1988, admitted she has been feeling “quite nostalgic” while working on a new immersive exhibition in London, Vogue: Inventing the Runway.

Hosted at Lightroom in King’s Cross, the show aims to chart how the fashion show has become the ultimate platform for a designer’s creative vision.

Spanning the 1950s to the present day, Inventing the Runway explores how catwalks have evolved into extraordinary spectacles.

The exhibition features the work of more than 60 designers, including Alexander McQueen, Chanel, Burberry, Prada, Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood, and Louis Vuitton.

The narrative is brought to life by two-time Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett, who lends her voice to guide audiences through Vogue’s rich archives, which date back to the magazine’s first publication in 1892.

Through a series of thematic chapters, visitors are taken on a journey across the decades and locations that have defined the evolution of the catwalk.

Wintour has spent 18 months curating the exhibition, which brings together leading voices from the fashion world to celebrate the runway’s role in shaping contemporary culture.

Wintour described working on the exhibition as both “overwhelming” and “remarkable.” Reflecting on the process, Mark Guiducci, Vogue’s creative editorial director, said: “I’ve probably been to a dozen of the shows featured in this exhibition, but it’s been incredible to research and recreate those I never attended and to imagine what they must have been like.”

Dame Anna added, “For me, of course, I’ve been to many more shows than Mark, so it’s a deeply nostalgic experience. But it also fills me with pride for the extraordinary creativity within the fashion world. I hope audiences will appreciate seeing how the history of the fashion show mirrors cultural shifts and world events in a truly unique way.”

Guiducci echoed this sentiment, noting, “Fashion, whether it’s on the runway or in the street, always reflects what’s happening in the world. It’s an ongoing dialogue with culture at large.”

The exhibition follows The Moonwalkers: A Journey With Tom Hanks, another immersive Lightroom event narrated by the Oscar-winning actor, which delved into the stories of lunar space missions. Prior to that, the venue debuted with David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (Not Smaller & Further Away) in 2023, cementing its reputation for cutting-edge cultural showcases.