20 Feb VR Fashion Shows
The History of the VR Fashion Show
Today, fashion shows are held all over the world, and photos from the runway are seen by millions of people global. However, in the past, fashion shows had to be hidden. The history of the fashion show dates back to the late 18th and early 19th century. Here is a historical overview of the fashion show.
Most Early Fashion Shows Were Held in Secret
Most of the earliest fashion shows were held in secret because these shows were meant to just sell pieces to buyers and shop owners. Many times, the public had no idea when a fashion show was going to take place.
These fashion shows were also heavily policed as to avoid piracy of a design. Fashion designers at this time were fighting for floor space, so piracy could lead to designers undercutting the price per unit to get more floor space.
Models Were Not the Main Attraction
The idea of the supermodel and highly paid model would not come around until around the 1980’s. Before that, models who walked the catwalk were badly paid, and male models were almost never used. In the past, designers did not want their models to be known and would regularly switch out their models.
Fashion Shows Could be a Week Long
Today, we have Fashion Week in many large cities around the world. Most fashion shows are only about a half an hour long. In the past, fashion shows could be over a week long. This was because buyers had to travel to see the show and pick the pieces that they wanted for their show rooms.
Knock-Offs Have Been a Problem Forever
During the early 20th century, it was common for designers to send models to the horse races in their latest pieces. This was not only to attract store buyers but to also attach customers to the stores that carried the designer’s work. However, this started to backfire because photographers were taking photos of the models and the photos were being sent all over the world.
In 1912, most of the fashion designers lobbied to have photographers banned from the races. This happened when a fashion designer in Paris found out that their buyers had discovered pieces that were similar or the same as their designs, which were being created cheaper in the USA. So, photographers did not end up being banned, but the designers did try to stop them from taking photos in some creative ways by using fans and large hats.
Fashion shows have become a huge part of global fashion. Many people watch the catwalk during fashion week to find the best designers and see what is going to be popular the next season. It is hard to believe that the fashion show started as an underground event.
Next, VR fashion shows will change everything, thanks to virtual reality. Stay tuned!