A Virtual Model Rocked the Runway at London Fashion Week 2018

Fashion technology shined at the steventai x ILMxLAB show on Feb. 18 at Durbar Court at the Foreign Commonwealth Office during London Fashion Week 2018. A virtual model dazzled the audience as she took to the stage alongside physically-present models, interacting with her fellow real models in real time.

ILMxLAB, LucasFilm's immersive entertainment division, designer steventai, the London College of Fashion's Innovation Agency, and the GREAT Britain Campaign joined forces to create this epic production, which used a large screen as the focal point. Behind physically-present models wearing steventai's collection, the screen showed Durbar Court in real time, but with CGI embellishments that altered the venue to look like a street scene in Macau rather than a courtyard in England. TECHStyler reports that the featured collection was influenced by the designer's native Macau. By including the locale that was the inspiration for the line, the audience was invited to experience and understand the garments on a unique level.  

Along with turning London to Macau, the screen streamed live video of the models on stage. An avatar of a model joined the video of the models on the screen. The virtual model's clothes changed right before the audience's eyes and the clothes moved naturally with her as she moved, meaning that the garments were digitally rendered in real time. The virtual model was able to show a variety of looks without leaving the runway, and she looked exceptionally cool doing it.

To bring this fashtech feat to [virtual] reality, a human model was backstage, her movements recorded by a motion capture suit. Including the avatar with human models in an augmented setting made for a uniquely immersive fashion show that makes us excited about what fashion designers will do next in the augmented reality space.