dailynewsnblog
RESILIENT PLAY: Swedish fast-fashion giant H&M’s runway show on Thursday night at Olympia in West London was disrupted by three PETA protesters, who held up signs similar to the ones protesters used last week at the Cos show in New York, protesting using sheep’s wool on the runway.
The evening’s main event was supposed to be the unveiling of H&M’s collaboration with Nick Knight and ShowStudio, introducing the convergence of fashion and technology, but it was stopped briefly three times.
Learning from the online uproar over the currently on-leave CFDA chief executive officer and president Steven Kolb getting physical with the protesters during Cos’ show in New York, H&M handled the London situation as gracefully as the ballerina who opened their multisensory runway experience.
H&M London fashion show.
Zach Hilty/BFA.com
Security patiently waited until the protesters finished onstage and let them leave the runway on their own without any physical contact. The protesters were then escorted off the venue as the brand’s senior management watched the situation from the front row.
While some of the runway footage might not be usable for the brand’s own social channels, the show nevertheless went on with an interactive display created by AI technology that takes photos and turns them into a moving fashion painting.
Almost like brushstrokes, as the models moved down the runway, the walls behind them would follow their movements, offering the audience a living sketch of time.
H&M’s London fashion show.
Zach Hilty/BFA.com
Historical romance references such as “Wuthering Heights” and Marie Antoinette inspired ribboned satin jackets with braided lace-up embellishments. Other Western influences appeared in dark-wash denim embroidered with paisley designs, paired with tall, heeled cowboy boots.
The menswear atelier collection had a cinematic feeling, drawing upon ‘80s and ‘90s films, with boxy silhouettes and relaxed tailoring.
Toward the end, model Alex Consani and English actor Archie Renaux shared a romantic moment on stage, speaking of love and heartbreak while their AI-generated images moved above them like a Renaissance painting coming to life.
H&M’s London fashion show.
Zach Hilty/BFA.com
“With this show, we can actually also show what AI can make that is not this scary thing — it can also be part of an immersive experience and something new, maybe, that we haven’t seen before,” said Ann-Sofie Johansson, global head of design at H&M, during a preview.
