mashup – melmcveigh

Exhibition: SHOWStudio Fashion Revolution. Somerset House until December 20.

“The restless world of the internet has changed the experience of fashion forever”.

This is the statement that has stuck with me since I left the exhibition this afternoon.

The fashion industry surprisingly has been slow adopters of the internet. Maybe because their industry has been inextricably linked to the printed artifact of the magazine or they thought it was too geeky to get involved. But prior to the explosion of social media (circa 2004/5), too few magazines, curators, fashionistas, photographers were online in a credible way. Partly, I would argue and in their defense, until computers became ubiquitous, the quality of image resolution/bandwidth improved, there didn’t seem a credible argument to be online. Photographers still preferred the printed folio to a folio website and magazines were online for ad sales only. Sweeping statements yes, but having sat on both fences (digital & fashion), I have found it frustrating that not enough people in the fashion industry have embraced the internet. And to be honest, when they did venture on online, like every other publisher, producer, curator, they thought old school publishing, thinking the experience was the same and wondered why their endeavors failed to get the results they had imagined.

Now, in 2009 we live in a different world. Fashion blogs, trend websites, photographer blogs, TV channels abound. Everyone seems to be jumping on the experiential fashion bandwagon. More fashion shows integrate video and digital experiences into their shows. It is part of the overall experience. But really it is not that fashion forward, other industries (arts, media, music) have been doing it for years, it has just become ‘fashionable’ in 2009.

That is why SHOWStudio has been an inspiration and is the benchmark anyone would set if venturing online and in fashion.

If you put it in context, these guys have been playing with the medium of the internet since 2001. This is pre YouTube, Flickr, Facebook, social media, all the things we take for granted now in terms of collaboration & online ‘socialness’.

They may have set up SHOWStudio to demystify the creative process but in the process they have created something incredible in terms of pushing the medium. I even thought today, when students in 10 years time or even now are studying the history of fashion & imagemaking, SHOWStudio will be considered in the same light that The Factory was in the 60′s & 70′s.

Ok, still in the afterglow of seeing a great exhibition. So, what makes them so fab? They didn’t think – we work in fashion and publishing, so let’s do the same thing online. They played with the medium, they got the community involved, they broadcast live, no editing, exploring the medium’s strengths and weaknesses, understanding the experience and letting it evolve.

Of course, playing with technology is meaningless unless the core ideas are strong and engaging. But I think that the evolution and getting to know the technology, the naivety and brazenness of their approach in the beginning has meant they have really broken down some perceptions of fashion. And looked like they had a great time doing it.

So to experience and participate in person was a pure delight. Some things were a little twee, entertaining for my eight year old son, but certainly not challenging in an artistic sense.

But at the same time their were gems. Videos or images that had me transfixed for quite some time.

Without spoiling it, the work that impressed me the most were the two minute videos of models and fashionistas. It brief was simple. Stand in front of a video camera for two minutes with no direction. Do whatever you like.  Some were unbearable to watch, others showed the naivety of young people in front of a camera, just like you and I, uncomfortable in their own skin, just standing there. It was weird seeing famous models, who should be comfortable in front of a camera, (it’s their job), really uncomfortable on their own: exposed, vulnerable and personable. All because no-one was telling them what to do.

If you are obsessed with fashion, this is a must see exhibition. And I would argue even if you think fashion is a little bit unnecessary and pretentious but you love experiential design and the internet, this is also a must see exhibition.

Tags: digital, exhibition