Vogue chief Anna Wintour gives fashion fans a front row seat with Inventing the Runway exhibition

Immersive exhibition recreates shows in Paris, Milan, New York and London

Anna Wintour at Vogue: Inventing The Runway exhibition at London's Lightroom. PA

A new exhibition brought together by Vogue lifts the lid on the world of high fashion, catwalks and models.

Editor-in-chief Anna Wintour has spent an “overwhelming” 18 months working on the Vogue: Inventing The Runway interactive exhibition.

It takes visitors, many of whom will not have attended a live fashion show, to catwalk spectacles in Paris, Milan, New York and London.

Wintour, who became editor-in-chief of American Vogue in 1988, said working on the exhibition had been “remarkable” and had made her “quite nostalgic”.

Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, centre, with creative editorial director Mark Guiducci and British Vogue's head of editorial content Chioma Nnadi at the Lightroom. PA

Vogue’s creative editorial director Mark Guiducci said: “I’ve probably been to a dozen of the shows that are in this [exhibition], but it’s been amazing to work with the team on researching and recreating the shows that I had never been to, and to imagine what they were like.”

Wintour said: “For me, obviously, I’ve been to many more [shows] than Mark, so it’s quite nostalgic. But it also makes one so proud of the creativity in the fashion world, and I hope that audiences will enjoy seeing the history of the fashion show and how it reflects our culture and changes in the world in a way that is quite extraordinary.

“From the ’50s right up until the present day, when the fashion show has become, in some cases, this extraordinary spectacle – having moved from a very small, elitist, private world where nobody was invited to the parties that they are today, when everybody is encouraged to come and to see and to watch it on a live-stream.”

Inventing the Runway is narrated by two-time Academy Award winning actress Cate Blanchett. The show, which runs at Lightroom in London until April next year, uses Vogue’s archive dating back to its first publication in 1892.

The exhibition features more than 60 designers and Wintour said working on it had made her “quite nostalgic”. PA

It brings together leading voices in the industry to explore the history of the catwalk, and recreates locations and eras to take the audience inside fashion shows. More than 60 designers, including Alexander McQueen, Burberry, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Givenchy, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Stella McCartney, and Vivienne Westwood, are featured.

“Fashion, whether it’s on the runway or in the street, is always a reflection of what’s happening in the world at large and so culture at large,” Mr Guiducci said.

Lightroom was the venue in 2023 for The Moonwalkers: A Journey With Tom Hanks, narrated by the Hollywood star – which told of missions to the Moon. David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (Not Smaller & Further Away) was also launched at the gallery last year.

Wintour was among the presenters at this year's Fashion Awards, organised by the British Fashion Council, held at London's Royal Albert Hall on Monday.

The Fashion Awards 2024 – in pictures

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky on the red carpet at the Fashion Awards 2024 at the Royal Albert Hall in London. All photos: Getty Images

Bridgerton star Simone Ashley in Prada

Singer Ellie Goulding in Moncler

Wizkid performs on stage

Jonathan Anderson accepts his Designer of the Year award

Model Ashley Graham and actress Nava Mau present the Model of the Year award

Anna Wintour presents the Outstanding Achievement award to Tom Ford

Actress Yvonne Orji presents actress and wrtier Issa Rae with the Pandora Leader of Change award

Irish designer Simone Rocha accepts the British Womenswear Designer Award

A$AP Rocky accepts the award for Cultural Innovator

Stephen Jones accepts the British Accessories Designer Award

Singers Joe Jonas and Olivia Dean present the BFC Foundation Award

Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan in Gaurav Gupta

Cellis Kelsey Lu accompanies photographer Nan Goldin as she accepts the Special Recognition Award