Hologram Runway Dazzles Audiences at Amsterdam Fashion Week

Hologram Runway Dazzles Audiences at Amsterdam Fashion Week

Nestled alongside the Keizersgracht canal in the heart of Amsterdam, the historic 18th-century cultural venue Felix Meritis recently welcomed over 1,000 attendees for a groundbreaking fashion show featuring digital avatars instead of human models.

As the event wrapped up Amsterdam Fashion Week last weekend with four performances, guests entered a room dominated by a large catwalk divided by a translucent screen.

When the show began, the lights dimmed, and six projectors (three on each side of the stage) illuminated the space, bringing to life six-and-a-half-foot-tall avatars who gracefully moved—and even swam—down the runway, showcasing designs from nine digital fashion houses, including DressX, The Fabricant, and Code Couture.

The avatars traversed surreal landscapes filled with glowing orbs and flashes of lightning, while others performed intricately choreographed dances accompanied by sweeping orchestral music. By the end of the show, many audience members were moved to tears, as shared with Decrypt, despite the fact that what they witnessed was entirely digital.

“It exceeded even our wildest expectations,” said Antonio Talarico, who played a key role in designing the experience.

Talarico and his creative partner, Isabelle Udo, recently founded Future Front Row, a company aimed at pioneering immersive virtual fashion shows. With Talarico's curatorial background and Udo's expertise in augmented reality, they are dedicated to pushing the boundaries of digital fashion, which they believe has yet to realize its full potential.

“Digital fashion often comes across as gimmicky,” Udo remarked.

“A lot of screens filled with logos can feel synthetic and plastic,” Talarico added.

That’s why they focused on creating an event that prioritized human emotion and creativity. Each segment of the nearly 30-minute show was inspired by a specific mood and tone, allowing designers to tailor their presentations to highlight their works effectively.

Designer Shayli Harrison, who showcased her creations at the Amsterdam event, said she was encouraged to explore fantastical elements and special effects in her presentation.

“They sought storytelling and a strong emotional presence, going beyond reality,” Harrison explained.

As a co-founder of the digital fashion house Mutani, Harrison featured her outfits on a humanoid sea creature, reflecting themes of ocean pollution in her collection. She and her team collaborated with dancer Novaya Shey and Berlin's IOR50 creative studio to craft a mesmerizing choreography set to classical music chosen by Talarico and Udo.

The piece left a profound impact on many attendees, moving several to tears, as documented in text exchanges shared with Decrypt.

“I’ve been in this field for two and a half years,” Harrison noted. “This was the most accessible way for people to recognize the value of digital fashion, which has often been questioned as the industry evolved.”

Udo and Talarico dedicated nearly a year to developing the event. Initially, they aimed to hold it as an unofficial side event during Amsterdam Fashion Week to attract a larger audience. However, when the event organizers learned of their plans, they invited Future Front Row to be part of the main programming, providing access to resources and venues. Each of the four performances sold out, with around 300 attendees per show.

Since its emergence in 2021 with high-profile launches from luxury brands and a burgeoning start-up scene, the digital fashion industry has struggled to engage mainstream consumers and move beyond isolated, attention-grabbing events.

Udo and Talarico believe that live events emphasizing experiential engagement rather than just technology can address this challenge. They view the success of the Amsterdam show as evidence of a promising future for the industry.

“There’s more demand for digital fashion than it appears,” Talarico stated. “It might seem niche, but that’s largely due to its confinement. If we broaden the audience, people genuinely want to engage with this kind of experience.”