Topshop has set a world first in Manchester with an artificial intelligence-powered, “directly shoppable” catwalk show. With the event, officially recognized by the World Record Certification Agency, the British fashion brand wanted to show how central technology is to its new retail strategy.
Fashion show as a real-time sales platform
During the so-called ‘Runway of the Future’, Topshop replaced the traditional runway format with a hybrid concept that brought together the physical and digital worlds. Visitors could purchase each silhouette shown in real time via a specially developed ‘Front Row AI’ app, even while the models were still walking the catwalk. Afterwards, guests could also try on the outfits virtually.
