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Fashion and film seem like natural bedfellows. So natural in fact that it always surprises me that fashion has, until very recently, failed to take full advantage of the possibilities that film offers. But the unprecedented economic crisis has forced everyone to think outside the proverbial box and embrace technologies in ways, and to an extent that would have been unthinkable even five years ago. 

But one man has championed fashion film for almost ten years. His name is Nick Knight, and his vision is presented via SHOWstudio, an innovative website, that, at its launch (at 4.30pm on 27^th November 2000, with a video of the eponymous Kate Moss singing with Bobby Gillespie), was ahead of it’s time. In fact the project was so innovative that Knight self-funded it for almost seven years, resisting advertising to ensure that the site could be the ultimate portal for creative expression. Perhaps not realising the impact that SHOWstudio would come to have, the tiny team behind the venture aimed produce content quickly and cheaply, taking full advantage of new and developing technologies.

This willingness to embrace new technology, and dismiss no idea as too ludicrous led to the development of innovative projects, including ‘Transformer: the Bridegroom stripped bare’ with Alexander McQueen and ‘Phonecarte’, which invited models to leave voicemails detailing their experiences at Fashion Week, which viewers could listen to on the website.

However, as Knight himself explains, one of the fundamental principles behind the website was to ‘show’ the studio, and ‘lay out the creative act from conception to completion’. The fashion industry is notoriously elitist, more so than any other creative discipline, it’s all too often more about ‘who’, rather than ‘what’ you know. Aiming to break down this barrier SHOWstudio turns much of what is typical about fashion on its head, presenting an alternative view that has today become almost mainstream.

The exhibition at Somerset House explores SHOWstudio through three key areas- Process, Performance and Participation. Process relates to the demystification of the creative journey- rather than offering up a glossy, final cut for the audience to consume and forget, the emphasis is placed on how to get there. From an initial idea and inspiration to the collaborative effort of numerous individuals, each undertaking is unique. The immediate accessible nature of the Internet ensured that such information was often available whilst events were taking place.

This leads rather neatly into Performance, which documents the importance of live action, in which photographer, model and stylist all play a part. Highlights include Garth Pugh’s ‘Fash-Off’ and ‘Sleep’, produced in 2001 using webcam technology to feed live stills of models as they slept in hotel rooms.

This section of the exhibition also incorporates a LIVE studio area- where professional shoots take place behind a two-way mirror, revealing the inner workings of a little seen process to an adoring public. Whilst this clearly has many advantages, it almost reinforces the elitist nature of a shoot- yes you can look but you certainly can’t touch or even offer a suggestion. Clearly it would be impossible for an entire audience to offer their perspective on poses and images, but despite a palpable excitement the experience can only have limited value.

Finally, Participation, an endeavour which has seen designers including Galliano, Margiela and Watanbe offer downloadable patterns, and a variety of influential creative’s- from David Bailey to Juergen Teller- participate in live interviews, where the audience is invited to pose questions via Forums. 

The final room incorporates a show reel of what has perhaps become SHOWstudio’s trademark- fashion film. From early experiments- 48 Girl, by Craig McDean 2005- to slicker presentations- Dark Annie, by Nick Knight 2009, Gareth Pugh's AW 09/10 presentation, by Ruth Hogben- it is obvious how far the genre has advanced. Film is the most natural medium for fashion, clothes are meant to be worn, and seen in movement, not designed for the static, uncomfortable poses that prevail in so many of the expensive glossies. Already under threat from online media, and regularly updated websites, the advances of fashion film might just have been the final nail in the coffin for Vogue et al.

Vicki Loomes