Taking the Front Row to a New Frontier
There was a phase of my career, not that long ago, when I got really into live experiences. Really into them.
Perhaps it was seeing people react to the work in real time. Perhaps it was the possibility that, at any moment, it could all go horribly wrong.
Thankfully, it didn’t. Much.
During that time, there was one project that eclipsed them all in sheer scale and complexity.
Part immersive theatre. Part influencer trip. Part runway show. Every bit a stress dream.
H&M came to us with a problem. Every year, they previewed their Studio collection with a runway show at Paris Fashion Week. Not a bad idea on paper. But in reality, it was hard for a high-street brand to grab attention from the biggest names in fashion, during the busiest week in fashion, in a city not exactly short of fashion.
So we suggested ditching Fashion Week in favour of creating a moment unmistakably their own.
For two days in early March, we took a global cast of fashion influencers out of the front row and dropped them into the world of the collection.
The collection had a decidedly adventurous theme, but with a glamorous twist. Dr Livingstone meets Holly Golightly.
Which is how we came to take 72 fashion influencers from over 40 countries to Sedona, Arizona: a setting as beautiful as it was bizarre. The small desert town is famous for majestic red rocks, energy vortexes, UFO sightings and a tendency to over-index on all things mystical. In other words, the perfect setting to build a story around.
Working with immersive director Connie Harrison, formerly of Punchdrunk Theatre Company, we created an original narrative that ran through the entire experience.
This was more than a fancy holiday. It was an expedition with a mystery at its heart. Somewhere in the desert, a rare natural phenomenon was waiting to reveal itself.
The adventure played out in the real world, with guests becoming part of the storyline rather than simply watching it unfold.
After eight months of preparation, all of it culminated in a single 48-hour performance. No dress rehearsal. No second chance.
Guests arrived at a luxury hotel in the middle of the desert, only to discover they had stepped into another world. A mysterious package was waiting for them.
From there, the story continued to unfold around them in real time, blurring the line between fiction and reality. Scripted scenes played out around them. Pop-up music performances appeared without warning. A fictitious radio station broadcast within the hotel. Fake newspapers carried clues. Secret rooms were hidden in plain sight.
Before long, nobody was entirely sure what was real anymore.
Each discovery led to a spectacular fashion moment, designed to reveal a different side of the collection. Daywear. Activewear. Swimwear. Safari wear. Evening wear.
The experience also brought together an incredible cast of female talent, spanning water ballet, BMX and music, including surprise performances from internationally renowned artists.
Within the world of the story, guests believed they had been invited because of their curious minds and adventurous spirits. But of course, there was much more to it than that.
As the experience unfolded, the real reason for their invitation was slowly revealed. They had, in fact, been gathered there to witness the Tree of Lights, a rare natural phenomenon that happens only once every 124 years.
Think Avatar meets Halley’s Comet, with a live soundtrack by Maggie Rogers.
A traditional runway show is usually over in 15 minutes, moments before the next one begins. Our format gave the collection two full days of undivided attention.
Crucially, the clothes were not just confined to a runway. Every influencer was also styled in a unique look, turning the audience into a moving, posting, plot-following extension of the show.
And because the audience was made up entirely of influencers, what went on in Sedona was never going to stay in Sedona. Mercifully.
Over 48 hours, guests shared 1,890 social posts, generating more than 1.25 billion views, likes and comments. This was far beyond anything they had ever achieved at Fashion Week.
Meanwhile, for the millions who didn’t make the guest list, we built a version of the adventure they could follow from home. Through Instagram Stories, audiences could take part in the expedition, join live Q&As and interact with influencers in real time. The finale was streamed live on Instagram, and on Tmall.com for audiences in China, with highlights shared on IGTV afterwards.
The whole experience even doubled as an advertising shoot. Within hours, footage from the event had been edited into a campaign film, with additional photography and video appearing in-store, on H&M.com and across shoppable social posts. The format also picked up widespread fashion press, including coverage in Vogue, Elle and Harper’s Bazaar.
All of which helped build momentum for the retail launch one week later. The collection sold out in ten days.
And somehow, everyone survived. Myself included.
