Why Is Fashion Reality Television Getting All Holographic?

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Is it just us, or has fashion reality TV has been sucked into a new, futuristic universe? Take, for example, Project Runway, which is currently celebrating its ten-year anniversary with a virtual runway installation on New York City's High Line. Fans of the show and unwitting tourists alike can experience life in the deliberation room—the virtual emotions of Heidi Klum, Michael Kors, Nina Garcia, and Tim Gunn will be activated whenever someone walks by via the giant hologram pictured above. But Project Runway wasn't the first (and won't be the last) to go holographic.

Back in May, America's Next Top Model aired the finale of their 18th season, in which the finalist's had to interact with holographic images displayed behind them on the final runway. Set in Macau, China, the runway challenge consisted of a three part sequence beginning in Ancient China. Models appeared out of gold, glittery tornados, appearing to travel in time to modern China, where they then battled warriors. The sequence ended in the future, where models plopped down from raindrops. (Also, the last two remaining contestants, Sophie Sumner and Laura LaFrate took their final bow by blowing virtual dandelion petals into the air.) If you missed it, it was quite the spectacle.

Billy Jurewicz, who's digital marketing firm space150 created the ANTM digital fashion show, believes it was a definitive advancement to the holographic landscape. The episode gave viewers at home an illusion in which it was difficult to differentiate which models were real and which were fake, he told us. Unlike the Highline holograph, it "was not only live, but it was broadcast on TV."

Project Runway starts up again on Thursday; let's see if they keep all this holographic momentum going.
· A Virtual Project Runway Is Coming to the High Line [Racked NY]