Holograms Create Virtual Fashion Show

Designers featured in Target Model-less Fashion Show in Grand Central Terminal. Credit: Target

A fashion show took place in New York City today. That's not news, of course. But this time, there were no models on the runway.

Using technology reminiscent of the "Halodeck" on Star Trek, Target stores staged the Model-less Fashion Show, using high-definition "holograms" on a virtual runway.

The two-day show at Grand Central Terminal's Vanderbilt Hall, ending Nov. 7, features men's, women's, bridal and maternity collections.

"This is the first time a fashion show will be completely produced with hologram technology, without models, without a runway and easily accessible to all fashion fans," said Trish Adams, the company's senior vice president.

Powered by Musion Systems Limited, the presentation gives 2-D images the illusion of depth. The installations are recorded, played back and projected to create the illusion.

Holography is a type of photography that allows images to be stored in 3-D. (They are often confused with volumetric displays that represent objects visually in three dimensions.)

Classic holograms are viewed by shining a laser light through them in one direction and looking at the reconstructed image from the opposite direction. Holograms can also be illuminated by white light nowadays. Rainbow holograms can be printed on plastic films, as commonly found on credit cards as a security feature and on product packaging.

The Holodeck on Star Trek was supposed to be light-years ahead of modern day holography, and was said to actually produce "holomatter" that users could interact with.

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