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Fashion goes 3-D

Canadian designer Nada Shepherd has decided to forgo the runway in favour of the big screen by bringing her latest creations to life in reel form.
FASHION 3-D Film 20100318
A still shot of the NADA 3-D game interface where the player dresses a fembot in NADA's fall 2010 collection. Canadian fashion designer Nada Shepherd

Canadian designer Nada Shepherd has decided to forgo the runway in favour of the big screen by bringing her latest creations to life in reel form.

The creative director of Nada has opted out of showcasing her new designs at the upcoming edition of Toronto’s LG Fashion Week to be a part of what’s been billed as a Canadian fashion first: a short 3-D film featuring her fall 2010 collection.

Shepherd said the idea to do a film seemed like a natural evolution since she first decided to start incorporating videos into her runway shows.

“I thought that this was the season where video would be appropriate because the fall collection does have a futuristic element to the styling and silhouette,” she said.

A special premiere screening of “Future Fashion/Fashion Future” was held at the Scotiabank Theatre in downtown Toronto.

The seven-minute film takes on the feel of an interactive video game as viewers are able to see the transformation of a female warrior suiting up for battle against her on-screen nemesis.

Prior to each action sequence, selections are made for the location of the battle, the warrior’s weapon of choice and, of course, what she’ll wear.

In separate sequences, a virtual closet carousel featuring the latest fall offerings pops up and out onto the screen.

The edgy, futuristic creations feature a mix of materials from jersey to metallicized python, stretch leather and lurex velvets.

Everything but the actors themselves — who battled it out in front of a green screen — was artificially created, said art director Pheinixx Paul.

“We’ve created something that was unique to the 3-D environment,” said Paul, creative director of Toronto design studio Pencil. “It showcased not only establishing the idea that someone is entering into a game.

“It also shows the collection and that is the replacement of the runway show.”

Shepherd isn’t the first designer who has made the foray into the digital realm as a dedicated showcase for their collection.

For their spring/summer 2009 collection, Dutch design duo Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren went virtual, showcasing their creations in an online fashion show with Canadian Shalom Harlow modelling all of the looks.

British fashion label Burberry unveiled its latest collection at London Fashion Week last month which was also streamed live in 3-D to special venues in New York, Los Angeles, Dubai, Paris and Tokyo.

Fashion lovers will have a chance to check out the film for themselves on the web.

The film will be streamed online in 2-D on FashionTelevision’s website at www.fashiontelevision.com and in 3-D at www.nada3d.com.

Those who send a self-addressed stamped number 10 envelope to Nada can receive the 3-D glasses in the mail. The address is 51 Bulwer St., 1st Floor, Toronto ON, M5T 1A1.

Shepherd said the intention of the project was to have a greater reach to a wider audience.

It was also to control what the audience can see, eliminating the worry about models losing earrings on the runway and other snafus that can arise in traditional shows.

She said the project has been a learning experience on many different levels.

“It’s a whole other element that’s being added to the way we market clothing, to the way we market our collections.”

On the Net:

NADA: www.nadadesigns.com