Barco powers holographic visuals at New York Fashion Week for National Geographic

Barco, the technology company focusing on innovative visualisation solutions, has revealed that its UDX-4K40 projectors have powered the visuals for National Geographic’s immersive runway experience at New York Fashion Week (NYFW).

National Geographic debuted a revolutionary fashion show at the iconic event. This featured lifelike holographic images of extraordinary animals alongside models to celebrate the launch of the brand’s new series QUEENS. The display was created by PRG (Production Resource Group) with Barco UDX projections.

Lifelike holographs

The biannual New York Fashion Week offers a programme packed with elite runway presentations and afterparties. For the 2024 winter edition, National Geographic debuted “Fit for a Queen,” an immersive show featuring holographic projections of the most remarkable female leaders in the animal kingdom, including elephants, lionesses, and bears. These creatures walked the runway alongside renowned models.

The experience was developed to celebrate the premiere of its docuseries QUEENS. This new release is narrated by iconic award-winning actress Angela Bassett and investigates the lives of female animal leaders, in a fascinating narrative of queendom and empowerment.

National Geographic’s immersive approach tests the limits of fashion show technology and presentation. To achieve the required impact, the holographs had to be realistic in terms of colour, texture, scale, and movement. In addition, painstaking attention to detail was required to blend these lifelike animal projections with live models on the runway.

To make this idea a reality, National Geographic collaborated with PRG, a major global innovation organisation known for its advanced work in live events. PRG was well-prepared for the challenge, having previously worked on high-profile events such as the Super Bowl and the Olympics.

Accurate & powerful projection

PRG drew on its expertise in holographic projection technology to bring nature and fashion together, providing the audience with a one-of-a-kind, immersive fashion experience. The firm used two UDX-4K40 Barco projectors to generate realistic animal renderings for the show. With REC.709+ colour performance, the UDXs produced high-quality images that accurately reproduced the colours and textures of the animals.

Jeroen Hallaert, VP production services at PRG, comments: “The UDX was a solid choice. These powerful projectors and their lenses were a gamechanger in the creation of the immersive event. With unparalleled color performance, the UDX projectors delivered exceptional lifelike holographic animals, transforming the runway into a mesmerizing display of nature and fashion.”

The UDX projectors proved to be the ideal option for realising National Geographic’s concept on the runway, thanks to their excellent projection capabilities and accurate colour reproduction.

As a result, the show provided a new perspective on nature’s beauty in a vibrant blend of fashion and technology that enthralled over 200 industry influencers, celebrities, fashion tastemakers, and media who attended New York Fashion Week. 

Earlier this month, Barco shared how 30 of its projectors have been used in Spring from Taihang, an immersive architectural 3D mapping light and shadow show in Xingtai, China. The half-a-kilometre-long experience launched at the beginning of 2024 and was presented by Xingtai Transportation Construction Group, in collaboration with Xingtai Cultural Tourism Group and Yoke Technology Group.