Last weekend's Virtually Fashionable was an exciting lead up to the new game Tomb Raider: Underworld which will be released on November 18th, 2008. The fashion show combined the actual and the virtual designs of 10 Montreal designers. Each designer was asked to create a new outfit for Lara Croft, who as we know, or can relate to, is a busy woman so absorbed in her work she has little time to spend on her wardrobe. She typically wears the same-old, same-old outfit everyday: a short black tank top and short-shorts with a backpack and belt to hold her ammo with only slight variations depending on the weather or the task she is performing. The winning design produced by one of the Montreal designers would then become part of Lara's wardrobe.As the lights dimmed at the event the models, who were spitting images of Lara with her amazonian height, muscular build and dark locks, strutted the stage. The virtual version of the dress would then be projected on either side of the catwalk illustrating Lara's complex movements. It allowed the audience to see how Lara would function and look while sporting the design. The actual version of the outfit provided a close-up of the detailed work that went into creating a garment for a real-life Lara. Although, I can't particularly imagine raiding tombs in most of the designs that were shown, the actual garments presented fabrics that the virtual world could not. The winning design, a white, almost pea coat-style garment was made of a waterproof wet suit material which was no doubt, the key to its success as it would suit Lara's field of work.Virtually Fashionable was a fashion show like no other.
For more info on that event and the designers visit the Gaming Nexus web site.
If you are interested in reading about the representation of women in Cyberspace this article by Sheryl Hamilton is fascinating and briefly discusses Lara Croft.
Screenshot of Lara from the Underworld web site.
