Bringing the fashion show experience to new audiences with a fresh lens is a longstanding London Fashion Week trend. From pop-up shops to live broadcasts the desire by leading fashion brands to extend that front-row feeling to mass market consumers has never been greater.

The trend which brought with it arguably one of the worst marketing buzzwords in living memory ‘pysigital’ (the fusion of digital and physical experiences) is nonetheless centre stage at London Fashion Week.

Steve Madden has taken this push to the next level this season by fusing together immersive theatre, interactive storytelling and gaming. The result is the Sole Survivor event, created by global experience design company Imagination.

Yes, there is a fashion gala -  the mainstay of the fashion PR playbook - but attendees were also immersed in a real-world game brought to life in an app.

Guests were invited to experience Steve Madden’s real-life story as game levels. Each ‘Game Level’ told a chapter of Steve’s life, from his humble beginnings slinging shoes out the back of his car, to his time on Wall Street, subsequent stint in jail and finally culminating to celebrate his continued success at the Dynasty-themed fashion gala.

Each game level was also related to a key look from the latest collection. At the final event, guests could earn ‘Steve Bucks’ as they participated in the curated activities over two days. ‘Steve Bucks’ were automatically awarded for attending events. While the brand’s social media reach was boosted by the fact that posting on social media also netted attendees ‘Steve Bucks’. As well as participating in the gamified layers of the immersive experiences.

The game encouraged attendees to compete against each other to climb to the top of the leaderboard and embrace the spirit of Steve Madden’s rise to success becoming the ultimate sole survivor. While a grand finale fashion show including Non-Playable Characters (NPCs) wearing the new Steve Madden F/W 24 collection to fashionistas and invited guests.

Martin van Bentem, PR and Communications Manager at Steve Madden Europe, explained: “The event showcased the latest collection, featuring innovative designs and bold styles that reflected the brand's edgy aesthetic. Imagination’s brilliant design concepts were visible at every turn, from eye-catching displays that showcased the latest collection to interactive installations that allowed attendees to engage with the brand in unique ways.”

Rob Day, Business Director, at Imagination, added: “Collaborating with such brave clients pushed us to explore new and innovative ways to ensure the collection's impact in today's social media-driven landscape. Our unique and original approach combined real and virtual gameplay, offering an immersive theatrical journey that highlighted the brand's rich history whilst showcasing the products in unprecedented ways."

A gamified collaboration which underlines that while trends continue to fast cycle out of fashion, the experience economy is here to stay.