An essential round-up of the latest digital launches by luxury brands, including Michael Kors, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Norma Kamali, & Shiseido
An essential round-up of the latest digital launches by luxury brands, including Michael Kors, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Norma Kamali, & Shiseido.
Maybe it is because we are in the midst of fashion month, but September marked the launch of many a new website, digital campaign, application and even 3D collection presentations, by a host of runway favourites. Whilst a handful of shows now ask guests not to Tweet, Facebook or Instagram any of their collections, Burberry again went against the grain, partnering with Twitter to send out Twitpics of each look from the Spring 2012 collection, just before they hit the runway.
Over at Gucci, digital is being used to further enhance retail engagement strategy, using groundbreaking technologies developed by experience design company OOOii. Unveiled at the freshly refurbished via Montenapoleone Milan flagship the project incorporates 50" LCD video wall displays from tiled throughout the store that will enable natural human-computer interaction. The imitative was allegedly inspired by the film Minority Report and will allow customers to pause, rewind and search with the flick of the hand.
Ritz-Carlton, Website
To coincide with the launch of the new brand platform, Let Us Stay With You, Ritz-Carlton have re-invigorated their website, enhanced their social media capabilities and launched a digital video to capture the spirit of their customer centric campaign. In the coming weeks, Ritz-Carlton will also debut a dynamic, ever-changing online portal that allows guests to publically curate stories of luxury service and their experience at Ritz-Carlton hotels.
Website & Source: ritzcarlton.com
The Corner, China
Yoox Group have launched its multibrand online retail offering, The Corner, in China, with a so far unprecedented level of customer service. The site offers clients a 24-hour call centre, and round the clock fashion advisers available on instant messenger, to answer questions of fabric, quality, style and sizing. But what is most newsworthy regarding the launch, is the partnership developed between Yoox and FedEx, which will see FedEx delivery men wait on the doorsteps of consumers, while they inspect their purchases, try them on for size and decide if they wish to keep the product.
h4.Website: thecorner.com.cn
Source: Wall Street Journal
Michael Kors, Destination Kors
Destination Kors is the newest digital platform by Michael Kors, designed as one part editorial, one part digital dashboard, where users can experience complete integration of all brand and designer content, alongside all products and e-Commerce functionality. The site also integrates all the brand’s digital touch points, such as Facebook, Twitter page, and eventual retail points of sale.
Website: destinationkors.com
Source: michaelkors.com
IHG, Innovation Hotel 2.0
InterContinental Hotels Group has launched version 2.0 of Innovation Hotel, a website launched in 2008 to serve as a creative hub for sustainable hotel design. The updated sites includes real-life hotel case studies demonstrating how IHG hotels are already implementing sustainable ideas and access to Green Engage*, IHG’s environmental management system, where users can share ideas through Facebook and Twitter.
Website: innovation.ihgplc.com
Source: Luxury Hospitality Daily
How to Spend It, iPad App
The Financial Times’ luxury lifestyle magazine, How to Spend It, has developed a free App for the iPad, delivering the content of more than 60 editions alongside daily postings by top contributors. Users can search both current and archive articles by subject, browse additional blogs, news, columns and offers and access the signature Gift Guide – with a new one added every day of the year.
Download: How to Spend It
Website & Source: ft.com
Norma Kamali, 3D Collection Presentation
Norma Kamali has launched her Spring 2012 collection with an innovative eCommerce site and short film featured in 3D video format. Facebook fans were able to request a free pair of custom 3D viewing glasses – in her signature cat-eye shape – to coincide with the launch of normakamali3d.com, which together enable viewers to see the collection in vivid detail. Viewers can also opt to see her video in 2D by selecting the respective options in the YouTube player.
Website: normakamali3d.com
Source: Fashionably Marketing Me
Omega, iPad Magazine
Omega have launched version 1.3 of the iPad edition of Lifetime Magazine. The newest edition presents the magazine presents the full content of the latest issue of the print version, the Water Edition, enhanced with interactive features, audio interviews, soundtracks and an easily navigable custom-designed interface for the iPad.
Website: omegawatches.com
Download: OMEGA Lifetime
Source: Trusted Watch
Thierry Mugler, iPhone App
Mugler have created a comprehensive application for the iPhone, where fans can engage and customise an experience with the iconic Angel fragrance. The Dream Machine function asks users to choose 5 key words among a galaxy of 40 to create a bespoke experience, which is then presented as a customised mini-movie. The app also includes behind the scenes videos, a full array of fragrance descriptions and GPS-enabled shopping aide.
Website: mugler.com
Download: Thierry Mugler – Angel
Source: Al Dente
Marni, Digital Magazine
Coinciding with the launch of the new website, Marni has unveiled a quarterly online magazine called Anticamera, the Italian word for lobby. Marni will collaborate with artists each issue, to create original works that ‘reflect the Marni point of view’. For the first issue, Tellas, an Italian illustrator and animator, has created an abstract video featuring signature pencil sketches for the site, which will then be featured on a limited edition range of accessories.
Source: WWD
Moncler, Online Boutique
Following this year’s acquisition by Eurazeo, Moncler have partnered with Yoox to bring an online flagship destination, housing all corporate information and collections under the single moncler.com address. The virtual store – optimised for iPad – is available in five languages (Italian, English, French, Spanish and German), with shipping to twenty-seven countries.
Website: moncler.com
Source: WWD
W Magazine, iPad
Ahead of alleged plans to produce an entirely digital edition of W Magazine, as early as 2012, the Conde Nast glossy has launched The Daily W, an on-going and free of charge iPad exclusive app with a daily offering of “must sees” and “must haves” curated by the editors of W. The app combines a range of content with the functionality of a shopping app, where fashion, beauty, accessories, and travel are available through click-to-buy through external partners.
Download: The Daily W
Source: Business Wire
Shiseido, e-Commerce (China)
Part of its commitment to strengthening sales in the promising Chinese market, Shiseido has launched e-Commerce in the region, alongside Pure & Mild Soi, a new line of products developed specifically for the Chinese mail-order market. The company have also detailed plans to launch its Tsubaki hair-care brand in China from December, which will be adjusted to suit Chinese tastes. Finally, Shiseido is to commence construction on a new facility at its plant in Shanghai to produce and market the products.
Website: shiseidochina.com
Source: WWD
Net-a-Porter, Augmented Reality
Net-a-Porter have launched The Window Shop application, using an augmented reality platform powered by Aurasma. The app was originally developed for Fashion’s Night Out in a bid to bridge the divide between brick-and-mortar and online shopping. Users were instructed to find physical store locations in London and NYC, where they were to take a picture of items in the window, which the technology then brought to life. Users were then directed back to Net-a-Porter on their devices to make a purchase.
Source: WWD
Thomas Pink, Website
LVMH owned, London based shirt maker, Thomas Pink, has unveiled its reinvigorated online flagship, designed to be the biggest store in the network. The new site includes simplified product categories across a range of product sections, improved zoom, visibility and colour groupings as well as an easy-to-navigate checkout process. The site also features an area for PINK TV, to showcase the brands collections and other video content.
Source: Retail Gazette
For more in the series of The Latest Digital, please see our most recent editions as follows:
- The Latest Digital, Balenciaga, Elie Saab & Zegna
- The Latest Digital, Hublot, Dolce & Gabbana & Fabergé
- The Latest Digital, Harrods, Heesen & Starwood Hotels
