Augmented reality shopping is here – Vogue Business
Fri 19 Feb
Cult fashion boutique Machine-A and the Institute of Digital Fashion are launching an augmented store environment, akin to a virtual reality store, to promote the London Fashion Week collections of designers like A-Cold-Wall*, Martine Rose and Richard Quinn. Is this the future of retail?
Machine-A, the London-based concept store, is using augmented reality to recreate the in-person experience lost over the past year amid lockdown, as fashion’s adoption of AR widens.
The virtual store, a first for a luxury multi-brand retailer, was developed in partnership with the Institute of Digital Fashion to coincide with London Fashion Week’s start on February 19. Machine-A will showcase the work and inspiration of emerging UK designers like Martine Rose, Richard Quinn and A-Cold-Wall, to boost visibility during a particularly quiet fashion month that’s limited to digital-only shows and experiences. The project was strategised, delivered and funded by IoDF.
“For us, it’s important to always be discovering new innovative ways to engage with our customers and our community,” says Stavros Karelis, founder and buying director of Machine-A. “We wanted to raise awareness for the brands that we are carrying, especially in this period of time when the store is shut and London Fashion Week is taking place digitally.” Fashion business accelerator Tomorrow took a majority stake in Machine-A last November.