How fitting that October 20—Lucire’s anniversary—is the date of another technological landmark, with Tommy Hilfiger announcing its virtual reality shopping experience, launching today at its Fifth Avenue store in New York City.
Wearing a Samsung Gear VR device, customers can find themselves immersed in a 360-degree presentation of Tommy Hilfiger’s fall–winter 2015–16 runway collection, as though they were sitting in the front row at the Park Avenue Armory on February 16, 2015. There is also an exclusive backstage view not traditionally open to audiences.
Hilfiger said in a release, ‘Through virtual reality, we’re now able to bring our one-of-a-kind fashion show to the retail setting. From the incredible set and music to exclusive backstage moments, consumers will be able to watch the clothes move and see the collection in the original show environment—it’s a compelling and interesting elevation of the traditional shopping experience.’
Tommy Hilfiger CEO Daniel Grieder added, ‘Through cutting-edge virtual reality technology, we can invite shoppers to experience the Hilfiger Collection fashion show from a front row seat. We’re using virtual reality to open the doors to a unique part of our world, directly connecting the consumers in our retail space with one of our largest brand events each season.’
The company’s aim is to increase social engagement. The virtual reality set-up was created in collaboration with WeMakeVR, and captured with the proprietary WeMakeVR-Falcon camera.
The virtual reality programme will roll out in London (Brompton Road and Regent Street, and at wholesale with Selfridges), Paris (Boulevard des Capucines and Champs-Élysées), Milano (Piazza Guglielmo Oberdan), Amsterdam (P. C. Hooftstraat), Düsseldorf (Schadowstraße), Firenze (Piazza degli Antinori), Zürich (Bahnhofstraße) and Moskva (Kuznetsky Most) afterwards.