Snapchat & Vogue

In the summer of 2022, at the Centre d’art La Malmaison during the Cannes Lions  International Festival of Creativity, Snapchat and Vogue hosted the exhibition: Redefining the Body. This collaborative event featured six unique and immersive experiences for renowned fashion houses and designers: Dior, Stella McCartney, Versace, Gucci, and Richard Quinn.

The exhibition aimed to make fashion more accessible by pushing the boundaries of traditional shows and enhancing the designers' visions with augmented reality (AR). Each AR experience was meticulously crafted to elevate the designers' artistic expressions, offering attendees an innovative way to interact with and appreciate fashion.

‍Our mission was to seamlessly integrate AR into the event, providing a new dimension to fashion presentation and enabling a more interactive and personalized visitor experience. By bridging the gap between fashion and technology, we showcased how AR can enhance the storytelling and emotional impact of fashion design.

Due to its success, the exhibition was also hosted in 2023 Central London’s Regent Street in London, reaching an even wider audience and continuing to demonstrate the transformative potential of AR in the fashion industry.

Beyond Space and Shape: The Architects of the Digital Space

The exhibition spanned two floors, but only 2D maps of the space were available. All experiences were created in a Paris studio without seeing the actual venue. The rooms varied in size, requiring a thorough understanding of these new volumes to ensure seamless integration of the experiences with the environment. With limited visibility, the design team managed to approximate the physical space through meticulous planning and creativity. This approach allowed for the design of immersive experiences that would fit perfectly once deployed. The aim was to create several "wow effects" that engaged viewers and encouraged them to snap photos and share on social media.

Interpreting the Designers' Vision: Crafting AR Couture with Precision

‍Our creative studio was commissioned to craft augmented reality (AR) experiences for the Vogue x Snapchat exhibition, an innovative display that spans cities from London to Lagos, Paris to Johannesburg. This exhibition highlights designers who redefine traditional concepts of physicality, encompassing diverse perspectives on gender, race, size, age, and sustainable as well as digital fashion. These visionary designers confront societal standards and offer new interpretations of how physical and digital spaces—and the garments within them—are perceived today. Our challenge was to infuse each exhibition room with AR, enabling visitors to virtually try on outfits and engage with the designers' creative concepts through a curated selection of AR lenses, ultimately creating an immersive and inclusive experience that seamlessly blends the physical and digital realms.

Material Challenge: Surface and Object Detection

Detecting surfaces and objects, particularly mirrors, posed a significant challenge as mirrors could not be detected by the existing technology. The limitation was addressed by creating a portal experience. Various AR technologies were leveraged to handle technical difficulties in different room environments. For example, gyroscope technology was used for Dior to allow animations to play seamlessly from any angle, and LidAR technology was employed for Richard Quinn to accurately place digital roses within the scene. These solutions ensured a seamless user experience and respected each designer's vision. 

AR Haute Couture: Unique Spaces, Special Interactions

The project transcended the confines of physical space, showcasing not only the rooms but also the innovative try-on experiences. By democratizing AR and high-end couture, the initiative made high fashion accessible to a broader audience. Collaborating with renowned fashion houses , the project aimed to enhance fashion and event experiences through advanced AR technology. This project exemplified how AR could revolutionize the fashion industry, offering endless possibilities for creativity and engagement.

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