Digital snippets: Alexander Wang, Warby Parker, Gucci, Nars, Ray Ban, J Crew + more

It’s been a little while since one of these round-up posts on other interesting fashion and digital stories sourced from around the web, so there’s far more than usual. Each of them is however, of course, as interesting and relevant as ever…

• Alexander Wang teams up with Samsung for crowdsourced handbag (as above) [Mashable]

• Google reportedly in talks with Warby Parker to design stylish Google Glass frames [Techcrunch]

• Gucci ups mobile conversion 70% via optimised site [Luxury Daily]

• Nars tests Pinterest’s selling potential [Mashable]

• Ray Ban launches real-life ambermatic lens app installation [DigitalBuzzBlog]

• This is personal: J Crew debuts an in-store styling app [Refinery29]

• How John Lewis uses Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and Google+ [Econsultancy]

• Lizzy Caplan’s Viva Vena fashion film is one of the best satirical ads you’ll ever see [Slate]

• The business of blogging: Garance Doré [BoF]

• Shopping in the future: Glasses.com’s augmented reality fitting-room app [AllThingsD]

• Will Apple’s plans for an iWatch herald a new era of wearable tech? [The Observer]

• Farfetch fashion hub: meet the curator of curators [Wired]

• Business Of Fashion gets $2.1m seed funding from Index, LVMH and more for its no-nonsense B2B fashion blog [Techcrunch]

• How your tweets during fashion shows are driving sales [Fashionista]

• Fashion buys into social tools [NY Times]

• Online upstarts explore a new model for fashion media [BoF]

• Why retailers are pinning hopes on Pinterest [Reuters]

• 10 great uses of Vine during fashion week [The Cut]

• And just on the off-chance that you didn’t see it already, here is Google’s How it Feels Through Glass video

Fashion Hazard offers industry’s first action-fuelled catwalk game

Forget playing dress-up, forget virtual shopping malls, forget anything too girly or flirty, a new mobile game called Fashion Hazard has just hit the app store from Condé Nast that’s all about action.

Set on the catwalks of New York, London, Milan and Paris, it requires players to swipe, tilt and tap their way through all manner of obstacles to collect virtual currency, known as “bling”.

Competing to begin with as a naïve model called Ellie, there is everything from hissing snakes (a not-so-subtle metaphor for fashion industry types, says AdWeek) and retro stereos to contend with, not to mention the occasional can of red paint as though straight from a live PETA demonstration. As you progress, a more experienced model becomes available to play as.

“Begin as a model new to the world of high fashion and at the bottom of Fashion Week’s totem pole. Make a runway round-trip before the clock runs out without tripping, losing balance, or taking the ultimate spill,” reads the write-up.

“From New York through Europe, the rewards get bigger, the stakes get higher and staying on top gets harder. Stay in time, stay in line, stay in season…or become a Fashion Hazard.”

The idea for the game came from Juliana Stock, Condé Nast’s senior director of business and product development for its Interactive Product Group (IPG), whose 11-year-old daughter enjoys action games such as Temple Run).

“When we started to look at action and adventure with her interests in mind, which are girly, we didn’t find any,” she explained. “There was a need in the market to create an action game that was challenging, and yet still feminine and visually appealing to this demographic.”

It is currently available for the iPhone and iPad with an Android version due to follow, and costs 99c in the app store.

It also provides options for additional purchases including wallpaper and ringtones, suggesting future advertising opportunities could follow. It launches with a cross-promotional initiative with Frenzoo, developer of the Me Girl series.

Vogue launches trailer for new monthly iPad app

We all know video has become a massive part of fashion marketing, but what’s a touch newer is movie-style trailers to preview what’s on offer from the industry.

Mashable recently reported on one example from Esquire magazine to showcase a forthcoming issue, so too was there another from Burberry ahead of its spring/summer 2012 show. And now, British Vogue has released one to celebrate the fact its iPad app has just gone monthly.

Featuring exclusive video footage of cover star Karlie Kloss supplied by Nick Knight, and rotating imagery by Nice Images, it demonstrates the best of what’s included in the title’s September ‘International Collections’ issue (as above).

The move to monthly digital editions for Vogue follows an initial one-off launch with its December 2010 issue, and again for June and December 2011. The new offering includes a full version of the print edition alongside additional interactive content. Included in this first issue, now available to download from Newsstand on the App store, are 90 editorial fashion pages, as well as behind-the-scenes videos and images of models Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and Georgia May Jagger on their Olympics shoot.

Editor Alexandra Shulman, said: “This month is the biggest international collections issue of Vogue I have produced in 20 years as editor. Simultaneously we launch the new British Vogue app for iPad, now available monthly for the first time, which will enable you to experience the magazine digitally and allows us to bring some of its print features to life. Nick Knight’s shoot ‘Midas Touch’ is an excellent example of how the magazine and app can work together. It brings a new depth and enjoyment to the images you will see in these pages.”

There are also three brands who have launched media rich enhancements on their ads in the iPad issue, including Anya Hindmarch, Velvet and The Australian Wool Industry. “They are smart, stylish and show great originality,” said Rachel Reavley, associate publisher of the magazine.

Louis Vuitton rolls out first iPad app, tells stories behind 150 years of luxury trunks

 

Louis Vuitton has launched an iPad application based on its book, Louis Vuitton: 100 Legendary Trunks.

Referred to as “a wonderful breakaway through the most beautiful creations of the Maison”, it details 100 pieces of luggage from 1854 to present day, and reveals the adventures of many of the owners.

Included are such treasures as the bed-trunk made for the explorer Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza, trunks for the illusionist Harry Houdini or the fashion designer Paul Poiret, the suitcase for Queen Elizabeth II, the vanity case for Sharon Stone, and the artist’s trunk for Takashi Murakami.

The app features more than 1,000 illustrations and unpublished documents, as well as 40 videos and sound clips, and 360-degree views of 10 of the most special trunks. It was designed in partnership with Les Editions de La Martinière and also comes available in four languages: French, English, Mandarin and Japanese.

Check out the teaser video above, and more pics below:

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Christmas 2011: the best fashion videos

From Bergdorf’s pups, to Harvey Nichols’ walk of shame, here are my top ads from across the fashion space for the festive season…

Bergdorf Goodman’s Unleashed – a tale of true doggy heaven, and perhaps the cutest take on Christmas ever:

Kate Spade’s Give Colorfully – a fun spot based on gift wrapping all shapes and size:

Tommy Hilfiger’s House Par-tay – festive fun at home with The Hilfigers, which despite being on repeat play in the back of every New York taxi cab for the past month, is still enjoyable to watch:

Harvey Nichols’ Turn a Walk of Shame into a Stride of Pride – an amusing twist on Britain’s booze culture:

Tiffany & Co’s Some Holidays Are Unforgettable – a celebration of true love featuring Nat King Cole’s The Very Thought of You:

And finally, I couldn’t help but add in Apple’s festive spot for the iPhone 4S, featuring Santa and his new pal Siri:

Be sure to also check out the ones from John Lewis, Loewe, Harrods and Macy’s.

Merry Christmas all!

Lagerfeld previews new ‘Karl’ collection at #leweb

Here’s a quick preview video of Karl Lagerfeld’s new accessible womenswear line, Karl, which will launch exclusively online with Net-a-Porter on January 25.

The video was shown at LeWeb today, where Lagerfeld was on stage demonstrating how he uses the iPad and technology to enhance his work.

 

You can sign up for more info on the Karl collection, here.

Watch the video of Lagerfeld sketching his own self-portrait on his iPad here, and below see the one he did of Steve Jobs:

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade app

Macy’s has released an official mobile app for the 85th year of its Thanksgiving Day Parade tomorrow.

Launched by MyCityWay and available on both iOS and Android, it features a route map, participant tracker, guide to the city, wifi hotspot finder and weather forecasts.

It also provides information on tonight’s balloon inflation event, not to mention tips on transportation, restrooms and more.

Find out more about it, here.

 

Digital snippets: Steve Jobs, Lagerfeld, Saks, Macy’s, Anya Hindmarch, Club Monaco

It’s been a mega busy couple of weeks in the fashion and digital space, so here’s a (larger than usual) round up of some of the best stories:

• Steve Jobs: fashion inspiration [FT.com]

• Karl Lagerfeld to launch accessible womenswear line exclusively with Net-a-Porter [Reuters]

• Saks Fifth Avenue unveils shoe-themed Tumblr blog based on “floor so big that it has its own zip code” (as pictured), partners with The Man Repeller [Tumblr]

• Macy’s mBlog offers insider access to fashion, beauty, home and lifestyle news and trends [WWD]

• Anya Hindmarch launching bespoke website, allowing customers to personalise leather goods, diaries and handbags [L2 Blog]

• Jonathan Saunders and Richard Nicoll join Twitter [Vogue.com]

• Club Monaco Facebook app creates kick ass fan experience [FashionablyMarketing.me]

• British Vogue and Net-a-Porter team up on dedicated autumn/winter 2011/12 microsite [Vogue.com]

• Italian Vogue releasing its own version of Wikipedia, Vogue Encyclo [The Cut]

• Interview: A Shaded View on Fashion Film Grand Prize winner, Elisha Leverock-Smith [Dazed Digital]

• Start-up Pose raises $3m; launches on Andriod, gives users widgets [FashionablyMarketing.me]

• How trade shows are adapting to the digital age [The Business of Fashion]

Steve Jobs, 1955-2011

“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me. Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful – that’s what matters to me.” Steve Jobs 1955-2011 (Wall Street Journal, May 25, 1993)

Illustration by Jonathan Mak

Digital snippets: Tom Ford, Net-a-Porter, Apple, Gilt Groupe, Anna Wintour

Some more great stories from around the web surrounding all things fashion and digital this week:

 

• Tom Ford releases video lookbook of his autumn/winter 2011/12 collection (as above) [YouTube]

• Net-a-Porter launches “live” app, lets you see what others are buying around the world [Daily Telegraph]

• Apple takes over the fashion C-suite [FT Material World]

• Gilt Groupe to launch upscale, full-price men’s fashion website called Park & Bond [JustLuxe]

• P& G opens Facebook stores for Tide, Gillette, Olay, Gain, CoverGirl, Luvs and Febreze [Social Commerce Today]

• LA boutique American Rag installs rearview cameras in fitting rooms [The Cut]

• And in case you missed it (how could you), Anna Wintour’s five word acceptance speech at the Webbys: “Sometimes… geeks can be chic” [Fashionista]

In other news – this blog will be on a bit of a mini hiatus while I hit up Cannes Lions next week. Hopefully lots of exciting things to report back thereafter…