Digital snippets: Burberry, L’Oréal, Macy’s, Adidas, Uniqlo, Google Glass

A round-up of the latest stories to know about surrounding all things fashion and tech:

• How Burberry has fared in its first days on Tmall [Jing Daily]

• L’Oréal launches virtual try-on make-up app [NY Times]

• Macy’s is the first retailer to run Facebook’s auto-play video ads [Adweek]

• Adidas app to print Instagram snaps on your shoes [CNET]

• Uniqlo lets consumers design their own t-shirts [WSJ – Japan Real Time]

• Google’s new fashion-savvy exec can’t fix Glass’ biggest flaw [Wired]

• Burberry cites integrated marketing activity for revenue growth as EasyJet CEO joins the board [The Drum]

• CFDA to give out Instagram award [Telegraph Fashion]

• Op-ed: Why fashion is the next big thing in venture capital [BoF]

• Why are fashion brands shying away from Tumblr? [Tumblr]

Mink, a 3D printer for make-up, aims to disrupt colour cosmetics market

3D printing just became significantly more relevant to a huge group of consumers. Forget mere filament forms, next up is 3D-printed make-up.

Unveiled by Harvard Business School grad, Grace Choi, at TechCrunch Disrupt in New York today, Mink is a desktop printer that lets users choose any colour and instantly transform it into a wearable colour cosmetic. And by that she means everything from a creamy blush or lipstick to a powdery eyeshadow or foundation.

As reported by TechCrunch: “Most makeup comes from the same basic substrates, from high-end labels like Chanel all the way down to the cheap stuff available at drug stores… Choi sources the same substrate for the Mink so that users can turn any image into any kind of makeup.”

The whole point is to make colour – something the beauty industry makes a whole lot of money out of – that much more accessible for consumers. Rather than paying a premium for such shades, shoppers can now just print them out at home. (Did you know ink is FDA compliant?) With Mink, any image online, or out in the real world can be captured and made into an instant beauty product.

“Mink enables the web to become the biggest beauty store in the world,” says Choi. “It not only unlocks images, it unlocks pixels, so we’re going to live in a world where you can just take a picture of your friend’s lipstick and print it out.”

It’s set to retail at around $300 when it launches later this year. Read the whole story, and watch the Disrupt video which shows Choi demo’ing the Mink printer, here.

Digital snippets: adidas, Louis Vuitton, Neiman Marcus, Bitcoin, American Apparel

Here’s a highlight of the best stories in the fashion and tech space over the past couple of weeks…

• adidas launches Stan Smith pop-up store, includes 3D-printing station (as pictured) [Dexigner]

• Louis Vuitton debuts spring campaign on Instagram [Refinery29]

• Neiman Marcus CEO apologises for data breach, offers free credit monitoring [The Verge]

• Overstock CEO: Why we’re accepting Bitcoins [CNBC]

• Five reasons why American Apparel is bullish on Twitter [AdWeek]

• Aerie’s unretouched ads ‘challenge supermodel standards’ for young women [Huffington Post]

• Warby Parker launches interactive 2013 annual report [Laughing Squid]

• Wet Seal hires 16-year-old to build its following on Snapchat [AdAge]

• François-Henri Pinault puts his money where his mobile is via Square, hints at future for luxury world buying into tech [FT Material World]

• Show business: are fashion shows still relevant? [BoF]

• Beacons: what they are, how they work, and why Apple’s iBeacon technology is ahead of the pack [Business Insider]

• Personalisation is key for beauty omnichannel strategy: L’Oréal Luxe exec [Luxury Daily]

• Try on virtual make-up and pay with your hand with retail tech at CES 2014 [BrandChannel]

Digital snippets: Selfridges, Prada, Victoria’s Secret, Gap, Asos, Lancôme, Valentino

A highlight of the top stories surrounding all things fashion and digital of late: 

• Drive-through Dior? Coming right up at Selfridges London [CN Traveler] 

• Wes Anderson debuts latest Prada feature [Fashionotes] 

• Victoria’s Secret creates 3D-printed angel wings for fashion models [Huffington Post] 

• Gap rolls out “reserve in store” service [CNBC] 

• Asos plans China launch with ‘culturally relevant’ marketing [Marketing Magazine] 

• Behind the Lancôme digital experience [L2 The Daily] 

• Valentino jumps in on China’s high-tech runway revolution [JingDaily] 

• Under Armour looks to take a bite out of FuelBand success with MapMyFitness acquisition [BrandChannel] 

• Nasty Gal is opening a brick and mortar store [Hollywood Reporter] 

• Pinterest opens API to retail partners [TechCrunch] 

• Google’s Eric Schmidt invests in retail tech designed to help personalisation and data measurement [WWD] 

• Here’s why ‘The Internet of Things’ will be huge, and drive tremendous value for people and businesses [Business Insider] 

• Why companies desperately need to make wearables cool [Wired] 

• How brands get shoppers to volunteer their personal data: transparency and better experiences [PSFK] 

• Social media drives less than 1% of shopping sessions, study says [Fashionista] 

• Fashion retailers are still failing to optimise email marketing for mobile [Econsultancy] 

• What retailers can learn from mobile commerce in the UK [Shop.org] 

• 15 stats that show why click-and-collect is so important for retailers [Econsultancy] 

Note: Look out for a separate holiday-specific digital round-up later this week, featuring all the top retail campaign stories as well as insights into the biggest innovations being pushed for the festive season. 

Digital snippets: Nike, DVF, Michael Kors, Burt’s Bees, Free People, Chanel, Tory Burch

Here’s a rather hefty highlight of stories from around the web surrounding all things fashion and digital of late:

• Nike’s new FuelBand and the age of social products [BoF]

• Diane von Furstenberg hosts first shoppable Google+ Hangout [Mashable]… and here’s another from Rag & Bone

• Michael Kors runs #WatchHungerStop animated GIF campaign for World Food Day [Fashionista]

• Burt’s Bees taps Vine in literary campaign to  promote its classic products [Brandchannel]

• How Free People is using big data and social commerce for bigger sales [Forbes]

• Chanel touts cosmetics line through insider beauty tip videos [Luxury Daily]

• How Tory Burch builds passionate customers: insights on its digital journey [Shop.org]

• Net-a-Porter joins forces with Glossybox [Telegraph Fashion]

• Ralph Lauren showcases accessories in ‘The Dog Walk’ digital video [WWD]

• Urban Outfitters preps for Holidays with mobile investments [AdAge]

• P’trique of Sh*t Fashion Girls Say joins The Outnet in LinkedIn video campaign [Fashionologie]

• Bobbi Brown uses interactive Blippar app to bring Katie Holmes to life [BeautyWorldNews]

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

• The major retailers most threatened by mobile showrooming, and how they’re fighting it [Business Insider]

Digital snippets: Gap and DVF, JC Penney, Nike, eBay and Kate Spade Saturday, Burberry

A round-up of recent stories from around the web surrounding all things fashion and digital:

• GapKids launches photo filters and stickers with Aviary to promote Diane von Furstenberg collection (as pictured) [TechCrunch]

• JC Penney says ‘We’re Sorry’ and ‘Come Back’ with social media blitz [BrandChannel]

• Nike gears customised shoe campaign to Instagram users [ClickZ]

• eBay and Kate Spade Saturday to launch touchscreen store window [PSFK]

• Fashion meets music with Burberry’s new eyewear campaign [Vogue Australia]

• Condé Entertainment previews video channels for Vogue, Wired and Vanity Fair [WWD]

• Is Primark mad to ignore e-commerce? [Econsultancy]

• Making the best of a digital situation: what luxury brands can do to catch up online [Forbes]

• The best fashion/tech start-ups at NY Tech Day [Fashion’s Collective]

• Online, everyone can be a make-up critic [NYTimes]

Topshop animates nail colours in SS13 video

 

Topshop has released a very cute stop-motion video short to promote its spring/summer 2013 nail colours.

Created by brother and sister filmmaking duo Sadie and Joe Williams, it brings to life a series of nail varnish pots, painted nails and even emery boards.

“Dancing nails in sizzling new season colours as well as statement glittery shades will transport you somewhere tropical!” reads the write-up. Watch it below…

[via AlexLoves]

Givenchy launches short graphic film for new lipstick

 

Parfums Givenchy has released a short film called Le Rouge for the launch of its new lipstick of the same name.

Created by design studio Hellohikimori, the spot sees model Mariacarla Boscono wearing a leather dress interspersed with geometrical and graphic shots of the product.

The aim was to mirror the design of the lipstick, which in turn, with its leather casing and metallic mechanic inspired by the ‘stud’, captures the couture spirit of the Givenchy brand. It’s a “visual extension of artistic director Riccardo Tisci’s dark poetic universe”, reads the write-up.

David Ronhel, co-founder of Hellohikimori said: “We wanted to bring ‘Le Rouge’ alive by staging it in the dark atmosphere it brings out. We focused on the texture sets, graphic lines and colorimetry in this movie.”

Smashbox and Look partner on “blipp-to-buy” virtual shopping wall

Smashbox Cosmetics is set to host a virtual shopping wall at a high street catwalk show hosted by the UK’s Look magazine on October 6.

Enabled through a partnership with image recognition and augmented reality platform Blippar, the initiative will allow consumers to purchase products from the make-up brand directly through their mobile phones while at The Look Show event.

They will also be able to do so through the magazine thereafter, where pages showcasing the key make-up looks and products from the show will likewise be enhanced with shoppable augmented reality.

Stephen Shaw, opportunities director for Blippar, said: “From our initial creative briefings with Look it was clear they understood the tangible levels of engagement and interaction that Blippar could deliver for Smashbox Cosmetics. But just as important was that they realised the power of creating a stunning event and entertaining brand content that would compel their celebrity guests and readers to blipp-to-buy direct from the Smashbox Cosmetics virtual shopping wall and the post-show Look magazine special.”

Virtual shopping walls are a relatively new trend – inspired in the main by the Tesco Homplus subway initiative in South Korea last summer. Two further noteable examples include the Net-a-Porter Window Shop powered by Aurasma for Fashion’s Night Out in 2011, and the Glamour US beauty shopping wall in New York in February.

The Smashbox partnership with Look magazine comes as the LA-based cosmetics company aims to expands its UK presence. There will also be print and online display ads, social media, and homepage takeovers.

Teaser video: Shu Uemura by Karl Lagerfeld

This is a very cute video teasing the release of the Shu Uemura by Karl Lagerfeld collection (launching November 2012).

Called “Mon Shu Girl Birth Story”, it’s an animated tale of the collection’s mascot coming to life, and a play on Lagerfeld’s admission that he has used the brand’s eyeshadows for sketching. Check it out below:

 

[via Vogue.fr]