manager_1 Designer Charli Cohen and Selfridges, a luxury retailer, have collaborated to create a collection in honor of Pokemon’s Silver Anniversary.
Yahoo Ryot Lab, a Yahoo production house, collaborated with them on the launch for the immersive shopping platform Electric/City. This was in the form a 360-degree ‘cyberpunk’ video experience. The dedicated website allows visitors to ‘walk’ through a virtual world inspired by international capitals. They can view virtual performances and shop from augmented-reality merchandise vans.
The virtual streets have clickable “plus” symbols that provide additional information. Nearly every element links to dedicated shopping pages for both the digital-only Kaleidodrip selection and the physical Pokemon line.
The designer and Yahoo Ryot Lab collaborated to create the four-piece digital collection, which includes rainbow-coloured jackets as well as bespoke Cohen looks. The clothes can be worn by users using an augmented reality lens that tracks their body, and the user has the option of applying the virtual clothing to different platforms.
Sam Field, Yahoo’s director of creative technology EMEA, stated that “We are focused to helping creators and brands bring immersive experiences to life across all the metaverse. We’ve witnessed a huge consumer demand for immersive experiences over the past 18 months. Electric/City has created what we call a Brandiverse, a mix of emerging technologies that creates immersive brand experiences on a large scale.”
“This project combines 3D virtual environment, 4K streaming and 3D design software to digital clothing, motion capture, digital collectables enabled by blockchain, augmented reality, and other features.”
“Our Brandiverse, an industry that is deeply rooted in innovation and a great fit for fashion brands, embraces the power of storytelling to enable people to explore their identities through fashion in new ways throughout their physical and digital lives.”
The physical collection includes hoodies and jackets as well as t-shirts featuring the Pokemon icon Pikachu. After purchasing a garment, buyers will be able to access Snapchat filters that are attached to it. They can also use Snapchat’s AR technology digitally to wear it. Buyers have the option to create a virtual avatar that they can share on multiple social media platforms.
Cohen stated that “Our digital identity has become just as important as our physical one, as the lines between them continue to blur. We can offer customers the option to choose between a physical and digital Charli Cohen outfit, and, if digitally, which platforms they would like to use it on – giving digital clothing real utility and not just bragging rights.”
Yahoo Ryot Lab and Charli Cohen hosted a three-day launch in-store where customers could register for a digital account to enter a physical easter hunt. They also had the chance to win physical prizes or one Charli Cohen digital collectable.
