FENTY

Pop icon Rihanna is no stranger to Augmented Reality (AR) and neither is LVMH. Will we see AR as part of Rihanna’s partnership with LVMH on luxury brand FENTY?

Robyn Rihanna Fenty is the CEO and Artistic Director of FENTY. In a new relationship between LVMH and Rihanna, FENTY will operate outside of the traditional seasonal fashion schedule, retailing via multiple incremental releases on a “See-Now-Wear-Now” model and focused on direct-to-consumer online sales. FENTY will launch on May 24 with a pop-up in Paris and then be fully available on May 29 at www.FENTY.com

When Rihanna was asked how she came up with the distribution model she said, “Because I’m a millennial, you know? People are always looking for the thing that hasn’t made it online yet. And as a consumer, I hate seeing something on the runway and then having to wait six months for it.”

Rihanna is also a millennial who has used AR in creatively expressive ways, including working with acclaimed director Jonas Åkerlund on the world premiere for the interactive music video for her single “Who’s That Chick” for the Doritos Interactive Late Night Experience (2012).

Designed to put control of the experience in consumers' hands, the Rihanna AR performance was available in both day and night settings. Fans were able to unleash Rihanna's late-night side by pointing an AR marker located on the back of Doritos Late Night special-edition bags at a web cam. The performance was personalized by the way fans held held and moved the bag, offering a different experience each time.

In 2012, Rihanna said, "I'm really excited about 'Who's That Chick' and wanted to find a fresh and unique way to share it with my fans," said Rihanna. "When I saw how cool the augmented reality performance Doritos created was, I knew this was it. This was the way I wanted to make 'Who's That Chick' available to the world, and I can't wait to see how my fans get engaged in this innovative experience."

LVMH is a fan of both Rihanna and AR. Last week at Viva Tech in Paris, LVMH showcased the work of its various Maisons and demonstrated how they are “Crafting the Customer Experience of Tomorrow.” Thirty startups competed for the LVMH Innovation Award, with 3 of the pitches focused on AR try-on experiences across cosmetics, clothes, and shoes. 3DLOOK, an AR company that specializes in mobile body-scanning technologies for apparel, was announced as the winner. The 3DLOOK app measures a customer’s shape and size with just two photos on any background, for online or in-store shopping.

LVMH refers to FENTY as “A luxury brand for the 21st century.” Operating from a digital flagship at www.FENTY.com releases will be supported by ephemeral boutiques with unique experiences for both a physical and digital audience. Will LVMH and FENTY explore the 3DLOOK app to help consumers shop the FENTY collection online? Or will we see our Bad Gal RiRi continue to explore AR in other creative ways? We hope it will be both. Work work work work work work!