From Metaverse Fashion Week to a multitude of NFTs, wearables and futuristic retail spaces, the digital fashion landscape is evolving at a rapid pace, with perceived opportunities spreading in all directions. But a true leap in innovation tailored to luxury customers has so far proven inevitable.Fortnite, Minecraft, Bitmoji forays into dressing up digital avatars, Coach, Michael Kors , CFDA’s recent NFTs with the likes of Tommy Hilfiger (prices start at $15,000 each), or “digital couture house” Auroroboros, these various innovations lack the experiential element that’s still important to luxury customers. It seems like the recent Bitcoin crash and FTX collapse can feel like thin air in the same way.
But a small group of new digital players are doing things differently. Zero10, his AR fashion platform launched by George Yashin in 2020, aims to bridge traditional fashion forms to digital through try-on technology. 2023 will see the launch of Syky, which spans digital, physical and augmented fashion, founded by former Ralph Lauren digital executive girlfriend Alice Delahunt. And then there’s London-based Xydrobe. Here, we take a closer look at him, one of the most promising players who might change the way you shop.
(Image credit: courtesy of Xydrobe)
What is Zaidrobe?
Zaidrobe, pronounced “zaidrobe,” says it is “a physical destination and experience that enhances the experience of luxury fashion.” A company has a physical part and a digital part.
First, “Xydrobe” is a physical fiberglass sphere 2.5m in diameter that you can walk inside (the entrance is made large enough for a wheelchair and accommodates up to the 99th percentile of a man’s height). . Once inside, you can stand or sit. Nine surround-sound speakers, a scent machine (allowing brands to place fragrances in their homes and reflecting their ambiance with unique smells), and a temperature and wind machine (like floating in the air on a warm breeze). to produce a nice effect), and top. A headset within range that tracks eye movements (reduces movement nausea). Customers are guided through the digital experience with visual and audio cues.
“Inside these Xydrobes are customized virtual experiences that give customers access to unique landscapes designed exclusively by the brand. Shop,” CEO Nell Lloyd-Malcolm told Wallpaper*. “It can be anything they want. Customers can buy physical products, such as limited editions only available via Xydrobe, and other treasures that may deepen their connection with the brand.” .”
The scope of appeal is wide. “Today, we work and talk primarily with leading luxury brands ranging from fashion, jewelry, real estate, beauty, automotive to fragrance,” says Lloyd-Malcolm. The traction is overwhelmingly supported by all brands.” Eight luxury brands – founding brand partners in each luxury industry with multiple retail outlets – have signed up for the Xydrobes fleet (all currently subject to NDA). The list of confirmed brands for “at home” headset applications due in 2024 is already huge.
Xylab (pronounced “zai-lab”) began as a sister brand to Xydrobe and was created to meet the surging demand from brands looking to support a wide range of rapidly evolving digital needs. “Xylab is the perfect access point for brands looking to explore NFTs and Web3 strategies, retail-based his VFX content, digital or LED experiences,” explains CMO Michael Pegrum.
When brands don’t have the confidence or skill set to build their own digital experiences in-house, Xydrobe has the capabilities to create their digital and sensory worlds. “The brands we have worked with have trusted us immensely creatively with what their world will be like and what they can create within that experience. CBO Isabella Gallucci says.
Who is behind Xydrobe?
The trio behind Xydrobe are young and impressive. CEO Lloyd-Malcolm is a former Visual FX Producer with over a decade of experience working on Hollywood projects such as: Star Wars When mission impossibleShe started her career as a coffee runner in the visual effects department at Pinewood Studios. Star Wars Playing Maz Kanata, I learned practical methods from some of the best in the VFX industry. Mr. Gallucci, CBO, was formerly a luxury fashion stylist, where he worked for e-commerce giant Matches Fashion for over seven years. CMO Pegrum has over 15 years of experience in PR and marketing, working for brands such as Vivienne Westwood and Perry Ellis, and is responsible for the luxury space’s global contact address book.
Based in Shoreditch, east London, the trio met at the Foundation Course (Lloyd-Malcolm and Gulucci) and Vivienne Westwood (Lloyd-Malcolm and Pegram) and have known each other for over a decade. It wasn’t until early spring of 2021 that Lloyd-Malcolm approached Gallucci and Pegram with the idea of combining her VFX expertise in Hollywood with a desire for the next frontier of high fashion. “Importantly, we all had skill sets that we didn’t really share, but these skills were very complementary and important to us in each of her three areas. It was something,” she says.
Founder of Zaidrobe.Left to right, Michael Pegram, Nell Lloyd Malcolm, Isabella Gallucci
(Image credit: courtesy of Xydrobe)
Why does Xydrobe work?
Importantly, Lloyd Malcolm, a wizard in VFX and all things technology, has always had a passion for fashion. By stepping into both worlds and understanding her house of luxury fashion, she was able to correct her hypothesis that many companies have built businesses that are currently failing. “The luxury consumer is very different from the gaming consumer.”By December 2021, the team is working on his NFT of his JW Anderson cardigan worn by Harry Styles, who set the internet on fire. I was there. NFTs took off in the art world, and it was only natural that fashion would follow suit. But early on, the team realized the importance of connecting with customers through experiences, and accelerating the roadmap moved him away from NFTs to focus on his Web3 experiences that spark the imagination.
“We quickly realized that the customer base of those who understand and value luxury fashion and those who hold value in NFTs are two very different customer bases that do not yet overlap. I did,” says Lloyd-Malcolm. “Brands and customers are more interested and excited about the experience than they are about actually owning a digital IP, because it really has nothing to do with most luxury fashion shoppers. They don’t have avatars they can wear… turn it on.
When it comes to VR technology, the team leveraged the science and magic of synaptic triggering VR. “We know that VR memories are perceived as real memories. When you recall a VR experience, your brain recalls the true emotions of the moment,” he explains. increase. “Universally, everyone wants great experiences. Luxury companies know how to deliver amazing experiences in retail, but many start-ups see the future as all about digital and scale. We often don’t get involved in the retail industry because we think it is, but in the future there won’t be a world where we’re all sitting in our homes with VR headsets. We are human and need human interaction.
“Retail is still where 90% of luxury brands generate 70% of their sales. Create something that enhances an already great in-store experience. Who wouldn’t want that?
(Image credit: courtesy of Xydrobe)
what’s next?
The Xydrobe demo will be in London from Spring 2023 for customers and potential brands to try. 2023 will see his Xydrobes roll out in North America, Europe and the UK. Its first partner, a globally recognized French luxury fashion house, will be announced in the coming months. In 2024, an at-home headset application will be launched. It allows customers to access multi-brand v-commerce experiences from the comfort of their couch.
But Xydrobe’s grand vision is bigger than experience, and creating digital products has a positive impact. The number of physical samples they’re creating makes them more sustainable,’ says Lloyd-Malcolm. ‘The ecosystem is important to us. Because it’s become very clear for brands that they need to be able to use the talent they already have and create something that fits within their own organization, taking resources from the already limited film industry. Than you have to pull it out.
