H&M’s virtual showroom has opened its doors for the first time – albeit for a trial only for now. The digital space will first be tested with members of the press, before the full version will also be available for other PR contacts, such as stylists and brand ambassadors, later this year.
With the showroom, H&M is pursuing the goal of creating a virtual PR channel that is location-independent. With the findings of the pilot version, customer experiences are to be organized in the future that create customer benefits and drive change.
The showroom should become a place for “unique” experiences through the technical freedom of the virtual world. This experience is closely linked to the current campaigns and collections – for example, 3D versions of garments from current collections and video material on the designs can be seen in the showroom.
“The new technology allows us to be even more responsive to our brand relationships and to be more creative and playful. We want to meet our customers and business partners – when, how and where they are,” the Swedish fashion retailer told FashionUnited. According to the company, the implementation from the idea to the inauguration of the showroom took only three months.
H&M does not currently intend to use the showroom as a sales tool, but there is a debate about using it at a later date, for example for stylists to select samples. Until then, the focus will be on events such as performances, meet & greets, screenings and interviews.
With the avatar through the H&M universe
Before entering the showroom via an avatar, visitors can choose between three characters – the thinker in an astronaut-style suit, the stylist with a hat and sunglasses, or the lover in a puffer two-piece suit with an alien-looking headpiece . All looks are equally futuristic: a shiny material, sweeping dimensions and utility details ensure a sci-fi aesthetic. The figure can then be individualized with a color design.
With the help of the keyboard and the mouse, the avatars can be moved through the premises like game characters. A map helps with orientation and enables a quick change of room. The avatars are equipped with a range of pre-programmed reactions – from waving hands, red hearts to clinking champagne glasses – because H&M sees the showroom above all as an opportunity for interaction. The experience is similar to a video game – a Comparison made in the topic ‘Fashion in the Metaverse’ has been drawn many times. Soft, computer-generated background music further enhances the effect. Interactions are mostly limited to 2D buttons that display informative text as pop-up windows.
A mix of realism and fantasy
The showroom is divided into seven areas: a lobby, a garden, an area with a pool, a press office, a networking area, a campaign room and a photo studio.
The design of the rooms ranges from realistic to abstract. While the networking area uses architectural elements such as white arches and terrazzo floors, the landscape of the photo studio resembles a fantasy world with its pink hills. The installations play with different dimensions and floating effects that exploit the non-existent limits of physics in the virtual world, but natural elements such as water and plants were also used in the design.
The surroundings of the garden are reminiscent of a mixture of moor and jungle. In the middle of the plants there are screens that visitors can use to find out about H&M’s sustainability projects. The floor looks like it is mirrored, creating the illusion of a green thicket in which the avatars appear like extraterrestrial explorers.
The press office allows visitors to download current press material. Additional information about collections and projects is shown on a display. The first collection to be presented is the Innovation Story Cherish Waste Collection. The display is currently showing a video in which Ann-Sofie Johansson, Creative Advisor at H&M, and Ella Soccorsi, Concept Designer at H&M, explain the background to the collection.
Adjacent to the newsroom is a pool area where garments are displayed in oversized 3D versions. Visitors can use information buttons to find out more about the individual items of clothing, such as the origin of the materials used.
The networking area allows users to communicate via audio and chat messages. This room is also equipped with screens that will later be used for events, interviews, meetings and presentations.
The campaign room features more 3D garments displayed like in an art gallery. This area also has displays showing background information about the garments and the collection. Campaign slogans made of huge black letters reinforce the messages of the collections – in the case of the “Innovation Cherish Waste” collection, visitors will find the lettering “#WeLoveFlames”, which appeals to the collection’s motto “love”.
The last room is an abstract landscape where visitors can take selfies via screen capture. Trees reminiscent of giant mushrooms, oversized flowers and a floating statue illustrate how H&M uses the virtual showroom for creative ideas that go beyond the possibilities of a physical showroom.
H&M sees the virtual concept above all as a “learning experience” that serves to try out new ideas and the opportunity “to be innovative and to discover new opportunities in the fashion world”.