As part of its fall campaign, ‘Re-Introduce Yourself’, Neiman Marcus partnered with Hypebeast to launch the first-ever shoppable, virtual showroom featuring exclusive footwear from 11 luxury brands.
The partnership between the preeminent luxury retailer and the leading authority on streetwear resulted in an online campaign concept bridging their respective influences and giving Neiman Marcus shoppers and Hypebeast readers access to an elevated e-commerce experience that reimagines remote shopping.
“We are experiencing extraordinary growth in our luxury business overall with men’s as one of the standout categories and Neiman Marcus continues to focus on creating magic for its customers with one-of-a-kind experiences and products,” said Lana Todorovich, President and Chief Merchandising Officer, Neiman Marcus. “This opportunity is both innovative and exciting for Neiman Marcus and Hypebeast – it’s allowed us to reimagine what the future of e-commerce looks like while bringing the best of both worlds together and offering access to our top luxury brands who specifically created exclusive shoe styles for our customers.”
A convergence of online shopping and editorial storytelling, the virtual showroom highlights Fall’s best footwear from 11 brands: Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Balmain, Christian Louboutin, Dolce & Gabbana, Givenchy, Maison Margiela, Moncler, Off-White, Versace and Giuseppe Zanotti. Each designed one-of-a-kind styles exclusive to Neiman Marcus for the initiative.
The digitally recreated retail floor, inspired by a futuristic laboratory crossed with a contemporary art gallery exhibit is a first of its kind for both Neiman Marcus and Hypebeast. Every style is displayed with accentuating lighting and compositional angles within the clean and minimal CGI environment. Customers are invited to enter the space and explore every pair with interactive navigation and shoppable annotations calling attention to the sneakers’ unique design details.
“Online luxury retail continues to grow and our customers are seeking retail theatre outside of traditional retail interactions,” said Todorovich. “As this space evolves, so does our larger strategy as a multi-channel luxury retailer to provide the most unique and engaging experience in our physical, digital and remote selling environments. We are excited to work with Hypebeast as a forward-thinking partner to explore the future of integrated luxury retail at Neiman Marcus.”
The virtual showroom experience launched on Hypebeast on September 21. For the launch, the 11 styles are set to be released exclusively on neimanmarcus.com. Additionally, select styles will be available at all 37 Neiman Marcus stores, where style advisors will be prepared to offer their distinctive luxury sales services. The retailer will also roll out content on its own social platforms and via email marketing, expanding the reach to its customers who will have access to these coveted styles via multiple channels.
“Exclusivity, hype, and sneakers are three words that make up the ‘hypebeast’ vocabulary, and this virtual showroom continues to push the boundaries on how our readers experience new and exclusive luxury products, specifically sneakers, digitally,” said Huan Nguyen, US Vice President of Brand Partnerships, Hypebeast. “In an era of fast-paced digital consumption, a traditional model of promoting has grown stagnant. With our audience in mind, the Hypebeast team worked alongside leading luxury retailer Neiman Marcus to create a digital showroom that can highlight and showcase the sneakers in a new, profound light.”
Content will live across Hypebeast’s platform and social media channels, including a homepage takeover and Instagram Stories teasing entry for the showroom.
The eleven pairs of sneakers are set to be released exclusively on neimanmarcus.com and selected stores.
