Neiman Marcus and Hypebeast Have Launched Their First-Ever Shoppable Virtual Showroom
This collaboration has resulted in 11 pairs of exclusive sneakers by luxury brands that are available to shop through the virtual showroom.
In a world becoming increasingly obsessed with all things virtual, Neiman Marcus and Hypebeast are the newest brands to join the trend. The two companies have teamed up and launched their first virtual showroom, a digital retail space that will showcase 11 exclusive pairs of speakers across several luxury brands as part of their fall campaign, “Re-Introduce Yourself.”
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, this partnership is an effort to revamp remote shopping, and elevate the experience for both Neiman Marcus customers and Hypebeast readers. Because luxury retailers are constantly revamping their systems online and customers want something more than traditional retail interactions, the collaboration just made sense. The initiative includes one-of-a-kind sneakers by 11 luxury brands, designed specifically for this collaboration: Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Balmain, Christian Louboutin, Dolce & Gabbana, Givenchy, Maison Margiela, Moncler, Off-White, Versace, and Giuseppe Zanotti.
“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, the President and Chief Merchandising Officer of 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.”
The online showroom is a minimal CGI environment, mixing futuristic laboratory influences with themes from a contemporary art gallery exhibit, and it’s perfectly lit to highlight the finest features of each shoe. Each sneaker comes with its own informational page, explaining what the sneaker is made of and the creator’s ideas behind the shoe. Customers are able to virtually enter the space and interact with the sneakers, exploring exactly what they could soon be walking around in on the streets.
“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, the US Vice President of Brand Partnerships of 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.”
The sneakers are available to view on Hypebeast.com and can be purchased on NeimanMarcus.com as of Sept. 16. Select styles are also available at all 37 Neiman Marcus store locations.