Virtually every single luxury brand has had to contend with the fallout from the coronavirus this season, whether its shifting runway shows and presentations online—à la Moschino, Issey Miyake, and Tod’s—or looking for more creative ways to captivate their audiences.
Christian Louboutin has found one such creative way. Partnering with Korea-based virtual gaming company Zepeto, the French shoe label has created an online realm on the fashion gaming app to showcase their spring/summer 2021 collection. “I’m really a traveller, and digital offers the possibility to imagine any kind of world you want to be projected into,” he told British Vogue in an interview.
Through Zepeto’s technology, members of the press, as well as fans of the brand, can be transformed into avatars, who will then be free to explore three distinct locations within the app. There’s the Loubi Terrasse, a quintessentially French town square that comes complete with its own carousel, which overlooks the sparkling visage of the Eiffel Tower. Snap an Instagram-worthy shot in front of the glittering Parisian icon, or wander the space and try to spot the designer Christian Louboutin (Zepeto-fied, of course) making his way around the square.
Next, there’s the Loubi Boutique, where you can try the brand’s SS21 offerings in store—short descriptions of the footwear you want to try also pop up on screen, making discovery of the latest line of shoes seamless. Lastly, dance the night away at the Loubi Disco, where you can catch a live performance from artist King Princess.
It’s an immersive and transportive experience for those of us who still cannot travel due to COVID-19 restrictions, and it’s a delight to explore and interact with others, although they can get in the way of a good photo moment!
The designer also revealed that more than 60 designs from the new collection have been recreated in Zepeto, specially for Loubi World. British Vogue reports that these include key styles such as the Pic Heel stiletto, the jaw-dropping platform Stage boots, and the Vida Viva sneaker (complete with detachable sole).
Fans of the brand can download Zepeto now on the Apple App Store or Google Play to try out the experience for themselves—just leave some shoes for us to try on, too.
