In the ever-evolving world of fashion and technology, the Lacoste UNDW3 Factory Drop has taken a bold step into the future, driven by a single mission: community empowerment. In our recent collaboration with Lacoste, we paved the way for a new era by infusing this collection with exclusive immersive content—a delightful virtual baby crocodile. This marks a significant milestone for Lacoste, venturing into the realm of connected clothing for the very first time. It's a bold stride towards transforming fashion products into dynamic media channels, offering a unique and interactive brand experience like never before.
Challenge
The brand invited its community to actively participate in the creation of the collection, giving them the power to influence everything from garment types and shapes to colours. Through a series of votes, Lacoste enthusiasts played a pivotal role in determining the key components of this unique collection. The challenge? To create an immersive experience which will provide one more layer of interaction. The challenge in front of us was not just to digitally design a crocodile but to breathe life into it, making it as convincing as its real-world counterpart:
To create a compelling digital crocodile, a deep understanding of shapes was essential. It's about the art and technique of manipulating a mesh to achieve the desired shape, laying the foundation for other design elements to come into play. After modeling, the crocodile needed skin - a texture that resembled the unique and intricate patterns of genuine crocodile skin. Adding the right lighting was crucial to highlight these textures. More than just technical know-how, this step required an artist's eye, a knack for storytelling, and the ability to visually express situations.
Approach
Accessed via the QR Code found on each garment, fans can now discover their new companion via the Snapchat app. The iconic Lacoste crocodile comes to life with a simple tap, overlaying itself in the physical surroundings and responding to facial movements and hand gestures. As highlighted by Axel, the project's producer, the ultimate aim was: "to create an experience that deepens engagement with Lacoste, offering an immersive interaction that feels incredibly realistic." A meticulous approach was taken to curate animations that provided the digital crocodile with a restricted yet dynamically organic range of movements. This ensured the creature moved in a manner that mirrored the natural behaviors of a real-world crocodile.
Today, the landscape of fashion is evolving, and connectivity is the key. Our collaboration with Lacoste exemplifies this shift, showcasing the potential for brands to not only embrace augmentation but also dive into the realm of connectivity. This isn't just about a single collection; it's a golden opportunity for brands to forge lasting connections with their customers. By leveraging immersive experiences and connected clothing, brands can sustain meaningful relationships long after the sale—a powerful strategy in the ever-changing world of fashion.
The collection is now available worldwide, and accessible to everyone and with a 20% discount to holders of the UNDW3 Card NFT until December 6th: https://undw3-shop.lacoste.com/en
.png)
