Yahoo Collaborates with Maisie Wilen to Power the “Maisie Wilen Fall-Winter 2022 Collection Holographic Experience” at New York Fashion Week

NEW YORK, NY -- February 12, 2022 -- Yahoo returns as the Official Innovation Partner for New York Fashion Week: The Shows February 2022 with an exciting, cutting edge tech experience that pushes the boundaries of digital shopability and digital first immersive experiences. On February 12th, Yahoo will power a first of its kind digital fashion experience with Maisie Wilen. “Maisie Wilen Fall-Winter 2022 Collection Holographic Experience Powered by Yahoo” will immerse viewers in a holographic experience melding the virtual and physical worlds of fashion in a way never experienced before. It will offer consumers new and unique portals into the artist’s collections and creative process. The Yahoo and Maisie Wilen collaboration continues to push the boundaries of technology and fashion following Yahoo’s 3D NFT experience in collaboration with Rebecca Minkoff and immersive experience with designer Christian Cowan at NYFW Fall 2021. 

Yahoo and Maisie Wilen’s holographic experience can also be accessed at home with one of the highest fidelity available today on Yahoo. Consumers can experience the collection wherever they are, through 3D assets using WebAR that are available using an easy QR code or a simple shareable link. When opened on a smartphone, users are directed straight into AR that is also fully shoppable and shareable through a new social commerce experience with a first of its kind gif lookbook, a see now, buy now featuring 28 pieces of the Maisie Wilen collection to purchase. 

“The holographic experience is the perfect coming together of the physical and virtual worlds, and tailoring the experience to meet the demands of both. Maisie Wilen is an ideal partner for Yahoo because she is digitally native in design and it was exciting for us to be able to take her vision to the next level,” said Joanna Lambert, President of Yahoo. “Together we’re bringing the New York Fashion Week experience to a global audience, and evolving what a fashion experience can be. Moving her collection to your closet and showing the world it can happen with a click.” 

Using cutting edge, volumetric capture technology powered by Yahoo, the live and larger than life holographic experience focuses on seven-foot-high surreal projections placed in a stunning gallery setting, with an audio element designed to accompany each one. The holograms appear as virtual models that come to life interacting, and playing. Figures are stretched to an imposing seven feet tall, distorting space and form meant to challenge the senses, and yet, by combining narrativized movement with their strikingly surreal appearance, each model is transformed into a character whose identity is fit to her clothing. The experiences filmed in volumetric capture were published with Yahoo Immersive, the largest extended reality (XR) platform for creating augmented, mixed, and virtual reality advertising and branded content with an emphasis on next-generation experiences that makes it possible to bring this experience to a large scaled audience. This groundbreaking capture required 106 cameras to achieve this never before seen experience.

The holograms will have a multi-format use. They can live in the metaverse and be turned into a shoppable AR experience. Each member of the virtual cast will be featured digitally at the show wearing a look from Maisie’s FW22 collection on a series of cinematic quality projections, creating a fragmented reality growing increasingly surreal as the collection progresses. Optical illusion prints, mattified sequins, and holographic vinyl play with perception and blur the line between reality and fantasy, to create a wardrobe that is made as much for one’s virtual presence as it is for your real-life self. 

The Yahoo powered holographic experience was also inspired by Mattel’s Monster High – one of the most beloved doll properties of all time with characters who encourage fans to embrace their authentic selves, celebrate what makes them unique and let their inner monster shine. As a brand rooted in fashion, Monster High served as a muse for the overall aesthetic of the virtual cast, with looks inspired by iconic characters Frankie Stein, Draculaura, Lagoona Blue and Clawdeen Wolf, transformed into holographic models, resembling the fantastical creatures. The holograms can be explored from all angles both live and virtually as they can be placed in your home environment, all with the ability to click to purchase. 

The Maisie Wilen brand is well-known for its contemporary take on fashion using different textures and vibrant prints that are rooted in digital ideation and reflects the contemporary zeitgeist, creating a perfect partnership with Yahoo’s vision to design a digital experience that speaks to the next generation of fashion fans whose wardrobe is made for both the digital and real world. Through this collaboration, Yahoo’s highly-immersive and visionary experiences will bring Maisie’s creations and design process to life, allowing consumers to experience the Maisie Wilen NYFW22 collection up-close, fully immersing them in Maisie’s collection like never before. 

For more information and a chance to interact with these experiences, visit Yahoo. Be sure to follow @Yahoo for more NYFW updates throughout the week. 

About Yahoo 

Yahoo is a global media and tech company that connects people to their passions. We reach nearly 900 million people around the world, bringing them closer to what they love—from finance and sports, to shopping, gaming and news—with the trusted products, content and tech that fuel their day. For partners, we provide a full-stack platform for businesses to amplify growth and drive more meaningful connections across advertising, search and media. To learn more, please visit yahooinc.com. 

Notes to editors: 

*Yahoo is the fifth-largest company in the US for Gen Z in terms of reach, reaching over a third (68%) of Gen Z audiences across the US with +21% YoY growth (Source: Comscore Media Metrix ® Multi Platform, Universe: Desktop 2+, Mobile 13+,Person: Ages 13-24,Total Audience, %Reach, %Change, December 2021 versus December 2020, US")