Why Printemps Built Its Own Metaverse Online And Teamed With DRESSX Digital Fashion In-Store

Not content with attaching itself to an existing Metaverse, luxury French department store Printemps has built its own mini version, evolving its e-commerce platform to include a Web 3.0 virtual store experience.

The immersive 3D space set in an enchanted garden beneath a digital reimagining of Printemps Haussmann’s famous dome is populated with a shoppable edit of bestsellers and exclusives from partner brands Balenciaga and Gucci to By Far and Ganni.

Customers buying a product from the virtual store are entered into a draw to win one of 30 NFT digital artworks created in collaboration with artist Romain Froquet and minted via the Arianee* blockchain platform. Froquet’s works are exhibited in Printemps physical Haussmann flagship.

Printemps has also partnered with leading digital fashion retailer DRESSX on a physical pop-up which greets customers at the main entrance of its Haussmann flagship.

Visitors can experience DRESSX’s AR technology and try on digital outfits via a full length virtual mirror. Consultants are on hand to facilitate the purchase process of the photofit wearables and filters. DRESSX has also created five looks exclusive to Printemps in the vibrant green of the store’s new visual identity.

DRESSX is known for its partnerships with luxury fashion brands, most recently Metaverse Fashion Week participant, Dundas World. Digital versions of physical Dundas looks created for Mary J. Blige’s Superbowl performance and for H.E.R. at the Grammy Awards were available to buy as NFT wearables.

This all forms a major part of Printemps’ 2022 reinvention which encompasses a new visual identity, new spaces, services and concepts — underscoring its DNA in innovation and experiential shopping.

For the record, the first modern elevators in a department store were unveiled at Printemps in 1874 while the Haussmann flagship was the first public place in Paris with electric lighting as of 1883.

During an exclusive interview, Printemps Chief Merchandising Officer Karen Vernet and Digital Marketing Director Morgane Lopes discussed the luxury department store’s new phygital strategy around experiential Web 3.0 activations, NFTs and their potential application for customer loyalty programs plus its phygital partnership with DRESSX.

Why did you elect to create a virtual store within Printemps.com as opposed to partnering with an existing Metaverse?

Morgane Lopes: Our aim is to test and learn. Our audience is not the typical one you find in Web 3.0 so we wanted to make it accessible whether you’re familiar with the Metaverse or not.

What do you hope to achieve?

Lopes: To have clients think of us as a go-to when they want to experience new things, be mesmerized and have poetry around them. We wanted to understand if our clients are interested in this sort of activation and gather learnings to build our Web 3.0 strategy.

This first activation in the virtual store runs for six weeks. How will it evolve?

Lopes: Other brands are interested in partnering with us on co-branded virtual spaces so we are considering how we can continue the story. We may also collaborate with a new artist — perhaps a musician.

Do you plan to further integrate NFT or blockchain based technology into your offering?

Lopes: We are really considering NFTs as a way to enhance our customer loyalty program to offer both services and one of a kind experiences.

You partnered with Arianee to mint the NFTs. What motivated the choice and how might the relationship play out?

Lopes: We wanted to show our clients that Web 3.0 isn’t scary. That was the logic. Arianee offers a really easy way to download a digital wallet and NFTs to your phone. It has its own Ethereum based currency but has developed a wallet you can plug in to any cryptocurrency and connect it to Coinbase or Metamask.

Are you planning to accept cryptocurrency yourselves?

Lopes: We are thinking about it. We need to study the business impact because of its volatility and see how we can integrate it into our into overall strategy.

Why did you choose to partner with DressX?

Karen Vernet: DressX is the most advanced platform in the digital fashion arena. It is very creative and already works with luxury brands like Balenciaga so is already very well recognized by our other partners in the luxury world. Balenciaga is a reference for us as it is also the most advanced brand in the virtual world.

What motivated you to give DressX a physical in-store presence?

Vernet: It is important that we develop our omni channel business. The DressX pop-up is at the main entrance of the store which gets 40% of our footfall traffic.

Did you have any doubts?

Vernet: For DressX it is not natural to be in physical world, only the digital. We questioned ourselves if our clients would understand, but it belongs to the positioning of Printemps to be in advance — to explain and propose new solutions and take an approach that is educational without being pretentious.

Are you likely to integrate virtual fashion into your future offering?

Vernet: We may link with DRESSX via printemps.com in the future.

This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

*Arianee is the French Web 3.0 company whose various arms include creating digital passports for luxury goods and providing mobile wallet solutions via its open source Arianee protocol. It has partnered with The Richemont Group, the Sandbox Metaverse and brands such as Breitling, Mugler and Audemars Piguet.