Technology

On trial: Google Glass for Yves Saint Laurent Beauté make-up lesson



YSL-before-and-after-Google-Glass JPG

Last week, I donned my beauty editor hat to try out the new Google Glass makeup lesson service at YSL Beauté in Selfridges. The service launched earlier this year in the US and has worked its way to London, exclusively at Selfridges.

HOW IT WORKS
You book an appointment which costs £30 (redeemable against purchase). I had my appointment with the charming Fred Letailleur, YSL’s head of make up for northern Europe, who is not only an expert make-up artist, but is now a master Google Glass user. Which is a considerable combination that needs extreme focus. Not only does the make-up artist have to concentrate on what they’re doing to your face, but they’re also operating a tiny camera (embedded inside the ‘glasses’) with discreet movements, and engaging with the customer – answering questions, making you feel at ease etc. (more…)



VIDEO: On YSL, Google Glass and the future of beauty retail



Yves Saint Laurent Google Glass

You’ve got to hand it to Yves Saint Laurent Beauté, it has come up with a really smart way of using Google Glass. Back in September it introduced its hi-tech take-home tutorials to Bloomingdales (below), in which its make-up artist wielded his magic paints and brushes on customers, while simultaneously filming the one-to-one consultation using Google Glass. (more…)



WIRED Retail 2014: My top 5 takeaways



WIRED-Retail-Amber-Venz-Rewardstyle-Like-To-Know-It

This year’s WIRED Retail (supported by digital marketing agency Valtech) was a winning combination of all my favourite elements – fashion, retail, social and curation. We’ve been talking about these subjects a hell of a lot lately but certain messages are being crystalised. Among last Monday’s speakers were the founders of Lyst, Farfetch and RewardStyle, as well as Google UK’s Peter Fitzgerald, Etsy’s VP of business development Nicole Vanderbilt, Instagram’s Tracy Yaverbaun and Depop’s CEO, Runar Reistrup. (more…)



THE DRG STYLE INDEX: Shinola, Michael Kors, Fenwick



Here’s the latest weekly DRG STYLE INDEX ranking, a round-up of the brands currently buzzing on my radar…

1. SHINOLA – ACTING SMALL, THINKING BIG

shinola-London-Newburgh-Street-Jamie-McGregor-Smith

Shinola’s been in the news a lot lately since it opened its rather lovely little London store on Newburgh Street. What’s most enlightening is the quietly savvy strategy behind it. For instance, who knew that the brains behind it all is Tom Kartsotis who also founded the mass market watch retailer, Fossil? His approach of creating a story around the manufacturing and people of Detroit has helped imbue the two-year-old watch-and-accessories brand with a romance that really resonates with customers. (more…)