LEGO And Snapchat Just Opened A Clothing Store With No Clothes In It

In an unexpected nod to the future of fashion, LEGO Wear and Snapchat have just launched a clothing store with no clothes in it.

As London Fashion Week approaches, the brands have swapped traditional retail models for an augmented reality pop-up partnership to promote LEGO Wear's first limited-edition clothing line for adults.

Though the pop-up is physically empty of everything but a plinth-posted Snapcode (the company's in-app answer to QR codes), the Snap-triggered portal allows shoppers to enter a virtual shop with an interactive DJ booth, LEGO bouncer, arcade machine, and - most importantly - exclusive products for purchase.

Lea Sandell, Global Social Media Innovation Lead for LEGO, said: "As a brand we are exploring a multitude of digital platforms and technologies to connect with fans in fun and engaging ways.

"Our partner KABOOKI, who are launching this limited edition clothing line, has chosen to experiment with this specific channel and bring this experience to adult shoppers via an AR shop.

"This is an experiment exploring ways to bridge the physical and digital world and engage with fans of the LEGO brand - for us the core experience is still about using imagination to combine bricks in creative ways, and we see technology as an extension and enhancement of the physical experience. We’re constantly looking at ways of innovating the core physical LEGO play experiences in fun and engaging ways."

Birgitte Holgaard Langer, COO/CMO of LEGO Wear by KABOOKI, continued: "We have done adult styles in the past for the LEGOLAND parks but with this limited collection we wanted a clear fashion angle for the street wear audience - an audience we have never approached before.

"It is a premium, cool, urban and contemporary collection for true LEGO lovers."

Will Scougal, Director EMEA Creative Strategy at Snap, goes on to reiterate that the Snapcode-activated 'store' is not only available in Fitzrovia, but worldwide: "LEGO Group and Kabooki have worked with our free Lens Studio software to build an AR retail experience you can actually step into, explore and make a purchase in.

"Essentially it’s a fun, innovative retail space, but rather than a physical store, it can be opened anywhere at anytime."

"Snapchatters engage with AR naturally, on average 70% of them play with an AR lens every day," he continued. "So with the addition of e-commerce - to an exciting experience like this one - we’re able to drive sales, too."

Altogether, the future of fashion is looking to be heavily activated by AR. Just last month, Amazon was rumoured to be working an an AR shopping app which would allow customers to virtually try clothes on from the comfort of their own home.

According to the brand's patent, the app would even create a virtual mannequin created from their social media posts.

The pop-up marks Snapchat's first shoppable AR experience with LEGO and will be open until 5pm today at 55 Eastcastle St, in Fitzrovia, London, W1W 8EF.