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✨ CES 2025 was a whirlwind of innovation and tech overload. After recovering from the flu, I’m diving into my key takeaways—from moderating a wearables panel to exploring groundbreaking beauty tech. Let’s get into the good, the bad, and the insights!

Plus, we’re baaaacccck with The Digital Runway’s curated news and insights across Beauty, Fashion, Tech, and AI.

✨ This Week’s Highlights
1️⃣ My CES 2025 Key Takeaways
2️⃣ Runway Radar 🪩
3️⃣ The Weekly Swipe 📲
4️⃣ Behind the Screens 🎙️ 
5️⃣ The Runway Diaries ✍

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✨ CES was a whirlwind—but it’s where you see the future of tech in action. Here are my personal Key Takeaways ranging from industry comments to personal ones.

1️⃣ CES Is Not for the Faint of Heart (or Heels)
140,000+ attendees. Booths sprawling across what felt like a small city. My step count hit 20,000 one day—sneakers and flats were non-negotiable.

💡 Pro Tip: Be practical. Stay hydrated. Have your elevator pitch ready—you’ll need it 100x a day.

2️⃣ Women in Tech Stand Together
The industry is still male-dominated (25% women in tech; 11% in leadership), but moments like The Female Quotient’s “Annual Women Walk The Floor Tour” are changing the narrative.

Picture 250+ women walking CES together as one unified front—it was a powerful statement that we are in this industry and taking it together.

👊 During the walk, we tried to visit SK Telecom’s booth but were denied access due to VIP reservations. I stepped in to translate and advocate for the group, but the answer was still no.

What stood out most was Shelly Zalis’s response: “We all go, or no one goes.”

Shelly’s solidarity was a profound reminder that access isn’t always granted—we often have to build it. As a Korean-American woman, this hit close to home and inspired me to reflect on how I show up for others.

This experience left me reflecting on how I want to amplify and support others in the future. Thank you, Shelly, for leading by example.

3️⃣ Tetris Fitted Calendars of Panels + Events
My color-coded calendar was ambitious, but CES taught me you can’t be everywhere. Traffic, different buildings, and overlapping schedules made it impossible to attend everything.

🙏 A highlight was moderating the panel "Wearables: Transforming Lives and Upping Your Fitness Gains" with my Panelists Alex Azzi (CEO XRWorkout), Dr. Anna Barnacka (Founder & CEO MincMics Inc.), Resh Sidhu (Global Director, Arcadia AR Innovation Studio, Snap Inc.), and Drew Blackard (VP of Product Management Samsung Electronics America).

Huge thanks to my incredible panelists and to Robin Raskin and John Katzman for making this opportunity possible.

4️⃣ Smart Glasses Are THE Moment
From hearing aids to live translation, smart glasses were everywhere. My Ray-Ban Meta glasses are a fave, but competition was fierce at CES.

👇 My glasses were part of my daily CES Fit Check.

5️⃣ Beauty, Fashion, and Retail Need a Glow-Up
The beauty and fashion tech presence felt scattered and not so stylish. L’Oréal’s media preview had amazing AI tools (more on this next week), but a guided walkthrough could have elevated the experience. Gems like Medicube’s devices and an AI scalp analysis booth stood out—but finding them was a challenge.

💌 Dear CES: Let’s curate an aesthetic beauty/fashion experience next year. Style and tech together that innovates, elevates and inspires.

💭 What were your CES takeaways? Reply or comment—I’d love to hear!

🛍️ Walmart’s Phygital Shopping Play with ZEPETO

📚 What You Need to Know

Walmart launched a groundbreaking e-commerce experience on ZEPETO allowing users to shop physical goods directly in-app. Purchases of real-world items also include free virtual twins for avatars.

🔑 Key Highlights

• Innovative Commerce: Users can buy Walmart’s No Boundaries items in-app and receive digital twins for their avatars.

• Data-Driven Insights: Walmart gathers valuable user data on virtual shopping behaviors to improve future activations.

• Metaverse Momentum: This is Walmart’s third metaverse project, building on partnerships with Roblox and its own Walmart Realm.

💡 Why This Matters

Walmart’s Zepeto integration may not be the most innovative design, but it’s the beginning of more phygital (physical + digital) shopping experiences that we are going to see this year.

🔗 Read more on Digiday

🎥 Sephora’s Hulu Series Redefines Beauty Marketing with Star Power

📚 What You Need to Know

Sephora’s “Faces of Music” on Hulu (Jan 22) sets a new standard for brand marketing by blending storytelling, entertainment, and beauty in a three-part docuseries featuring Chappell Roan, Victoria Monét, and Becky G.

• 🎤 Authentic Storytelling: Beauty routines meet personal narratives creating deeper connections with fans and community.

• 🎥 Content-First Approach: Sephora moves beyond ads proving that immersive content drives relevance.

• 🤝 Powerful Partnerships: Collaborating with Hulu places Sephora at the intersection of beauty and entertainment.

💡 Why This Matters: This series redefines beauty marketing, blending storytelling, entertainment, and experiences.

📺 Catch the series on Hulu starting Jan 22, 2025

🔗 Read more on Business of Fashion

🏛️ Fashion Meets Art at the Louvre’s Grand Dinner

📚 What You Need to Know

The Louvre is turning up the glamour during Paris Fashion Week with “Le Grand Dîner du Louvre” on March 4. This fundraising gala celebrates the museum’s first-ever fashion exhibition, “Louvre Couture: Art and Fashion — Statement Pieces,” which opens Jan. 24.

✨ Why It Matters:
The exhibition traces how Byzantine treasures to Napoleon III-era artifacts have inspired designers like Chanel, Dior, and Balenciaga.

💡 Event Highlights:

• Exclusive exhibit tour featuring 66 outfits and 30 accessories alongside the Louvre’s permanent collection.

• Dinner in the stunning Cour Marly and an after-party under the I.M. Pei pyramid.

With a €1 million fundraising goal already met, this event cements fashion’s place in art history.

🔗 More via WWD

📲 Here’s what you need to swipe this week
🛒 Walmart removes Hermès dupe listings amid rising scrutiny [Business Insider]
👗 Proenza Schouler founders leave creative director roles [Vogue Business]
👓 EssilorLuxottica acquires AI startup Pulse Audition [FashionUnited]
🎨 Raspberry AI secures $24M to revolutionize fashion design [WWD]
💄 L’Oréal acquires South Korean Brand Dr.G [Reuters]

🎙️ Mark Your Calendars: The Digital Runway Podcast is back!

Join the LinkedIn Live on Thursday January 23 at 12 PM EST.

We’re diving into CES—the history, 2025 trends, and where tech is headed.

📢 Guest announcement drops Monday! Stay connected on LinkedIn.

📺 Watch live on LinkedIn and catch the replay on 🎥 YouTube l 🎧 Spotify 🍏 Apple

Dear Runway Diaries,

Post-CES hit me hard—I was down with the flu and feeling behind. 🤧 But that’s life, and I needed time to recover. Now that I’m back on my feet, I’ve finally downloaded all my photos and videos from CES and can’t wait to start editing and sharing clips. 🎥 A YouTube video is in the works, and next week, I’ll share my ultimate Beauty Fashion Tech Highlights from CES. Let me know if there’s anything specific you’d like me to cover!

Speaking of beauty tech, I finally tried the Medicube Age-R Booster Pro, and wow—it might be my best skincare investment since my Dr. Dennis Gross LED Mask. Just 4 days in, my wrinkles are already less defined, and I’m seeing some serious Korean glass skin vibes. 🎁 Bonus: I got my hands on the High Focus Shot, which is exclusive to Korea! I’ll be testing it for 30 days and sharing a thorough review with before-and-after photos.

Traveling is inspiring, but let’s be real—it throws off routines. How do people stay consistent on the go? Speaking of travel, I’m heading back to NY in February for Digital Fashion Week and can’t wait. Who else will be in town? Let’s connect!

💖,
Janey Park — Founder of The Digital Runway

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