👋 Hi, I’m Janey Park (you may know me as Jumpstart Janey on social media)! I am excited to have you on board to jumpstart this journey together.

We’re about to take off into the future with 🪩The Digital Runway 🪩 your guide to understanding and leveraging Fashion, Tech & Trends! 🚀

In today's email:

👠 Hot off the Runway: News you need to know and Why it matters

🧠 Runway Insights: Strategic insights to apply to your brand

⚡️ Fashion Flash: Hot Takes on Fashion’s Digital Revolution

✍️ The Runway Diaries: BTS & Story Time

1. Is the NEW Luxury Fashion flex a $3499 Headset ? 🤯

📚 What you need to know

January 8: Apple announced the launch of the Vision Pro

January 19: Pre-order launched and quickly sold out

February 2: U.S. release of Apple Vision Pro

Product Assortment: (1) 265GB = $3499 (2) 512GB = $3699 (3) 1TB = $3899

Forecast: Analysts estimate up to 180,000 units were sold and that Apple could generate about $1.4B in revenue from the Vision Pro in 2024 if they ship 400,000 headsets. (Source: Bloomberg)

Apple launched a new product category for the first time in 9 years - since the Apple Watch in 2015. The Vision Pro is a Mixed Reality (MR) headset that merges Augmented Reality (AR) & Virtual Reality (VR) that Apple is referring to as “Spatial Computing,” meaning a virtuality reality display to use and watch movies while seeing the physical world around them.

🔑 Why Brands and Web3 natives should be paying close attention

• Breaking down the barriers to entry. Emerging tech needs to be understood. Apple doesn’t use Tech/Web3 terms like metaverse, but keeps it simple and shows how the product can be used in daily life.

• Making the luxury price “affordable.” Apple is offering a 12 month financing plan to make this as “affordable” and accessible as possible.

• Providing the answers. The demo video (above) is strategically used to address any questions and issues that potential buyers may have like feeling isolated when others are in the room or how your face will be shown if you are on a call while wearing the headset.

• Future of Fashion. We are waiting with bated breath to know what Apple will be doing with Fashion. From a new generation of designers, brands creating products for the digital realm and engagement with consumers.

💡TIP: Sign up for a demo of the Apple Vision Pro at 8am on February 2. Set your alarms now. ⏰ You’re welcome.

2. Digital Revolution: Lady Gaga’s Stylist to usher in Luxury Fashion into Digital

📚 What you need to know

• Nicola Fomichetti, the iconic stylist who dressed Lady Gaga in the legendary meat dress, founded streetwear brand Nicopanda, shaped Creative at Diesel & Mugler, and worked in Editorial at V Magazine and Vogue Hommes Japan. He is a fashion visionary and futurist.

• News hit the media during Couture Week in Paris that Formichetti will join Syky as Artistic Director, reshaping the luxury fashion narrative.

• Syky, founded by Burberry and Ralph Lauren alum Alice Delahunt is propelling the fashion industry into the future through curation, buying, selling of luxury digital collectibles.

💡 Why this matters to Fashion

• Signalling to Luxury Fashion : Formichetti’s announcement into Digital Fashion during Couture Week is a big strategic move signalling that Digital fashion is just fashion and that there is an understanding of the industry to time this news.

• Bridging the Gap. A paradigm shift in Digital Fashion will happen with Formichetti’s influence & connections ushering in a new Digital era, from mentoring talent, luxury brand partnerships and extending invitations for Syky’s physical events to the Fashion set. Who do you think we will see at the next Web3 and NFT event? Let the speculation begin.

• Normalizing Digital. This move normalizes Digital Fashion, making brands more comfortable with strategic partnerships before venturing into creating a new department in-house for Web3 functions - a parallel to market entry strategies for Fashion brands going into new doors through retailers or markets through distributors.

Read more here

3. Beauty + Algorithms + AI = CES 2024

📚 What you need to know

CES (Consumer Electronics Show) is an annual trade show and is one of the most influential the events globally to showcase the latest innovations and products. Two standout launches for me were the following:

• YSL Beauty’s SCENT SATION uses a multi sensor EEG based headset that captures neural activity (connects scents with emotions) leading to a personalized and algorithm driven process to match you to YSL fragrance recommendations.

• Nimble Beauty’s smart at home salon that uses AI and robots for professional quality nail treatments by scanning, painting and drying your nails with one device in 25 minutes

  

  Source: Nimble Beauty

💡 Why this matters to Beauty Brands & Consumers

• Personalized Beauty: Beauty is leveraging tech (AI, AR, Neuro Sensing) to provide personalized experiences based on what you like and how your brain responds to something like a fragrance.

• At Home Services: The pandemic skyrocketed at home treatments and this technology makes leveling up your beauty routine accessible even if you aren’t an esthetician aka beauty expert.

Shiaparelli breaks the Internet with Tech inspired fashion at Couture Week

LOVE IT OR HATE IT: Schiaparelli debuted the Robot Baby and Motherboard Dress inspired by AI and all things digital. The pieces embody the tension of technology with digital artifacts (Y2K devices like flip phones and CDs) and Swarovski Crystals. Read more here.

📸 NFTs & AR on Netflix?!

Netflix Movie Lift dropped on January 12 and NFTS & AR are a theme.

Learn more about it here 👇

📚 Read insights on everything NFTs & AR in the movie here 

🎥 Watch video on AR Glasses Missed Brand Partnership Opportunity here

My childhood dream was to be a journalist like Connie Chung (first Asian American Anchor), but my Korean immigrant father steered me towards a more “stable” path. I studied Information Systems, but said “Hello World. Goodbye Coding” (for those of you who get the nerdy reference).

I navigated the Fashion & Beauty industry across NYC and Asia (Hong Kong, China, Macau, South Korea, and Southeast Asia) until the pandemic re-routed me back to the U.S. leading me to Web3. Initially an investor, then I became a content creator, podcaster, consultant. I most recently worked at a Digital Fashion House where I led Marketing/PR/Growth/Web3 and launched Brand Partnerships with Highsnobiety and H&M Weekday.

After dreaming of writing a newsletter since 2022, I’m now doing the thing and sharing my insights as a Global Marketer & Retail Executive on Fashion, Tech & Trends.

I’m excited for you to join me on this journey - whether you are a business executive, marketer or consumer who loves being in the know. I would love to get to know you better. Reply and let me know who you are, what you do and why you subscribed. I may share some answers next week (with your permission, of course). Also, the logo is a placeholder and I’m excited to work with you to unveil something fun & on brand soon!

Happy Fashion Friday & have a nice weekend!

Janey Park, Founder of 🪩 The Digital Runway 🪩

💃 That's a wrap for this week

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