BEIJING, March 26, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Aurasma and 360Fashion Network have partnered to bring a new augmented reality smartphone app to the CHIC Fashion Expo in Beijing (26-29 March). The Aurasma-powered 360AR app will allow visitors to China's largest fashion Expo to use their smartphones to access exclusive photos and videos augmented into the CHIC History Wall – a celebration of CHIC's 20 year anniversary.
There are over 1 billion mobile subscribers and 180 million smartphones in China. Chinese fashion brands are just beginning to harness the mobile channel to connect with their customers although few have yet to use augmented reality as a way to reach their customers. This is in contrast to Western fashion brands, the majority of whom already have their own-branded apps and are now rapidly adopting augmented reality.
Noting this opportunity in the Chinese market, the China International Clothing and Accessories Fair (CHIC) invited 360Fashion Network to create an 800 sq meter exhibition around the themes of Fashion and Mobile for the CHIC Fashion Expo. CHIC is the largest Fashion Expo in China with over 110,000 attendees and 800 exhibitors from top fashion brands.
The exhibition space will host an interactive zone, where visitors can use the 360AR app to access exclusive content embedded within the CHIC History Wall - a historical timeline of the last 20 years of CHIC expo. The 360AR app is powered by Aurasma, and when visitors point their smartphones at the timeline, hidden photos and videos will appear. The 360AR app is available for iPhone and Android smartphones (http://getap.ps/360AR). At the Expo, Anina will also launch her mobile game for girls "ANINA DRESS UP" for iPhones.
Aurasma is the world's leading augmented reality platform and has over 3,000 commercial partners including international fashion brands such as luxury menswear label Alfred Dunhill, luxury online fashion retailer NET-A-PORTER, British department store Marks & Spencer, London Fashion Week and leading designers including Henry Holland and Karl Lagerfeld.
Anina Net, Founder and CEO of 360Fashion Network said: "Augmented Reality is totally new in China. We augmented the CHIC History Wall with digital content to show Chinese fashion brands how easy it is to make their print campaigns and retail spaces come alive in this digital way for their customers. Working with Aurasma's online studio made the whole process seamless and it's easy to make last minute updates or changes."
Martina King, Managing Director of Aurasma said: "We are delighted to be partnering with 360Fashion Network – its founder Anina is a true visionary, bringing the upcoming Chinese fashion scene together with cutting-edge mobile technology from Aurasma. Our free technology is a fantastic match for Chinese fashion brands looking to reach their customers in a new, highly-engaging way and we look forward to working with many more as a result of this collaboration."
About 360Fashion Network www.360fashion.net 360Fashion Network was founded by Anina Net, a mobile technology entrepreneur and internationally famous fashion model, in Paris in 2005. 360Fashion has established the first online platform for the fashion industry, using new business models and technologies to promote the development of the fashion industry. 360Fashion has offices in the US and Beijing, China and representatives in Paris, Amsterdam and London.
About Aurasma www.aurasma.com Aurasma is the world's leading augmented reality platform. Over 3,000 partners in more than 70 countries worldwide are using the free technology in their advertising campaigns or embedding the technology in their own applications, including global brands such as Panasonic, Marvel, Mazda, Virgin Atlantic, Sky, BMW, Procter & Gamble, NET-A-PORTER, BBC Worldwide, Hyundai, UniCredit and Universal Pictures. Aurasma was developed by software company Autonomy – an HP Company.
