BARNEYS DEBUTS NEW VIRTUAL REALITY SHORT FILM, EXPERIENCE

Luxury specialty retailer Barneys New York has announced its spring campaign, dubbed “Mantle”, a virtual reality experience with the Martha Graham Dance Company and Samsung Electronics America, Inc.

The iconic New York institutions have joined forces to create a virtual reality short film that blends fashion, technology, and contemporary dance, premiering in Barneys New York stores in exclusive designer looks straight from the runway. The experience can be viewed in Barneys New York stores with Gear VR powered by Oculus, through the Samsung VR app, and online at Barneys.com.

Filmed using 360-degree camera technology, Mantle tells a story through its four principal dancers from the Martha Graham Dance Company, who embody character archetypes representing parts of the human psyche: Power, Ethereal, Possessed, and The Cleaner. Directed by Theo Stanley and choreographed by Cynthia Stanley, Mantle features a diverse cast of dancers, with the four principal dancers, as well as former company members ranging in age up into their 70s, many of whom have been with the group since the days of Graham herself.

The full cast of dancers brings the story to life in the modern designs of Prabal Gurung, The Row, Rick Owens, Loewe, and Craig Green. The wardrobe featured in the piece will be displayed in the windows at Barneys New York’s Madison Avenue flagship, as well as within the store at the virtual reality experience. Additional collaborators on Mantle include composer Sam Wagster, set designer Stefan Beckman, makeup artist James Kaliardos, and hairstylist Jeff Francis.

“Barneys New York has always been centered around fashion and its role within culture,” said Matthew Mazzucca, creative director at Barneys New York. “By partnering with another iconic New York institution, the Martha Graham Dance Company, along with Samsung, we are proud to give our customers an immersive experience in our stores and on Barneys.com that fuses high design with art, performance, and technology. All of these elements are pillars of the experiences Barneys New York is known for.”

“Mantle offers an entirely new way to experience our world-class dancers and the creative legacy of the revolutionary artist Martha Graham,” added Janet Eilber, artistic director of Martha Graham Dance Company. “She would have been fascinated by this innovative collaboration with Barneys New York, which has brought together top creative minds to create an intriguing and magical immersive film.”

“No other medium can really envelop consumers into a brand universe and create brand affinity like virtual reality. We are thrilled that Barneys New York was inspired by our Gear VR technology and the immersive storytelling that VR can facilitate,” commented Zach Overton, VP of brand experience at Samsung Electronics America. “At Samsung, we aim to create innovative partnerships, like our relationship with Barneys New York, to help brands reinvent how they connect with consumers.”