San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
S.F. museum will be first to use Snapchat’s AR mirrors
The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco are collaborating with the technology company behind Snapchat to introduce the first interactive augmented reality mirrors in a U.S. museum.
The three mirrors, to be installed at the de Young Museum next year, will be part of the institution’s “Fashioning San Francisco: A Century of Style,” set to launch on Jan. 20.
The costume exhibition is expected to showcase women’s haute couture and high fashion over the past 100 years in the city. Featuring pieces predominantly from the museum’s Caroline and H. McCoy Jones Department of Textile Arts, the show will also display items from more than 50 designers, from Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel to Oscar de la Renta and Alexander McQueen.
Snap Inc. announced in November that the Snapchat AR mirrors will enable visitors to virtually try on three evening ensembles from the exhibition, with pieces designed by the late French designer Yves Saint Laurent, Chinese American Bay Area-based designer Kaisik Wong and Italian designer Valentino.
“Thanks to Snap’s augmented reality mirrors our visitors will have the opportunity to visualize themselves as a part of this history
“Fashioning San Francisco: A Century of Style”:
Fashion. 9:30 a.m.-5:15 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. Jan. 20-Aug. 11. $15-$30. De Young Museum, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, S.F. 415-750-3600. www.famsf.org
and to imagine their role in charting the city’s next sartorial chapter,” said Thomas P. Campbell, director and CEO of FAMSF, which also includes the Legion of Honor, in a statement.
The AR mirror technology employed by Snapchat captures real-time images projected onto the screen. It adapts the displayed pieces to various body types, sizes, shapes and genders. The technology — already utilized by retailers such as Coach, Ugg and Nike — enhances customer visualization of products in real-life scenarios.
“This project showcases how Snapchat can support the arts by using augmented reality in innovative, impactful, and stylish ways,” said Rajni Jacques, global head of fashion and beauty at Snap Inc., in a statement. “Our partnership with the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco is a testament to how augmented reality can infiltrate culture, encourage creativity and self expression, and bring historic couture to life like never before.”