An essential round-up of the latest digital launches by luxury brands, including Alexander Wang, Louis Vuitton, Helicopter Magazine & Mandarin Oriental.

Peripheral content seems to be the order of the day for luxury brands. Tiffany & Co and Fabergé have drawn inspiration from their heritage and brand characteristics to produce comprehensive applications and microsites for brand advocates. Dolce & Gabbana are looking to music and art to diversify their offering on Swide.com, alongside active Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare and Tumblr profiles for both the brand and designers.

The Financial Times have optimised their app so that executives on the go can utilise their one subscription, on several platforms, both on and offline. As Alexander Wang chooses eBay’s Fashion Vault to launch small leather goods and Gagosian brings its artists and galleries to one informative and entertaining iPad application.

Dolce & Gabbana, Digital Video

Dolce & Gabanna are increasingly using their Swide.com digital magazine to extend their media and content offering outside of fashion, leveraging the platform for talent scouting and collaboration alongside insider company news. This week they will launch a short film, a collaboration between recording artist Florrie and photographer Jason Wu, both who have been discovered online by their in-house digital media team. All looks are of course from the Dolce & Gabanna collection, shot in Paris in Maison Baccarat and Pierre Hermé.

Website & Source: www.swide.com

Hublot, iPad

Hublot unveiled a new HD iPad application, where consumers can view the entire collection, watch Hublot TV, locate boutiques and discover more about the ‘Art of Fusion’ brand concept. The app also includes a ‘Watch Configurator’ to allow users to find the Hublot model best suited to their needs. All models can be viewed 360° with the ability to even test some of the functions. Finally, brand news and videos are supported, as is the opportunity to investigate the “Art of Fusion” concept, detailing the various materials, precious stones and movements used in manufacture.

Website & Source: www.hublot.com
Download: iHublot for iPad

Financial Times, App

The Financial Times launched a new, faster and automatically updating app available directly through a web browser at app.ft.com. Built using HTML5 technology, the app features continual and automatic content downloads and improvements, ensuring that FT customers can access content anytime, anywhere, on a PC and multiple devices, with one login and one subscription payment. Users can benefit from the ability to read offline, view video content on smartphones and access FT blog content exclusive to tablet users.

Website & Source: apps.ft.com

Helicopter Magazine, Interactive e-Zine

Helicopter Magazine launched its 49th issue online, with an interactive digital magazine in both French and English. The online and iPad optimised versions include all the content from the print magazine, with the ability to further interact with advertisements and editorial.

Website & Source: www.helicomag.com

Mir Fabergé, iPad

Drawing on the brand’s rich Russian history, Mir Fabergé is an iPad only art journal, featuring a collection of stories based on Fabergé’s legacy – bringing together artists from a variety of creative disciplines: photographers, directors, film makers, actors, dancers, artists, illustrators, composers, writers, costume designers and Fabergé experts. Mir Iskusstva, the magazine and art movement of the same name, instigated by Ballets Russes founder Sergei Diaghilev and his circle of friends inspire the app.

Source: Nowness

Burberry, e-Commerce Enabled Livestream

For the runway showing of the Men’s Prorsum Spring/Summer 2012 collection in Milan, Burberry not only live-streamed the event on several digital platforms, but also gave online customers the opportunity to order immediately, with a seven-week delivery time. Following the success of similar success of such initiatives with women’s wear, Burberry also invited select customers to watch the show live in-store and purchase products via iPad.

Website: www.burberry.com
Source: Luxury Daily

Alexander Wang, eBay Online Pop-Up

Alexander Wang recently launched its debut small leather goods collection, using eBay’s flash sale portal, Fashion Vault. The 60 hour sale included a range exclusive to eBay, sold at full price, that bidders were able to purchase using the ‘Buy It Now’ function.

Website: fashionvault.ebay.com
Source: Luxury Daily

Louis Vuitton, REcreative

Part of Louis Vuitton’s on-going Young Arts Project, a partnership between Louis Vuitton and London’s five leading arts institutions, REcreative is a social community platform, enabling young artists to engage with each other and showcase their work. The portal allows artists to share their new projects, where monthly art critics and artists themselves select and encourage their favourites. Short films and interviews feature British artists such as Tracey Emin, Michael Landy and publisher Jefferson Hack.

Website & Source: www.louisvuitton.com

Mandarin Oriental Paris, Social Campaign

Celebrating the launch of their first Parisian hotel, Mandarin Oriental have launched a social campaign on Twitter and Facebook, a photo competition entitled “J’aime Paris”. Facebook fans and Twitter followers are invited to submit an original photo reflecting what they love most about France’s capital, where all approved photographs will be posted on the company site and Facebook page.

Website: www.mandarinoriental.com/paris
Source: J’aime Paris Facebook

Gagosian Gallery, iPad

Providing a united digital platform for Larry Gagosian’s collection of gallery spaces, the quarterly updated application for the iPad provides an overview of exhibitions and projects from Paris to New York. The tool has been designed to ‘educate and entertain’, incorporating a worldwide gallery exhibition schedule, location maps, artist biographies, a list of events, news, and reviews surrounding Gagosian’s artists, and finally a link to the Gagosian Shop.

Website: www.gagosian.com
Download: Gagosian for iPad
Source: Art Info

Louis Vuitton, Jiepang

Cited as the Chinese equivalent of foursquare, Jiepang has been engaged by Louis Vuitton for the French brand’s “Voyages” exhibition at the National Museum of China in Beijing. Louis Vuitton have created a brand page on the site and a function whereby exhibition visitors can “check-in” and collect a special Louis Vuitton branded virtual badge, share details about the show with friends, and commemorate their trip.

Website: jiepang.com/louisvuitton
Source: Jing Daily

Tiffany & Co, Microsite & App

Tiffany & Co, leveraging their innate brand connection to marriage and celebration, have created a microsite and application to celebrate surprising love stories and share tips for two with a guide to matters of the heart. Users can share their own romantic journeys by adding initials and notes to special places, using the Love is Everywhere map.

Website: whatmakeslovetrue.com
Download: What Makes Love True
Source: Diamond World

For more in the series of The Latest Digital, please see our most recent editions as follows:

– The Latest Digital, Harrods, Heesen & Starwood Hotels
– The Latest Digital, Calvisius Caviar, Magellan Jets & Chanel
– The Latest Digital, Porsche, Lanvin & Tag Heuer