Why Are People Taking Pictures of Naked Models at London Fashion Week?

A new NSFW app has a radical new take on "window shopping"

September 16, 2016 9:00 am

You’ve probably heard of Augmented Reality, the at-times obnoxious technology responsible for that Pokemon thing no one would shut up about this summer. 

But London Fashion Week just rolled out a new reason to geek out over AR: naked models.

Lyst, an online retailer, enlisted four mostly-naked models to serve as virtual mannequins (NSFW) in a store window. People outside the store held up tablets and smartphones to dress the models. The AR technology recognizes the model’s body, and then virtually adds clothing.

“In a week where London comes alive for fashion, we thought it would be fascinating to look at what lies in store — quite literally — for us all in the coming years,” said Lyst CMO Christian Woolfenden.

Voyeurism isn’t the only feature AR technology brings to window shopping. It will also allow shoppers to see a 360-degree view of the clothes and zoom in to inspect details and materials. Woolfenden’s vision is to use AR technology to allow people to virtually “try on” clothes from anywhere in the world.

But for now, Woolfenden’s radically less clothed take on window shopping will have to do.

No complaints here.

Photo via: Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images

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