Yahoo Ryot Lab, Charli Cohen and Selfridges create virtual 3D experience for limited edition Charli Cohen x Pokémon collection

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Pokémon, Yahoo Ryot Lab – Yahoo’s immersive storytelling production house – has partnered with Selfridges and London-based fashion designer Charli Cohen to launch Electric/City, an innovative “cyberpunk” online shopping experience. The collaboration gives fans exclusive access to browse and buy limited-edition garments from the Charli Cohen x Pokémon range, as well as an exclusive Charli Cohen digital-only range.

The digital environment enables fans to discover the Charli Cohen collections through an immersive, 360-degree video experience, where shoppers can explore within a “cyberpunk” take on fashion capitals around the world, decorated with neon signs inspired by and celebrating the iconic Pokémon character, Pikachu. Hotspots within the virtual world will enable fans to buy items from the Pokémon physical collection to be delivered to their home.

Working in collaboration with Charli Cohen, as well as partners BlockV, Wolf 3D and Aircards, Yahoo Ryot Lab has created an additional bespoke digital Charli Cohen collection, separate from the Pokémon collection, for fans to purchase exclusively in the 3D, immersive virtual store that can be accessed in browsers across mobile and desktop at ElectricCity.co. Digital Charli Cohen garments purchased in Electric/City will be redeemed into an account-secured web-based digital wallet, provided by BlockV, that will enable them to be on show for new owners across different digital platforms.

The Charli Cohen x Pokémon physical collection unlocks:

  • Snapchat: Fans can celebrate the 25th anniversary using an exclusive snap lens attached to every garment

The Charli Cohen digital garments unlock:

  • ReadyPlayerMe: Fans can create their own avatars with Charli Cohengarments to view in AR and share socially, as well as being able to use the wider Charli Cohen collection for their virtual avatars across 500+ other virtual platforms, including VRChat, Somnium Space and Mozilla Hubs.
  • Snapchat: Fans can alsodigitally wear a Charli Cohen outfit with an AR body tracking Snapchat lens.

“We are focused on helping creators and brands bring their immersive experiences to life across the metaverse,” says Sam Field, Director of Creative Technology, EMEA at Yahoo. “Over the last 18 months, we’ve seen huge consumer demand for immersive experiences. For Electric/City, we’ve built what we call a Brandiverse: a hybrid of emerging technologies that create immersive brand experiences at scale. This project combines 3D virtual environments, 4K video streaming, 3D design software for digital clothing, motion capture, blockchain-enabled digital collectibles, augmented reality and more. As an industry rooted in innovation, our Brandiverse is a natural fit for fashion brands – embracing the power of immersive storytelling to allow people to explore their identity through fashion in new ways and throughout their physical and digital lives. The combination of The Pokémon Company International, Charli Cohen’s focus on tech-inspired fashion, and a retail powerhouse like Selfridges makes for an incredibly exciting collaboration.”