New Look has a new look which is significantly better than its old look. A full-scale reimagining of the high-street fashion giant has kicked off with the launch of experimental features at its 19,000-square-foot Westfield London branch.
“We want our guys and girls to look good, feel great and have fun”, says Louisa Webb, a New Look brand marketing coordinator in an on-brand in her purple playsuit. I can tell the word 'fun!' has clearly loomed large on whiteboards in New Look's HQ. The excitement here is as palpable as the anticipation in a Stansted departure lounge at the start of the Ibiza summer season. With DJs pumping out the latest banging house tracks, and video screens showing beautiful people frolicking in sun-drenched Miami, the only difference between this and a club is that the lights are on.
It boasts whizz-bang technology such as ‘Padequins’: mannequins with iPad for heads (you can take a pic and virtually stick your head on a model's body – ah, if only). There's also a photobooth that allows customers to snap their new outfits against different backdrops. But it's not just about clothes. A beauty bar in the fitting-room area offers treatments – this is a shop designed to get the party started.