The Empty District

Gentle Monster has done with their products, as well as with their physical spaces, something entirely unparalleled. Though I have traveled and experienced fashion in many beautiful and bizarre forms, I can honestly say that the moment I will never forget was seeing a pop-up space SKP, the South Beijing department store, taken over by realistic, robotic sheep—of course, courtesy of Gentle Monster. But the sheep were only one example of Gentle Monster’s many robotic retail installations, each of which have been bold, uncanny, inspiring, and even uncomfortable. And that is the true revolutionization of retail, that is the “duality of being."

The brand’s latest venture, Haus Dosan 0 10 10 10, a retail space in South Korea, is debatably the most exciting and surely the most expansive. And at the core of this endeavor, naturally—or rather, unnaturally— is The Probe, a kinetic robot that lives on the building’s third floor. I could go on about the many ways this new store has upended the traditional consumer experience, but once again, what I tap into above all else, time and time again, are the robotics.

I got the chance to chat with Gentle Monster’s director of customer experience, David Kim, and dig deeper into the evolution of the eyewear brand’s use of robotics, how the robots embody GM’s overall ethos, and what steps they’re taking to resurrect retail and build a better future for fashion.

How might you respond to the trope, “retail is dead”?

I believe that retail will evolve and pioneers will emerge with a redefined idea or concept of shopping in real life. Online shopping and digital commerce have become a way of life, making it easier and easier to buy a wider variety of items, all while sitting in the comfort of your living room. However, Gentle Monster are strong believers in personal experience and the effect that positive memories and an emotional connection can have on anything - no matter how much technology advances, this will always be an alternative, falling short of a replacement, compared to the sensual and intimate emotions that come from real-life experiences.

How is GM reviving it, and how do the robots specifically play a part in this?

It was a natural progression, from our stationary art objects, through to our kinetic and media installations, robots were the obvious next step. Digital has become a major player in our lives, not just on the internet, but in offline scenarios also. It has become very difficult to look in any direction without seeing a digital board or screen, attempting to leave an imprint on you. But as all things do, these become tiresome and antiquated, which is something that we as a brand actively avoid. We felt that if movement catches attention, and if digital is basically 'normal', what could we do to carry the message further and stop people in their tracks and bring them back onto the streets and into stores vs their digital screens. Robotic Performances. Robots in itself aren't the main sole focus, but the way we approach a façade, or how we tell stories has a more significant role in this, we build robots to create a far more immersive and memorable experience that fuses with our product and campaign stories.

How are the products themselves and the robotics connected?

All designs for each year, including showroom designs and products, are aligned under the same concept. This year, The UNOPENED represents a mysterious and ambiguous future and the hope that lives within it. The idea of the future is translated in a variety of different ways, but ultimately all point to the same core message.

What aspect of the brand’s ethos are they representing?

Weird Beauty. We work to disrupt industry norms by focusing on what it is we want to do and say, more so than what the industry dictates. The robots and journey we design for each location illustrate the devotion and commitment we have with this concept, with the investment far beyond what would be considered sensible for most. I believe this is where Gentle Monster thrives, and this is what our fans most appreciate. The sense of being different, by being genuine.

In which ways do you hope the customer engages or is affected by the robots?

We hope that people walk away from our stores with a distinct memory of the brand. An emotion of surprise and amazement, but at the same time left curious and wondering for more. We hope that each moment, or as we like to call them 'scene', is memorable enough to warrant a selfie, to warrant a story of their own on how they discovered their next favorite brand, this crazy eyewear brand that does far more than make eyewear.

Most recently, at HAUS DOSAN, we were introduced to ’The Probe’. How do the locations themselves inspire each robotic installation?

Having robotics capabilities in-house opens a lot of doors and windows for opportunity. I’m very excited to see how our robotics evolve, and the new and different ways in which we integrate them into each of our brand experiences.

How much is the choice to incorporate robotics in a retail experience a reflection of the world we live in today?

People are looking at the world and constantly searching for things that can be perceived new and exciting, they want to be stimulated and perhaps inspired, and escape the trappings of a 'normal day-to-day life'. Even if the technology is not that new, normal becomes stagnant very quickly. For a relatively newer brand to breakthrough and offer something different, things that can be considered extreme can often become the new normal, meaning that breathing life into the retail experience is a necessity to all brands today.