Alessandro Serena, web producer

A while back I was working on a new site for Piacenza Cashmere, a company founded in 1733, and I thought I’d hit the “age limit” until I was contacted by Piana Clerico … who opened for business in 1582!

I was honour-bound to mention the age of this doyenne of luxury, but now let’s talk about the project I developed for them.

As always, the most important moment is the beginning, the exploration of the client’s expectations and requirements. In this case, the main request was to attract online visitors to the new corporate showroom and ensure the products were given maximum exposure. The client actually asked for a 3D version of its showroom to be created, so visitors could browse it almost as if it was were a Second Life scenario.

I didn’t think this suggestion would work once I had a clear idea of the company’s target. Piana Clerico actually sells to adults with enormous spending power, resident in emerging countries like Russia, China, Latin America, Arab states. The 3D approach would have required a background developed in a Second Life- type environment and, by nature, a 3D environment creates virtual backgrounds and products, while we wanted to showcase real products and persuade people to visit the actual location.

I was keen to make the company understand this perspective, so I picked out a number of 3D showrooms already on the web and at the next meeting with the company’s representatives I showed them the sites. They had no trouble understanding what I meant.

Having set aside the 3D option, I then suggested five alternatives and here you can see the pros and cons of each one, taken directly from the quote I sent in:

Video

Best choice if we want people to see the showroom.

Pros:
- Maximum fidelity to the real thing, maximum detail
- Possibility of using sales staff to welcome and guide customers in the purchase process
- An advertising style that’s more familiar to your audience compared to other alternatives
- “Human” presence in the showroom

Cons:
- Limited camera movement
- Requires more logistics commitment (use of a telescopic dolly for overhead shots, lighting, more staff)
- Can be complex to change products on offer

Photography

Excellent value for money

Pros:
- It’s possible to add/modify/remove all products without changing the backdrop
- Use of several shooting angles (probably four) gives a feeling of greater depth to the showroom
- The site loads faster than the video version

Cons:
- Lack of animation in the opening logo panel (can be replaced with a photo)
- Loss of the human factor: there aren’t any people in the 3D showroom

Use of panoramic images (Quicktime VR)

A technique for 360° photos and three or four of the showroom are enough

Pros:
- Allows for navigation inside the showroom

Cons:
Technically lower quality images
- Camera movement can cause distortion
- Adding new products is more complicated in the photocompositing stage

3D

The whole showroom is re-created digitally using photorealistic techniques with excellent graphic rendering.

Pros:
- The camera has total freedom of movement in the showroom
- Showroom elements can be updated without too many problems
- It’s possible to create a bespoke environment
- Product sheets are embedded in the showroom (next to each product)

Cons:
- Loss of the human factor: there aren’t any people in the 3D showroom
- There’s a risk that the showroom investment won’t be cost-effective

Graphics

Use of a backdrop created from scratch, using real images

Pros:
- More impact

Cons:
- Risks being detached from the experience shared with other fashion sector competitors
- Loss of the human factor: there aren’t any people in the 3D showroom

We sat down with the client to discuss the various options and we decided to spend the budget on a photographic-type site, but with a dynamic edge to it.

I set up two work groups, one for the photography concept and the other for programming. I also decided not to go with Flash so mobile devices (IPhone and IPad above all) could view the site. Although the design specs didn’t require this, it meant we were able to optimize later on. It’s crucial in these cases to try and foresee future limitations.

A fundamental aspect of the site was that we had to be able to update it without having to take more photos, so I decided to empty the showroom completely and take photos of it for the backdrop.

A big hurdle was the fact that the showroom was still being built and we couldn’t use the location although the due date was just around the corner. Our solution was to re-create the whole set in 3D, take the shots and get them viewed and accepted before we even took the team to the location.

Once the shots were signed off, I sent the 3D material to my programmers and they started to add movement to the stills, they made each showcase (already correctly positioned in 3D) clickable, and they populated the database with the texts for all the products.

Then we went on to studio shots of the products. First of all we tried out some sets to get the right look: lights, backdrops, positioning of the products (the photographers are still having nightmares about the belts “floating on air”…). Given the sheer value of the products (overall about 400,000 euros) we couldn’t even have them in the studio without a company staff member present … and overnight was out of the question. As soon as we had worked out all the logistics and prepared the set, we were able to take all the photographs very quickly.

After that we took 360° shots of all the showcases, plus an extra empty one just in case. By taking plenty of shots we had complete control of how we could position the showcases, especially in future.

Once we’d finished the work for the showroom, we went to do on-site shots and we soon found out that light was going to be a problem because there weren’t any curtains. It was actually impossible to use a significant part of the showroom, which obviously made it difficult to set up the showcases.

So I edited the interiors images to allow a much bigger range of positions. Once again, the 3D set we’d prepared in advance was crucial. The dimensions provided by the 3D set provided a guideline for photomontages of turned, staggered showcases, otherwise it would have been impossible to get them to look so realistic when embedded into the context.

Lastly we retouched the colour, adjusting light and glare, adding essential highlights to the centre of the showcases, which now almost seem to have an inner glow.

This is where the programmers came into play. First they uploaded the real photos and then the site texts onto various browsers and computers.

While we wait for the new collection to be launched, the site has been published in English. When it’s up and running it will be in seven languages: English, Italian, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Arabic. It will also be possible to purchase all the items via an e-outlet. Following a purchase or a request for information, an operator who speaks the right language will call the client to reply to any queries.

Our customer can update the site simply by adding new products. We’ll do the photography in our studio, placing digital product images in the showcases, positioned in one of the five photos already present.The showcases can be completely reconfigured and moved at will.

Another of the client’s requests was for an extra floor in the showroom for displaying apparel and we’re able to do that with the material we already have, which means the company will save money. The new floor will be connected to the existing level by a lift.

Basically, this was a Premium Project whose special requirements were met by completely personalizing implementation, allowing plenty of room for product range expansion and updating.

Now here’s a site still under construction but which you can already see online at: http://www.pianaclerico1582.com/en/