Hussein Chalayan is creative director of new AR social platform Zome

New spatial social platform Zome has announced designer Hussein Chalayan as its creative director, as well as the launch of his first curated augmented reality (AR) content – geolocated at 700+ airports worldwide and attached to the real-time position of the Moon.

The Zome x Hussein Chalayan capsules feature exclusive videos and prose by the designer, and also includes a Celestial Capsule that anyone anywhere in the world can access by simply pointing their smartphones or tablets directly at the Moon using the Zome app. There’s a major opportunity from brands to use it to reach consumers with inspiring content.

It’s a world-first project for the AR specialist, which is led by founder and CEO Theodore Wohng, and shows once again how new technology and fashion can intersect.

The app is available for Apple (including Apple Vision Pro) and Android devices, with the Zone platform aiming to allow “brands, artists and individuals to share and access geolocated and time-based Zome Message Capsules anywhere in the world – and even attach custom content to the sun, moon, planets and constellations”. 

Each Message Capsule can be placed in any desired location(s) and include multiple content types, from 3D models, spatial video and images to audio and text. 

The company said its Location-Based Message Capsules “encourage users to explore the physical world around them”, while Time-Based Message Capsules “can be geolocated to appear (or disappear) at set times in the future – opening up a wealth of possibilities for creating unique immersive experiences at key locations and events for both business applications and personal projects”.

That could mean individuals publishing music, art and writing anywhere around the globe in space and time, to brands, museums and festivals placing targeted and content-rich information especially for consumers and visitors.

Zome has already hosted specially created spatial Message Capsules in highlight projects delivered for NASA, Dover Street Market, music artists Raye and Duran Duran, and the London Symphony Orchestra.

Chalayan said: “I am delighted to join Zome. With a focus on the intersection of design, technology, and human experience, I believe my interdisciplinary background and expertise will make a meaningful contribution to the platform.

“What draws me is its unique ability to merge art, innovation, and everyday life, offering a fresh perspective on how we can experience creativity. Spatial design moves beyond the confines of traditional settings, allowing concepts to be experienced in real time, not just observed within a gallery setting.”

Chalayan was twice named British Designer of the Year by the British Fashion Council and his work has been exhibited at the V&A and Design Museum in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.