This is why Zara's shop windows are empty right now

It's going to change the way you shop

(Image credit: DOMO_FOTOGRAFIA_S.L)

It's going to change the way you shop

Have you walked past your favourite Zara and noticed the window displays are completely empty? No mannequins, no clothes, nothing? Well there's a good reason for it. You see, Zara is targeting millennials by introducing Augmented Reality shopping.

The high-street chain is encouraging shoppers to download the Zara AR app, and point their smartphones to the shop windows. Models Léa Julian and Fran Summers will then magically appear on their screens, talking and moving around, modelling the latest Studio collection.

Think of it as mannequins brought to life, albeit in a very realistic way (it took 68 cameras to capture 12 sequences on a set of 170 square metres, one of the largest of its kind in the world).

You can also enjoy the virtual experience at 'podiums in store, using delivery boxes for online purchases and through dedicated images on zara.com.'

Then, if you like what you see, you can shop the items on the app in one click, or directly in-store.

This has been rolled out in 120 stores worldwide, with selected stores in London, Liverpool, Manchester and Dublin taking part.

Plus, if you fancy, you can share your experience online by 'sharing the experience on social media, encouraging users to take and submit photos of the holograms, establishing a virtual connection that appears remarkably real.'

Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.

Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).

Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.

However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.

Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.