WAH London, Soho WAH London, Soho
WAH London, Soho WAH London, Soho
WAH London, Soho WAH London, Soho
WAH London, Soho WAH London, Soho

Nailing the future

25 : 11 : 2016 Nails : Community : Virtual Reality

London – In the heart of Soho, WAH London offers a glimpse of the nail salon of the future.

  • The store stocks pieces from the WAH collection and products from a selection of independent labels founded by women
  • A virtual reality (VR) try-on service enables customers to sample hundreds of styles

The 900-square-feet flagship store is set across two floors and includes a treatment area with six manicure desks, a cocktail bar and an interactive discovery zone with nail printing and product testing.

The salon features a variety of technology-enabled services including a VR experience developed by design studio DVTK that enables customers to create and try on their own designs and share the results on Instagram, and test out pieces from the WAH collection.

With its focus on creating a community, the space feels more like a club than a traditional nail salon. ‘For me it’s about having a youth club or community centre for cool girls to hang out in. The nails are a byproduct of that good feeling,’ founder Sharmadean Reid told LS:N Global at Decoded London.

The Big Picture

Beauty brands are using the social power of bricks-and-mortar stores to create a sense of community. To find out more, read part 1 and part 2 of our Destination Retail market.

Discover More Daily Signals
Nothing turns retail into a community engine in Bengaluru

Daily Signals

Nothing turns retail into a community engine in Bengaluru

Consumer electronics brand Nothing has opened its first Indian retail space in Bengaluru, drawing more than 2,000 people to queue on 14 February 2026.
Retail : Technology : Design
OpenAI retires GPT-4o, prompting digital grief among users

Daily Signals

OpenAI retires GPT-4o, prompting digital grief among users

OpenAI has removed access to GPT-4o, sparking backlash from users who say the model was more than just a productivity tool.
Technology : AI : Connection
Stat: Vinted becomes the UK’s third-largest fashion retailer amid second-hand boom

Daily Signals

Stat: Vinted becomes the UK’s third-largest fashion retailer amid second-hand boom

New data from SpendMapper shows Vinted is now the third-largest fashion retailer in the UK, behind Primark and Next.
Fashion : Sustainability : Vinted
Depop taps Kelis to spotlight resale’s everyday returns

Daily Signals

Depop taps Kelis to spotlight resale’s everyday returns

Depop is doubling down on the everyday value of secondhand fashion with the launch of Depoponomics, a new US campaign championing resale as a means...
Sustainability : Depop : Resale
Foresight Friday: Ella Murray, junior creative visualiser

Daily Signals

Foresight Friday: Ella Murray, junior creative visualiser

Every Friday, we offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, junior creative visualise...
Foresight Friday : Gen Z : Nightlife
Stat: Brazil’s 2026 Carnival projections signal rising global appeal

Daily Signals

Stat: Brazil’s 2026 Carnival projections signal rising global appeal

Brazil’s 2026 Carnival was expected to attract more than 65m participants across the country, according to estimates from the country’s Ministry of...
Travel : Leisure : Culture
How Salomon is celebrating everyone who shapes sport

Daily Signals

How Salomon is celebrating everyone who shapes sport

Salomon is using its first official Winter Games partnership to launch Shaping New Futures, a long-term campaign signalling a shift towards proacti...
Sport : Fitness : Advertising
Streaming service Menta serves as a tool for dementia care

Daily Signals

Streaming service Menta serves as a tool for dementia care

Menta, a secure streaming service developed between Istanbul and Amsterdam, is rethinking the role of tv in dementia care.
Media : Technology : Health And Wellness
Stat: AI commerce trust gap widens at checkout across Asia-Pacific

Daily Signals

Stat: AI commerce trust gap widens at checkout across Asia-Pacific

Visa has revealed a widening trust gap in AI commerce across Asia-Pacific, with consumers embracing AI for browsing but hesitating at checkout.
Technology : Artificial Intelligence : Statistic
Chili’s turns margarita superfans into club members

Daily Signals

Chili’s turns margarita superfans into club members

American casual dining chain Chili’s has launched an official Margarita of the Month Club, timed to coincide with National Margarita Day on 22...
Food : Drink : Fashion
You have 2 free Daily Signals remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN