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
SXSW 2026: Why boring brands are borrowing from entertainment to break the internet

Daily Signals

SXSW 2026: Why boring brands are borrowing from entertainment to break the internet

On day two of SXSW 2026 speakers challenged a long-held assumption in marketing: that so-called ‘boring’ categories must produce dull advertising.
Global Events : SXSW : Advertising & Branding
Why WhatsApp is launching pre-teen accounts

Daily Signals

Why WhatsApp is launching pre-teen accounts

Instant messaging service WhatsApp is expanding its user base by introducing pre-teen accounts, lowering access to include users aged under 13 for ...
Social Media : Parental Control : Online Safety
Stat: How to appeal to each generation through visual design

Daily Signals

Stat: How to appeal to each generation through visual design

New research from Adobe reveals a widening generational divide in how UK consumers perceive design, with younger audiences placing significantly gr...
Design : Branding : Marketing
Creators, community and culture take centre stage at SXSW Austin 2026

Daily Signals

Creators, community and culture take centre stage at SXSW Austin 2026

A central question echoed across discussions on the first day of SXSW 2026: how can brands tap into culture in a way that feels genuinely relevant?
Global Events : SXSW : Marketing
How Tipping Point East is redefining circular construction in London

Daily Signals

How Tipping Point East is redefining circular construction in London

A new hub in east London aims to rethink how cities build by embedding material re-use directly into the construction supply chain.
Construction : Sustainability : Future Spaces
Stat: The enshittification of TikTok is creating a widening trust gap with Gen Z

Daily Signals

Stat: The enshittification of TikTok is creating a widening trust gap with Gen Z

Global – Growing scepticism is beginning to reshape how Gen Z engage with the social media platform TikTok.
Social Media : Advertising : Statistic
Pinterest reveals how parents are designing tech-free childhoods

Daily Signals

Pinterest reveals how parents are designing tech-free childhoods

Parents are increasingly seeking ways to raise children away from screens, according to a new parenting trends report from Pinterest.
Parenting : Technology : Childhood
M&S turns compliments into a marketing strategy

Daily Signals

M&S turns compliments into a marketing strategy

Retailer Marks & Spencer is building its positioning around positivity and everyday affirmation with a new campaign encouraging shoppers to sha...
Marketing : Celebrity Endorsements : Retail
Stat: China’s record travel surge signals opportunity for outdoor brands

Daily Signals

Stat: China’s record travel surge signals opportunity for outdoor brands

China’s 2026 Spring Festival generated record-breaking travel and spending, underscoring the scale of domestic mobility and the country’s growing a...
China : Travel : Statistic
Iga Węglińska explores the power of sensory restraint

Daily Signals

Iga Węglińska explores the power of sensory restraint

Designer Iga Węglińska’s Perfect Sense explores how design can recalibrate human perception. The project comprises a series of six masks that inves...
Design : Transhumanism : Senses
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