InStyle Magazine Takes Augmented Reality to a Cool New Level

Last week, we sort of made fun of Starbucks for their augmented reality holiday coffee cups. Sure, the idea was interesting. But the execution was lame.

But today we've heard of an AR project that is actually pretty cool.

British fashion designer Henry Holland has become the first of his kind to bring a magazine cover to virtual life by releasing his own augmented reality app, powered by Aurasma. Subscribers of InStyle UK can download the free app and see his Spring/Summer 2012 collection come to life in a whole new dimension.

It's not like Starbucks' little snowflakes-on-a-cup AR. The Aurasma app completely transforms the magazine cover, using it as a veritable movie screen rather than a simple backdrop.

When subscribers of IPC Media's InStyle UK download the House of Holland app and point the camera on their mobile device at the December issue's front cover, the leopard skin print melts away, revealing runway videos from House of Holland's Spring/Summer 2012 collection shown at London Fashion Week. Readers can then click through straight to the House of Holland website to shop the look.

Aurasma is free to download from the Apple App Store and Android Marketplace.