Dr. Barbara Sturm Brings Immersive Wellness Experience to Mayfair With Xydrobe
LONDON — Dr. Barbara Sturm is looking to harness the potential of virtual reality to offer an immersive, holistic anti-inflammatory skin care experience, “Pause,” in partnership with Xydrobe.
Starting from Nov. 17, customers will be able to book appointments starting from 159 pounds at Xydrobe’s Mayfair flagship at 11 Carlos Place, which is a stone’s throw from Sturm’s Mount Street location. The experience was first teased last month during Frieze London.
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Billed as a journey about “rejuvenation, relaxation and a rediscovery of your inner peace,” the 50-minute virtual-meets-physical experience includes meditation and breathing exercises within a virtually created natural environment, as well as full-body red light therapy for anti-inflammatory treatment.
Following the treatment, which also comes with herbal-infused teas and anti-inflammatory delicacies, customers can take home two products from Dr. Barbara Sturm’s supplement collection, which aims to help with a range of wellness concerns, such as sun protection, hair growth, sleeping, and fasting.
Barbara Sturm, founder of her namesake brand, said the virtual reality experience can restore the body and mind for optimal wellbeing and plays a vital role in maintaining a healthy, anti-inflammatory lifestyle.
“Everyone benefits from living an anti-inflammatory lifestyle, which includes enjoying a healthy diet, managing stress, and getting adequate sleep. In today’s fast-paced world, where we all experience daily stressors, it can be beneficial to take a moment for yourself,” she added.
Nell Lloyd Malcolm, chief executive officer at Xydrobe, a company born during the pandemic that aimed to add a layer of film industry-quality visual effects within the luxury space, believes this experience will be “a game-changing piece of escapism from the everyday stresses that affect us all.”
“We approached Dr. Barbara Sturm because we recognized the strength of creating a ticketed experience that immerses our guests on every level into the anti-inflammatory message that underpins everything within her unshakable and pioneering brand,” Malcolm added.
The company made headlines in 2021 for auctioning a hyper-realistic digital copy of the JW Anderson patchwork cardigan made famous by Harry Styles. At the time, Xydrobe positioned itself as an NFT auction platform selling “perfect 3D copies of already existing, world-renowned luxury collectibles.”
But as the world comes out of the pandemic, Xydrobe now brings its technical capacity into real life and becomes a host, commissioner and producer of “immersive experiences for unforgettable memories, allowing brands to convey the intangible through the use of our groundbreaking multisensory technology.”
Following the opening of its Mayfair location opposite the Connaught Hotel, which hosted Manolo Blahnik’s immersive exhibition “The Craft Room” last month, Xydrobe is looking to expand into other major global territories from 2024.
