Go on a dream holiday with this virtual reality book
Kiss & Fly is a new AR book that blends print media with digital technology for a virtual vacation

‘Home’ is still the top destination for many holidaymakers this summer. While that may not be the dream holiday location, a new virtual reality book is offering a new way to break up days spent sunbathing in the garden or sipping a Margarita from a paddling pool.
Kiss & Fly offers virtual vacations to nine different locations: France, Brazil, Iceland, Mexico, Italy, Jordan, Greece, India, and Israel. The images are the work of sister photography duo Lauren and Annael Tolila, known professionally as Via Tolila, and they are pure escapism – pictures of sapphire blue water, sunbathers lounging on rocky cliffs, colourful cocktails served up in beach cabanas.
Kiss & Fly claims to be the world’s first augmented reality coffee table book, with glossy images that can be scanned with a smartphone or tablet, directing users to various online experiences.
It is the first title produced by Studio 96, a new publishing house in New York City that aims to make ‘experiential print’ a new norm. That means books with moving images, hyperlinks to interactive forums or social media channels, codes to download playlists curated for your reading experience, and even links to tickets for exclusive in-person and online events.
It is a familiar type of imagery that is not revolutionary in itself, but it’s made compelling by your ability to swipe your phone over it and watch it move – the sunbather goes from lounging to jumping off the cliff, the cocktail is stirred with a straw.
It makes for an entertaining reading experience and, perhaps, even offers a hint at what is to come for print media, with physical publications using digital technology to create a multi-platform reading experience.
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Mary Cleary is a writer based in London and New York. Previously beauty & grooming editor at Wallpaper*, she is now a contributing editor, alongside writing for various publications on all aspects of culture.
-
The bespoke Jaguar E-Type GTO melds elements from every era of the classic sports car
ECD Automotive Design’s one-off commission caters to a client who wanted to combine the greatest hits of Jaguar’s E-Type along with modern conveniences and more power
-
Casa Sanlorenzo debuts in Venice as a new hub for contemporary art
The luxury yachting leader unveils a stunning new space in a palazzo restored by Piero Lissoni – where art, innovation, and sustainability come together
-
Once vacant, London's grand department stores are getting a new lease on life
Thanks to imaginative redevelopment, these historic landmarks are being rebonr as residences, offices, gyms and restaurants. Here's what's behind the trend
-
Masters of midcentury modern design and their creations spotlighted in new book
‘Mid-Century Modern Designers’ is a new book from Phaidon celebrating those who shaped the period and their notable creations, from furniture to objects
-
Rooms with a view: a new book celebrates the Italian approach to interior design
Laura May Todd's survey of Italian interiors is the perfect antidote to January gloom, taking a look inside 50 distinctive Italian homes
-
Discover the alchemy of American artists Philip and Kelvin LaVerne
The work of Philip and Kelvin LaVerne, prized by collectors of 20th-century American art, is the subject of a new book by gallerist Evan Lobel; he tells us more
-
20 pairs of bookends celebrate contemporary Scottish design and Dundee’s literary heritage
As Dundee Design Week gets ready for its fifth edition, a bookish commission shines a light on two pioneering female journalists from the city’s storied past
-
‘You’ve got to hang out with Judd furniture… you learn something’: Rainer Judd
As new book ‘Donald Judd Furniture’ lands, the artist’s children Rainer and Flavin discuss their father’s legacy
-
Discover London’s lesser-known design gems with ‘an opinionated guide’
‘An opinionated guide to Design London’ by Sujata Burman and Wallpaper’s Rosa Bertoli is a carefully curated tour of intriguing design spots across the capital
-
Well hung? We interview Martino Gamper about his new book of (around) 1,000 hooks
Italian maverick designer Martino Gamper doesn't hang around. He has a new book featuring 1,000 hooks made by hand. We ask him how and why...
-
New Louis Poulsen book explores the Danish lighting company's illuminating world
Louis Poulsen: First House of Light, published by Phaidon, is a new design book delving into the Danish company's world of radiant lighting