Imagine being able to virtually try on that stunning designer dress you’ve been eyeing online, right from the comfort of your living room. No more guessing how it will look or fit, thanks to the magic of augmented reality and virtual try-on technologies. Simply point your smartphone camera at yourself and the dress comes to life, draped over your body in a photorealistic rendering. Brands like Zara, Gucci and Dior are already leveraging these game-changing AR in their apps, allowing fashion enthusiasts to experience their latest collections in a whole new way.
The adoption of AR and VR applications is not just limited to global markets or names. In India, as per Statista, the augmented reality and virtual reality market is expected to experience an annual growth rate (CAGR 2024-28) of 11.39 per cent, resulting in a projected market volume of US $ 1,170.0 million by 2028 and an anticipated user base of approximately 742.3 million users by the same year. This showcases that the future of virtual try-on and immersive shopping experiences is incredibly promising.
Furthermore, AI is proving to be a powerful ally for designers, enabling the creation of unmatched fashion designs and seamless collaboration. Take virtuality.fashion for instance. It utilises the power of 3D and AI to offer innovative virtual showroom solutions, allowing designers to bring their masterpieces to life in photorealistic 3D renderings before even cutting a single thread. From sketch to virtual catwalk, these tools are redefining the boundaries of creativity and sustainability in the style sphere.
Trying new launches by famous designers as well as the latest fashion apparel as soon as they hit the market is a dream for fashion enthusiasts. Understanding this sentiment, the London Fashion Week 2023 also rolled out AR experiences, allowing attendees to virtually try on and interact with the latest collections. This seamless blend of physical and digital experiences not only enhances customer engagement but also significantly reduces the friction associated with traditional in-store shopping.
Luxury brands integrating AR and virtual try-ons
Interestingly, luxury brands have been using AI-enabled technology with virtual ‘try-on’ features for the last few years, bringing fashion to smartphones. For instance, Burberry has added AR to its website and app to offer virtual try-ons. The company doesn’t limit itself to leveraging AR, it has incorporated the tech AR in its advertising campaigns in a variety of ways around the world. Other luxury brands hopping on to the virtual try-on bandwagon are Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Prada.
Chanel’s use of virtual try-on capabilities delivers a highly realistic and immersive shopping experience for its customers as it accurately replicates the intricate textures, true colours and precise shapes of its products, resulting in an incredibly lifelike virtual representation. Louis Vuitton’s virtual try-on feature allows customers to try a vast selection of products, from eyewear and jewellery to accessories along with high levels of customisation, enabling users to adjust the size, colour and position of products on their faces or body.
Prada’s virtual try-on feature precisely measures the customer’s facial features and body dimensions, enabling the virtual product to be displayed accurately and in the correct position. It deploys advanced graphics-rendering technology to faithfully replicate the texture, colour and appearance of the product, delivering a highly realistic and immersive augmented reality experience for the customer.
Another example of a luxury brand blurring the lines between the virtual and physical world is Fendi. It has created virtual dressing rooms that work similar to video calling apps. The special high-quality cameras enable an interaction between the clients and the sales associates. These cameras, different from regular ones, show the true colours of clothing items, providing customers with an experience close to physical shopping. With these virtual dressing rooms, customers can simulate the familiar in-store shopping experience even when not physically present.
Fast-fashion brands follow suit
To create an interactive and engaging experience for customers, Lily, a women’s clothing brand in China, set up smart mirrors powered by virtual try-on technology at a busy Shanghai metro station. The special mirrors allowed people passing by to virtually try on Lily’s clothing line in real time.
Taking a different approach, H&M came up with a clever way to introduce virtual clothing. In January 2022, it organised a competition where people could submit creative names for different virtual looks. Winners had the opportunity to ‘try on’ the virtual pieces by submitting a photo of themselves, which was then expertly styled by 3D graphic designers into an animated image that could be shared and flaunted on social media platforms.
Similarly, Zalando, an online fashion store in Germany, also launched a virtual dressing app called ‘Try On’ on Snapchat. The app uses AR technology from Snapchat’s lens feature. With this, users can virtually try on selected clothing items from Zalando’s own brands like Even & Odd, Zign and Your Turn. The app smartly adds clothing onto the photo, removing any overlapping clothes to make it look realistic. This allows users to see if the clothing suits them before buying. They can also share the photo with friends to get their opinions.
Amongst activewear brands, Adidas has embraced and experimented with virtual try-on technology. A notable example of its innovative efforts came in 2019 when it introduced a footwear try-on feature. This functionality allowed customers to virtually wear and experience some of Adidas’ most iconic sneaker models and a curated collection of running shoes.
The virtual try-on solutions across luxury and fast-fashion brands have shown how the fashion industry is evolving in sync with technological evolutions and providing customers with a more personalised and immersive shopping experience. It has been made possible because of the innovations of companies like Program-Ace, Vakoms, Setapps, Transition Technologies PSC, Bornfight, HQSoftware, Novoda, Groove Jones, 4Experience and TSUKAT. These companies are creating immersive experiences, including VR tours, training modules, simulations, gamified experiences and applications for industries beyond just fashion. With expertise in areas like VR app development, AR/MR technologies, metaverse development, 3D modelling, industrial IoT, cloud solutions and web and mobile development, these companies are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the virtual reality landscape.
The challenges of virtual try-on
While virtual try-on is undoubtedly an exciting and innovative technology transforming how we shop for fashion, it comes with its set of challenges. The lack of tactile feedback means customers miss out on feeling the material, possibly leading to hesitancy in making a purchase. Moreover, inaccuracies in sizing and lighting during virtual try-ons can result in misleading experiences, risking damage to brand reputation. Technical glitches are another concern, as the technology’s reliance on advanced AR capabilities may not always deliver seamless experiences across all devices or conditions. Also, some products such as accessories or intricate designs may not translate well into virtual fitting experiences, limiting the technology’s effectiveness.
In India, the VR scenario in India is yet to take off. The slow adoption can be attributed to several factors, including the high cost of VR devices, the lack of standardised platforms and content creation tools, limitations of VR hardware and software, a fragmented user base and concerns about privacy and data security. However, as advanced tech becomes an indispensable tool for fashion brands and retailers seeking to gain an edge in design, brands will make efforts to bridge these gaps in the Indian landscape.
