Virtual Fashion

As technology and AI is fast advancing, it was only a matter of time until it seeped into the fashion world. Innovation from virtual display windows to virtual dressing rooms, apps to gamification. The implementation of new digital assets into your store and website can only put your business on an upwards trajectory. The rise of QR codes, virtual reality, and personalised touches proves that the stores of the future are all about tech and interactivity.

Virtual Dressing Rooms:

With online shopping fast overtaking Highstreet shopping, it is clear people are looking for convenience. Having a virtual dressing room provides a new layer of convenience to the customer experience.

You can see what clothes will look like on you before you even buy them. For those of us mere mortals who do not look good in everything, trying on clothes in a public changing room is a daunting experience. Now you can try things on from the comfort of your own home without the walk of shame to the shopping assistant when you hand back the items of clothing that you didn’t like. This could bring so much empowerment for those who find shopping an anxiety riddled experience. Also, it is more attainable for those of us that may have accessibility issues when trying clothes on.

Not only is it empowering for the consumer and improves their customer experience it also reduces the need for returns and refunds. This means better conversion rates, less time processing refunds and returns, and less emissions transporting unwanted clothing items.

This has then leant to the genesis of virtual clothing in which Photoshoppers can digitally impose the clothing on to you. This way no clothing or fabric is ever wasted. You get to show off a killer look without ever changing out of your comfies. Obviously, this has a positive ecological impact as no fabrics are needed.

Meanwhile, if it is not just dressing rooms that are daunting to you, new AI technology has produced apps that can act as your personal stylist. The app works with your personal preferences and retailers to style outfits and provide alternatives for out of stock items.

Virtual Window Displays:

For those trying to breathe some new life into their Highstreet store fronts, digital display windows are becoming more and more popular. There are many ways that this can manifest itself: Gamification, Motion Sensors, Coupons, and much more. The main aim is to make your storefront interactive and memorable. This should then attract an audience and lead to a higher conversion rate.

In Japan Ainz and Tuple have gained 40% increase in tourist visits because they have a motion sensor beauty screen. It senses people walking past and the faces on the display screen follow the person walking past. That person can then select which beauty look they liked best and, based on what they pressed on the screen, a coupon would print out for that desired make up look. This has promoted more people to visit the store, more make up application requests and higher cosmetic sales.

In New York a store used a translucent screen and lighting to create silhouettes of Disney Characters that followed and mimicked the movements of onlookers. Once it was time for the Disney store to open the characters came through the screen to greet the crowd. This worked as an incredible way to engage new customers and as a publicity stunt for the stores new unveiling.

Harrods and Faberge had a more simplistic but extremely effective take on a digital shopping window display. For the Faberge Easter collection they projected the beautiful designs onto the store front. It made for a beautiful and captivating display. The Play Array Project used gamification of storefronts to get people to visit their website to play the classic video game ‘pong’ and provide brand and cause awareness for urban innovation. They used polythene balls and LEDs to light up storefronts in a visually eye-catching way. Gamification is enough incentive to make people want to visit your website. These are just a few examples of what can be achieved with just an interactive storefront.

Eco-friendly Virtual fashion:

There are now fashion rating apps that allow you to rate fashion brands on their impact on people, animals and the planet. Within every other aspect of pop culture ‘accountability’ is becoming more and more vital for the success of a brand. These apps allow businesses to be called out for any unethical practices that they work on. Change is good and technology is an amazing tool to help boost positive change.

Blockchain technology is another way in which technology is taking the fashion world by storm. Blockchain technology helps to create a more transparent idea of every step in the fashion creation and distribution lifecycle. Blockchain technology, when paired with tracking tags, can hold all the information in one, public forum to track products throughout their entire manufacturing to consumption timeline. It allows businesses to control supply chain and inventory management in a transparent and traceable way. Since fast fashion has started to take over the world, Blockchain has come in to save the day. You can now protect your intellectual property as every stage of the creation process is documented and protected, you can improve the discussion around your brand and how it is perceived because people can see you are honest, ethical and trustworthy. This will lead to improved brand loyalty.

There are also monitoring services like Reverse Resources which trace leftover fabrics through their lifecycle to be able to reintroduce them into the supply chain. In turn, reducing the need to produce new fabrics and materials.

Rental options such as Style Lend, match people with fashion based on the fit and style on a temporary basis. Therefore, when people are bored of these clothing items they can be redistributed and given a new lease of life. This reduces the amount of waste that goes to landfill.

Tommy Hilfiger is one of the pioneers in clothing reward programmes in which you are rewarded points on your Tommy Hilfiger App every time the item of clothing is worn. This is achieved with a Bluetooth smart tag that is able to monitor when the clothing item is worn. These points eventually lead to discounts. Programmes that reward the continued use of one item of clothing dissuades consumers from only wearing an item of clothing once and being wasteful.

If you are in need of digital assets to elevate your business, don’t be shy. Our Digital Team are here to help.