Apr 17th, 2017, 10:27 PM

Fashion and Its 'Virtual' Evolution

By Chelsea Sanford
Image Credit: cibilbao
Get ready for an exciting new fashion experience.

High fashion brands have always enjoyed hosting exclusive events, from couture catwalk shows to extravagant parties. And, naturally, most happen behind closed doors for the privileged few. We live in a world of constant change where technology is taking over in every shape and form.

Now, with augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), we are able to experience situations that were so far-reaching and which were only seen to be available for the elite few. "Virtual reality allows anyone to experience that world," says Henry Stuart, CEO of VR studio Visualise, who argues this is one reason VR is finally being embraced by the world of high fashion.

Image Credit: Forbes

The introduction of augmented reality and virtual reality has not only revolutionized the gaming world, transportation research and other aeronautical involvement but has started to infiltrate its way into the world of fashion and couture. Labels such as Dior, Tommy Hilfiger and Sephora have jumped on the technological bandwagon in order to boost sales or create innovative marketing strategies. Richard Melvin from bizAR Reality explains that, “the fundamental difference between AR and VR is that VR is closed and fully immersive, transporting users into virtual worlds whereas AR is open and only partially immersive as digital content is augmented into the world around the user, in real time. VR is an artificial, computer generated simulation or reconstruction of an environment or situation.”

Image Credit: The Independent 

Mark Zuckerberg — founder of Facebook, which acquired virtual reality startup Oculus Rift in March 2014 for $2 billion — aims to sell 50 to 100 million of the company’s head-mounted virtual reality displays in the next decade. Some believe this could radically transform the way people consume content, giving birth to new virtual reality marketing experiences.

But over the next decade, it is ultimately consumer adoption of VR/AR that will drive the most opportunity for fashion companies — and already some brands are dipping their toes in the space. In October 2015, Tommy Hilfiger became the first major fashion retailer to deploy virtual reality headsets in its stores, inviting shoppers to immerse themselves in a 360-degree experience of the label’s Autumn/Winter fashion show. This year, American accessible luxury brand Coach is following suite, installing VR headsets in stores in 10 shopping centers across the US to provide consumers with full access to its latest runway show.

Image Credit: Retail Innovation

Gap, too, is experimenting. Last month, the retailer unveiled an augmented reality dressing room that allows consumers to try its ranges digitally. The experience, built with Bloom and Avametric in collaboration with Google, has its drawbacks. For a start, it only works with Google Tango smartphones, which have yet to be widely adopted by the market. Unsurprisingly, beauty brands have been early to AR. Within the last year, Sephora, and Rimmel have all launched AR applications that allow users to try on products via a filter on their phones.

Matteo Caraccia, managing director of Big Sky Studios, which is producing a VR marketing campaign for UK department store Selfridges, sees an opportunity in what he dubs “v-commerce,” allowing consumers to shop from home, using a VR headset to “actually see the item they’re buying; you can walk around the item, lift it up.”

Image Credit: intersectretail

For fashion brands, which depend on selling not only products but also a dream, VR holds particular promise and a number of companies have been experimenting with the technology. The North Face and 7 For All Mankind have both created VR-enabled films, while Dior and Tommy Hilfiger have installed headsets in stores, which transport headset-wearing shoppers in pre-recorded catwalk shows.

Image Credit: imascono

"I'd love to see a tie-up with a big fashion brand and Oculus," says Stuart, but he concedes: "It needs some brave brands to lead the way." And whereas VR has one foot on the catwalk, there's still some way to go before it becomes the darling of the global fashion scene.