Where Augmented Reality for fashion is headed
Gucci this week unveiled a $12 sneaker, available for purchase, download, and virtual outfitting. Scarcity be damned — the availability of this sneaker is infinite. Having launched a collection of (free) augmented reality bags on the BOYY website recently, I am eagerly watching to see how this experiment goes for Mr. Bizzarri.
Let’s take a step back. What does augmented reality (AR) mean in this context? We’re essentially talking about a file type — typically a .usdz or .glb — that when opened, is recognized by a user’s mobile device as an AR asset, which in turn launches the device’s camera. Once the user fumbles around a bit so the camera can recognize a surface on which to place the asset, it appears, as if by magic, in their actual environment. They can then play with the size, positioning, rotation, and snap or film away, creating very real content. Watching people do this for the first time has been one of my great joys of the past months, it’s like seeing a toddler discover ice cream. If you haven’t done it yet, stop now and click here on your mobile device (Safari or Chrome — this won’t work if you’re accessing this article from IG because they don’t yet support AR and their in-app browser).
AR is not exactly new. Pokemon GO was one of the first applications that really and truly got it into the hands of the masses. Google has been quietly planting AR easter eggs for a while now (try searching ‘Tyrannosaurus’ on your mobile, you’ll see an option to ‘View in 3D’ and quickly have a large, snarling, tiny-armed friend in your living room). Instagram and Snapchat have been at it for ages with filters (how did you think your face was becoming an adorable puppy anyways). But the latest round of these assets is scary good. Here’s an example — which of the two images below do you think is real?
While the internet frets about deep fakes and the implications for bullying, blackmail, and the ‘truth’ (all very real problems that will require very real solutions), fashion is contemplating how this technology will change things for us.
I admit to initially being a bit naive — my thinking was that AR would allow retail buyers and end customers to ‘see’ a product without having to be in store (or, pandemic considered, without even being able to go to one). This is level 1. The obvious application.
Level 2 starts to get interesting. The industry is fuelled on ‘influence’. Overt, covert, funded, free, authentic, unauthorized. And as much as we rely on great, genuinely created content to build awareness and support our growth, the reality is that most luxury brands are extremely selective about who they partner with, and diligent (and tight-lipped) about the terms of those partnerships. That leaves a whole slew of hopefuls (the not-quite influencers) who want to present themselves a certain way externally, but don’t actually have the agreements, funding, or personal financing to do it. In comes AR. Imagine how great it would be if Kaci*, a moderately successful Instagram ‘model’ with 50k followers, could be wearing a different designer handbag every day (great at least in her mind). Her followers would buy further into the idea that she is someone. That they should listen. AR gives her that opportunity.
Before too long, I am pretty convinced that we won’t be able to differentiate between what’s real and what’s not on social media — level 3. The lines are already beyond blurry with filters, backgrounds, apps that can make your average Joe an expert photoshopper. To get to level 3, however, the interactivity of AR assets will have to be improved (you can’t currently open our AR bags or change the placement of the strap, for example). We’re still a little ways away from this. And as the technology improves, we’ll need to seriously consider delving into NFT (non-fungible tokens) territory to reel back in the exclusivity / availability of these digital products. A very simplified explanation of an NFT is that it is a method of guaranteeing the uniqueness / authenticity of a digital product, using blockchain technology. You may have heard of the Beeple NFT digital artwork that was recently sold at auction by Christie’s for $69 million.
With this said, it’s not all doom and gloom. I think we’ll see an incredible burst of creative and whimsical / surreal content when AR really takes hold. Bags made of clouds, or with light beams shooting out of them. The world is evolving and fashion will evolve with it, as it always has. From my perspective, the key is always to be curious, inquisitive, and open — to experiment and try things, but to also remember that at the end of the day, we work in this industry because we believe in giving a platform to creatives and craftsmanship. It’s our job to make sure the platform is the relevant one.
