How can the fashion industry benefit from mixed reality?

For many people the concept of digital fashion can be hard to grasp; we are used to thinking about clothing as something physical, strictly related to the material world. Despite this, many fashion brands and retailers are taking the first steps towards the metaverse and the creation of digital garments or VR experiences. Many think it’s just a trend, but numbers speak for themselves as the use of XR in the fashion industry is expected to have a Y-O-Y growth of 30.5% by the end of 2022 and many of the biggest high fashion brands such as Gucci, Dolce and Gabbana, Fendi and the two sportswear giants Nike and Adidas have already implemented the metaverse and virtual reality in their online business strategies, offering their customers many different virtual experiences.

Example of 3 fashion experiences in the metaverse - Nike in roblox - D&G fashion show, Gucci Digital collection

The real meaning of the word “Metaverse” has yet to be defined, and VR compatible hardware has just started to become mainstream, yet, brands and retailers can benefit from this technologies in many ways:

  • Virtual Reality allows designers to free their creativity without any boundary.
  • How to turn Fashion shows into global experiences, truly accessible to anyone.
  • How brands can fully benefit from 3D models.
  • Virtual Fashion, a way to be more sustainable.

Virtual reality allows designers to free their creativity without any boundary:

The fashion industry is all about creating items that can excite the customers, bringing them to new places and making them live true experiences.
Today’s technology empowers fashion brands to never feel bound to the physical world’s limits.
Brands can now increase the engagement of their public by creating and sharing custom interactive experiences that will immerse the customer in the brand’s imagery through virtual reality.

 

Details of a 3D real time rendered simulation of a fashion showroom by INVRSION

How to turn fashion shows into global experiences, truly accessible to anyone:

Virtual reality can be of great value also in helping companies to make their brand experiences more accessible for fashion enthusiasts all over the globe, as, many times, designer clothes made for fashion shows never get out of the enclosed environment of showrooms and exhibitions. Virtualizing garments, venues and showrooms will allow people all around the world to experience the products in first person and in the most immersive and engaging way, empowering brands to create unique opportunities to meet and interact with their public in first person.

 

3D Models for fashion VR simulations and ecommerce

How brands can fully benefit from 3D models:

In order to provide their public with outstanding virtual experiences, brands need to digitize their products first. But once the digital counterparts of their products are put in a VR space, what else can be done with these 3D digital twins? Possibilities are countless: firstly, companies can replace the 2D product pictures in their e-commerces with true to life hyper realistic 3D digital twins to showcase items down to every single detail, allowing their customers to see them with unmatched precision in augmented reality or to customize them with product configurators. 3D models can also be turned into NFTs and be used as a purchase confirmation of a physical product or be given as a prize to some selected customers. They also can be worn by digital avatars to express oneself personality inside metaverses or be used in digital advertising to produce interactive campaigns.

Virtual fashion, a way to be more sustainable:

As we saw, mixed reality can be truly beneficial to the fashion industry. But there’s more. The production of digital fashion items can benefit our planet too. It can represent a way to address overproduction and overconsumption issues. But, most importantly, by implementing 3D assets in their websites, brands can noticeably reduce their carbon emissions; it has been proven that when a customer buys an item that they have carefully inspected through a 3D digital model they are 35% less likely to return it (study conducted by Khronos).

Feeling intrigued? INVRSION has been providing brands with the most realistic VR experiences and 3D models since 2015. Contact us to find out how we can help you take your business into the virtual world!