Fashion Communication - VR brings fashion lovers closer to the catwalk

Vassia T.
Jul 16, 2020
4 min read

Updated: Jul 19, 2020

Covid-19 has forced the Fashion Industry toward Immersive Technology

Vogue Business has published recently an article about the upcoming changes in the fashion industry amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, the “Big 4” Fashion week will Livestream through digital platforms. The unpredictable cancellations have forced the fashion companies to think of alternative ways to display their work. Livestreaming fashion week has attracted millions of viewers around the globe who find this as an opportunity to be an insider to these exclusive events. Fashion companies, on the other hand, achieved for the first time an extremely high visibility of the brand among fashion lovers. YouTube’s fashion month had over 4 million views while Gucci’s Livestream in Chinese platform Weibo attracted 16 million viewers.

However, this change has not been embraced by everyone. From a communication and technological aspect, the biggest concern is that digital fashion events lose momentum. As Matthew Drinkwater (Head of the Fashion Innovation Agency which has created many AR, VR, and mixed reality projects) aptly points out, it is essential for digital events to create a sense of immersion to viewers. In other words, to make them feel a “sense of presence”. Immersive technology can help overcome this challenge and create engaging events that will be attended by millions. These events can be a source of valuable content for their digital communication efforts.

The Advantages of New Technology for Fashion Brands

By making a brand more inclusive, we can also boost its digital presence and connect it with more consumers. Fashion lovers who were outsiders and were waiting to see the major fashion events through the eyes of influencers and fashion journalists, now, are able to experience themselves with the help of new technology, sharing relevant content online and even become digital ambassadors of their favorite brand.

Another perk for the companies is that they collect data from participants of the online events which later can be used to form the brand’s communication strategy. Moreover, nowadays consumers have changed and seem that they want to put minimal effort into shopping activity. As a result, there is a significant growth in E-commerce and a high demand for well-designed websites that will allow the brands to connect and engage with prospective customers.

Projections of Retail E-Commerce sales

Virtual & Augmented Reality to emulate the in-store experience

Fashion consumers, especially those of luxury brands, have different demands from companies’ digital presence. As you can see from the table below, what matters the most to them is the aesthetics of the website.

From the brands’ perspective,

Hines and Bruce argue that luxury companies perceived their website mostly as a communication tool and less as a place for online transactions and thus it has become a key element of their communication strategy.

High-end fashion companies utilize their website to convey the brand’s message and heritage and to display their creations with a high aesthetic appeal. Although the brands manage to impart the information to consumers, the latter still appreciate the luxury customer experience of physical stores. In this case, as well, the VR and AR tools can help these brands to reach a whole new level of engagement and customer service and provide this sensory experience that consumers miss from the digital environment.

The Early Adopters

Even though fashion brands tend to be early adopters of new technologies, especially for creating their grandiose fashion shows, only a few of them have invested in immersive technologies. Prada has already announced a Virtual Reality project that will run on various platforms (YouTube VR, VEER, Oculus, and Youku). They will take users to visit places and meet people connected with the brand while they will be able to explore their collections. Prada has already utilized VR blended with reality in a fashion show in 2018. The walls and floors of Via Fogazzaro were filled with comic art and graphics creating an artsy result. Dior as well developed its own VR headset in 2015, which was in selected stores. Customers were able to have an immersive behind-the-scenes experience of a Dior fashion show in Paris with high-definition visuals and holophonic audio.

A different project was produced for Fendi by Monogrid in 2019. They celebrated the “Baguette” bag by creating a pop-up room made by mirrors at Le Bon Marché in Paris. Into these rooms, customers experienced a virtual interactive content with 3d iconic items, neon tunnels, and the iconic bag. In the end, users were asked to provide their emails to get a picture.

https://vimeo.com/336318397

As we can see, there are many applications of this new technology for fashion companies and brands can utilize it as a strategic tool in this highly competitive global industry. Fashion companies should aim to create value for their brand through creativity and art. These two elements are essential to fashion, and immersive technology can help them achieve them.

Events to attends If you are interested in the use of technology in Fashion:

https://fashionweekonline.com/event/diversity-meets-technology-online-summit?instance_id=8965

Diversity Meets Technology Online Summit

July 25, 2020 – July 26, 2020

https://fashionweekonline.com/event/caravan-social-clubs-fashion-in-a-virtual-world?instance_id=8964

Caravan Social Club’s “Fashion in a Virtual World”

July 29, 2020 @ 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm

To learn more about Immersive Technology click here.

Sources:

Clement, J. (2020, March 19). Global retail e-commerce market size 2014-2023. Retrieved June 17, 2020, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/379046/worldwide-retail-e-commerce-sales/

Hines, T., & Bruce, M. (2007). Fashion marketing: Contemporary issues. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. doi:https://doi.org/10.4324/9780080468174

Kerick, F. (2020, January 01). The Growth of Ecommerce. Retrieved June 17, 2020, from https://medium.com/swlh/the-growth-of-ecommerce-2220cf2851f3