The fashion world has embraced virtual reality with open arms. It has done so, not because of the technology’s ‘shiny new toy’ status, but because of the sheer possibilities that VR holds for the industry.
These possibilities are pretty wide ranging, touching every area from the catwalk show to the changing room, and much more besides. Let’s take a look at how virtual reality technology is infiltrating the fashion industry, bit by bit…
Virtual Reality Catwalk
The runway shows of Fashion Weeks across the world have always been exclusive events, attended by only the upper echelons of the rich and famous. They are events which fashion enthusiasts long to be a part of, places where people dream of having a front row seat. Virtual reality is making that dream a reality, with high profile brands and designers beginning to host their runway shows through the medium.
Rebecca Minkoff filmed her A/W 2015 show for viewing on the Google Cardboard in 360° video, whilst Topshop may have been the first to start the trend when they live streamed their A/W 2014 show at London Fashion Week to Oculus Rift headsets in their flagship Oxford Circus store.
It’s not just catwalk shows, either. Global brands are also giving their customers a sneak peek behind the scenes of fashion shoots and other exclusive events via virtual reality and simple 360° video tours. This offers customers a whole new way to engage with their favourite brands, to feel more included, and closer to the action.
Smart Fitting Rooms
Several big fashion retailers, such as Zara, Harvey Nichols, and Macy’s are all trialling smart fitting rooms to add extra value to their customers’ in-store experience. But what exactly is a smart fitting room?
Using RFID (radio frequency identification) tags attached to clothes, a smart fitting room can detect what item of clothing a person is bringing into the fitting room. These tags are attached to price labels and transfer data via an antenna in the cubicle. The information fed into the system includes the colour, size, and style of the garment, and this information is then displayed on the interactive, touch-screen smart mirror in the cubicle.
This screen then allows the user to request different sizes, colours, and styles from human staff, who are alerted to these requests via a handheld device. It’s all pretty cool, particularly the interactive mirror that allows the user to log in to their online account, add items to wishlists, and so on. But it’s not virtual reality.
Magic mirrors, another smart fitting room technology, use augmented reality. Built-in cameras track the customer’s body which then shows as a reflection on screen. The magic mirror then superimposes selected items of clothing onto the customer’s reflection, without the need to even get undressed. Rebecca Minkoff’s magic mirrors take this one step further, allowing customers to change lighting settings to see how outfits would look in different scenarios. Items can then be added to an online shopping basket.
Gap is taking the fitting room technology beyond the bricks and mortar store. The fashion brand is trialling an app, named DressingRoom, which uses augmented reality to allow customers to try on clothes at home. The app uses an avatar to demonstrate to shoppers how an outfit will look in their size, and to move the avatar around to see the item from different angles. Right now, there are only five different body types to choose from - extra small, small, medium, large and extra large. As the technology evolves, however, it’s easy to imagine how much more accurate and simple it will be compared with trying on clothes in store.
Fashion VR Headsets
Though anyone can produce a customised Google Cardboard device for their brand, high fashion has a better idea. Dior recently launched “Dior Eyes”, their own sleekly designed, 3D printed VR headset from which to enjoy their backstage catwalk show action.
Though the technology behind the “Dior Eyes” headset is, essentially, no different to that used in the Google Cardboard, what Dior have done is to demonstrate the potential for more aesthetically pleasing devices. Considering the utilitarian look of bulky VR headsets right now, opening the doors to design more stylish versions could add a new string to the bow of fashion retail as VR gains in consumer adoption.
Fashion Design In VR
Sketching designs in 2D has always been the way that fashion designers express their ideas. But what if they could sketch designs in immersive 3D?
In virtual reality, you are not limited by the laws of physics. You can walk around your design, see through it, look at it from every angle. In short, a designer can design fashion in virtual reality in a more creative, innovative way than ever before. Tools such as TiltBrush are breaking down the barrier between the artist and the page, with VR already having a massive impact on how designers from other disciplines, such as architecture and product design, work.
There’s also something to be said for virtual reality avatars. Okay, so VR adoption is not yet at a level where everyone has a virtual avatar and goes online to meet friends. Most people don’t have access to the hardware wherein these experiences are available. But it won’t be long before we do. And when that time comes, avatars are going to want to be dressed… fashionably.
Oculus Avatars is a new project for the Oculus Rift for the design of virtual avatars. Unlike what you might expect, the avatars are more sketch-like, meaning they appear more elegant than the clunky-looking CGI avatars we’re used to. Within the project, you can completely design an avatar, from physical appearance to outfit. Perhaps, in future, our real-world fashion designers could take to producing virtual outfits for avatars?
Shopping
Of course, the principal use of virtual reality in fashion would be on the retail side. And VR retail is shooting up through the ranks. The plan is for the web to becoming increasingly virtual, a movement we are already seeing the germs of. Retailers are creating virtual stores, populating them with virtual products, and allowing purchasing from direct within the VR headset. Yes, it’s happening. And it’s going to happen even more in coming years.
Will this kill high street shops? It’s possible. It depends on how well virtual reality really takes off. Many speculate that augmented reality will play a larger part in our future shopping habits than VR will, but certainly there’s a good chance that ecommerce will move into the virtual space. Will we leave our screens completely behind? Eventually, yes.
When you look at these developments within the fashion industry, as it adopts more and more virtual reality tools, it’s easy to see the trajectory for the technology in coming years. All of the above is happening and will continue to happen to a greater extent, with more new developments occurring all the time. Virtual reality is a very liberating new medium, one with potential to change the face of how we live, work, and shop. And for the fashion industry, its disruptive power is just getting going...
