How Augmented Reality is Transforming Virtual Fashion Experiences

Written by Tirsa Parrish and Rachel Blaydes

Technology is rapidly intertwining with every aspect of our lives, and the fashion industry stands at the forefront of this transformation, revolutionizing how designers create and consumers interact with clothing. Virtual garments are redefining how fashion is visualized and experienced. Advancements will continue, with more brands embracing the integration of Augmented Reality (AR) technology.

AR Mirrors and Snapchat Technology in Fashion

Technology company Snap Inc., who owns Snapchat, partnered with several fashion brands to offer consumers the ability to virtually try-on garments and accessories through Lenses. Snapchat filter Lenses are voice and gesture controlled filters that respond to body movements and allow users to search through virtual catalogs for clothing options.

In 2020, Gucci partnered with Snapchat to offer the first AR shoe try-on from a global brand. Since then, the Snapchat Lens options have expanded to include clothing, hats, bags, and a wider range of shoes for Gucci. Additionally Prada, Off-White, and Adidas have also collaborated with Snapchat to offer virtual try-ons through AR technology.

Snapchat partnered with the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, de Young Museum for a recent exhibit called Fashioning San Francisco: A Century of Style. As part of the 8 month long installation, three Snapchat Alternate Reality Mirrors were installed in the museum. Visitors could stand in front of them to virtually try-on three of the outfits on display, including:

• A 1955 Yves Saint Laurent dress
• A 1985 lamé outfit by Kaisik Wong
• A 1987 velvet gown by Valentino

A virtual version of the design was displayed on top of their figure by using Snapchat’s body scanning tech. This was the first time that Snapchat featured their AR mirrors in a U.S. museum. The exhibit was part of an initiative to draw younger generations in to visit museums.

Zero10 and 3DLOOK: Expanding AR in Retail

Zero10 is a tech company offering AR fashion try-on through their app and mirrors. Their flagship product AR Mirror, offers a real-time try-on experience and empowers brands to engage their audience. They’ve partnered with brands like Coach and Tommy Hilfiger, as well as with garments from independent designers, placing AR mirrors in-store to allow customers to try on outfits virtually. This is especially popular with the younger, tech-savvy Gen Z and Gen Alpha customers. The technology does not cater well to plus sizes yet, as the garments available for try-on are straight sizes. 

Zero10 has collaborated with dozens of brands to help bring AR tech to a wider audience, including Disney, Coach, Ugg, and Macy’s. Tommy Hilfiger partnered with the tech company in 2023 to place AR mirrors in select stores, allowing customers to interact with the Tommy X Shawn Classics Reborn collection designs. They offered 5 outfits (10 designs) from the 28-piece collection for people to virtually try on, with three of the outfits having animations that could only be seen through the AR mirrors. As with the Snapchat mirrors in the de Young Museum, visitors were allowed to save images of themselves trying on the outfits.

3DLOOK, on the other hand, focuses on AI-powered body-scanning technology. With just two photos, 3DLook can generate 80 precise body measurements in three minutes, offering personalized size recommendations. The company offers its version of virtual fitting rooms, which are becoming very popular tools for retailers to reduce return rates. In addition, 3DLOOK creates fabric textures through a cloth simulation that is fed data from a machine learning algorithm to improve garment simulation. 

Gucci Exploration of the Metaverse

Metaverse rooms or platforms are communication media that connect the physical world with an online, 3D space that utilizes virtual reality (VR) technology. In 2022, Gucci became the first luxury brand to utilize a metaverse platform, collaborating with The Sandbox to create Gucci Vault Land. The experience allowed visitors to explore Gucci’s history, play mini-games, and earn exclusive digital collectibles. Gucci Valut Land was a private event that was only available to players for two weeks.

In 2023, Gucci expanded its presence in the metaverse with Gucci Cosmos Land, an immersive experience celebrating the brand's heritage. This interactive space took users on quests, with the first 100 participants to complete all the tasks receiving one of four unique Gucci avatars. Both the exhibit and the VR game featured the Ascending Room, a nod to the brand's origins when founder Guccio Gucci was inspired to create the fashion house while working as a bellboy.

Gucci continues to innovate in the metaverse with Gucci Town on Roblox, a social space featuring mini-games, challenges, and interactive experiences that foster community engagement. The brand has also partnered with Yuga Labs, the creators of Bored Ape Yacht Club, to explore luxury fashion’s role in Web3 and digital identity. These initiatives demonstrate Gucci’s commitment to blending fashion, technology, and virtual experiences.

CLO Virtual Fashion and Epic Games: Revolutionizing Digital Fashion

CLO Virtual Fashion, developers of CLO3d and Marvelous Designer, teamed up with Epic Games, a video game and software development company, and the developers of Unreal Engine, to bring virtual garments into the metaverse space. CLO3d is 3D fashion computer-aided design (CAD) software that uses avatars and fabric simulators to create accurate representations of how garments will look. Marvelous Designer is a 3D computer graphics program used in digital art, movies, and video games. Unreal engine is a 3D computer graphics game engine, and it is the most advanced real-time 3D creation tool.

This partnership aims to expand the use of digital fashion in the gaming world and metaverse, offering designers a new marketplace for virtual garments.

The Ethical Considerations of AI in Fashion

AI has great potential to enhance art and fashion, but using it ethically involves careful consideration of creativity, originality, and the impact on human artists and designers. AI software often scrapes online data to generate designs, which can inadvertently use someone’s original ideas without their knowledge or consent. To address this, using licensed, collaborative AI and AR software is essential to protect intellectual property.

Addition Uses for AI in the Fashion Industry

Artists can use AI to enhance or update images to make them more creative and personalized. Hyper-realistic avatars are a popular way to present yourself in a business setting and allows you to customize the styling to your preferences. Xander Simms, a digital storyteller who works with generative AI, advises, “Don’t get attached to any one software or brand because it can easily become outdated. Instead, find specific use cases that allow you to interchange the applications you use to produce your content.”

AI is pushing the fashion industry toward greater sustainability by encouraging digital fashion purchases over excessive physical garment production. This creates a lot of room for innovation in the industry to produce unique materials, patterns, and styles. Body scanning technology and AR mirrors help reduce return rates, by as much as 28%, which further minimizes waste.

As the fashion industry navigates this technological revolution, virtual garments, and augmented reality are setting the stage for a more immersive and sustainable future. The integration of AR mirrors, 3D body scanning, and virtual fitting rooms is enhancing the way consumers interact with fashion. Brands are responding to growing consumer expectations for convenience and personalization, and as more companies embrace these technologies, the fashion landscape will continue to evolve, ushering in a new era where digital innovation and ecological mindfulness go hand in hand.