AUGMENTED REALITY (AR) FOR FASHION RETAILING
AUGMENTED REALITY (AR) FOR FASHION RETAILING
“Mirror, mirror on the wall, what color looks best for the ball?”
MemoryMirror (Photo credit MemoMi Labs)
What exactly is AR? Per Wikipedia, Augmented Reality is an interactive experience of a real-world environment where the objects that reside in the real world are enhanced by computer-generated perceptual information. Augmented Reality for retail here!
For example, MemoMi Labs offers the MemoryMirror, which enables customers to try products virtually. How does this work? The mirror is a reflective TV screen linked to a camera and controlled by AR software to create a virtual fitting room.
Per Morgan Drake of X-cart.com, “63% of retail brands plan to use AR in the next two years, however, 52% of retail executives do not feel prepared to support advanced technologies.” That is, there is a demand for employees trained in AR.
Further info links:
Links
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augmented_reality
https://www.x-cart.com/blog/augmented-reality-retail.html
AR TRAINING
(Photo credit: Fashion Institute of Technology)
How does one train for this soon-to-be required skill?
The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) will be offering an AR/VR course in their Content Design Certificate Program as of Summer 2020. The course will focus on using 360 photo/video, Unity (cross-platform game engine), WebVR, and A-frame (a web framework for building virtual reality experiences) to build experiences for the web. The content includes AR/VR tools, creating 360 content, creating 3D animated models, and other content. Enrollment require a basic understanding of coding, such as HTML and CSS. Experience with basic JavaScript is preferred. HTML and CSS are coding languages used in constructing web sites. Check the links below for more details.
(Photo credit: Kode with Klossy)
Most fashion schools concentrate on technical skills such as draping, sewing, pattern making and fashion illustration. However, in article from the October 2016 edition of Vogue Australia they explain why designers should learn to code. In today’s technological world, this skill set will be required if one wants to remain relevant. In fact, recognition of the need for coding skills has led supermodel Karlie Kloss to set up “Kode with Klossy” coding camps with scholarships for girls age 13-18.
If you are over the age of 18, there are other options to learn to code, such as the Code Academy or other online training programs.
Further info links:
Links
http://www.fitnyc.edu/ccps/designing-tomorrow/arvr-content-design.php
https://www.kodewithklossy.com/program
DESIGN VISIBILITY USING AR
Many designers struggle with how to get their collection visible to more people without a runway show.
As Brooke Roberts-Islam noted in Forbes, AR is expanding from pre-recorded content to a live runway show in a customer’s physical location. The London College of Fashion’s Innovation Agency (FIA) partnered with HoloMe to present selected collections from London College of Fashion MA graduates. Viewers were able to watch the show via smartphone in real-time.
The HoloMe website explains the four categories of AR: marker-based, markless, projection-based and superimposition-based. Superimposition allows the customers to have human holograms model clothing products within their own homes or via another chosen environment.
This technology can be used to generate “buzz” through which customers gain first looks into what is possible. HoloMe states that they are able to provide a real-time streaming experience with their existing hardware kit and mobile platform, which can accommodate up to 1 million users simultaneously.
Further info links:
Links
https://holo.me/the-a-r-industry-and-experiential-marketing/
Can you just imagine how great that would be for an upstart designer, a fashion college student’s senior project or an ITAA design competition? Let us know what you think?
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