7 ways AR is transforming the fashion industry

AR Fashion Shows are the talk of the town these days and for all the right reasons. This cutting-edge technology allows fashion designers to showcase their collections to a broader audience, unleashing their creativity without the limitations of physical events. Take Moscow Fashion Week 2020, for instance. Designers presented a collection that featured a mix of AR and real-life models, making it more inclusive and accessible to a global audience. That's what we call a fashion show with a difference!

AR technology is also making waves in the field of digital clothing. Designers can stretch their creative limitations using virtual clothes without the constraints of real manufacture, resulting in more unique and original designs. According to Forbes a digital dress sold for $9,500 at The Fabricant, a digital fashion house, demonstrating that digital clothing has the potential to be a lucrative enterprise in the fashion industry.

One of the most major advances that AR has brought to the fashion business is AR Try-On. Customers may remotely test on garments with this technology, eliminating the need for actual changing rooms. AR try-on has already been adopted in the e-commerce stores of brands such as Gucci, Adidas, and Sephora, making it more accessible and easy for customers to shop. According to a NielsenIQ, 61% of shoppers prefer to purchase with businesses that offer augmented reality try-on, and we can't blame them.

Retailers can use AR technology to develop virtual shopping assistants that can significantly improve the shopping experience for customers. These virtual assistants can provide buyers with individualized styling ideas and assistance, making it easier for them to locate precisely what they're looking for. And, with such a diverse product offering these days, this technology is a blessing for individuals who may use a little assistance sorting through their alternatives. Shopping has just become a lot more enjoyable and convenient!

Retailers Customers benefit from a more personalized purchasing experience thanks to AR technology. Virtual shopping assistants can aid clients in finding what they're looking for while also providing styling hints and guidance, making the shopping experience more fun and personal. This technology is especially beneficial for firms with diverse product offerings.

In the fashion sector, augmented reality technology is certainly a game changer. Designers can now construct virtual prototypes to experiment with different fabrics and design thanks to this cutting-edge technology, making the design process much more efficient. AR technology saves time, money, and waste by eliminating the need for actual samples. Overall, AR technology is assisting fashion designers in working smarter, not harder!

The fashion industry is grappling with a major hurdle in recent years, as online purchases are seeing a high rate of returns. It's a well-known fact that clothing items bear the brunt of this issue, with an alarming 26% of all products returned in the US in 2021 being apparel purchased through e-commerce channels (BBC). This return rate is significantly higher than the average for e-commerce sales, which stands at 18.1%, and even surpasses the return rate for items purchased in brick-and-mortar stores, which ranges between 8-10% (Soocial). Put simply, e-commerce return rates can be twice or thrice as high as in physical stores. There are various factors that affect return rates, and the inability of customers to see and try on clothes before making a purchase is one of the biggest reasons for high return rates in the fashion industry.

Returns are a major pain point for online retailers, and the fashion industry is particularly hard hit. In fact, clothing has the highest return rate of any product sold online, with a staggering 26% of items returned by U.S. consumers (Soocial). In some apparel markets, the return rate can reach as high as 50%. To make matters worse, only about half of returned clothing items can be resold, and the rest are typically sent to landfills, making fashion the second-biggest polluter in the world.

But there is hope on the horizon, thanks to the transformative power of augmented reality (AR) technology. By allowing customers to visualize products in three dimensions and try them on virtually, AR is revolutionizing the online shopping experience and dramatically reducing return rates. According to Shopify's Fashion Industry Report, the use of 3D visualization has led to a 40% decrease in returns, while SeekXR has seen a 25% reduction in returns thanks to AR-guided purchases.

It's not just about reducing returns, though - AR is also helping to drive the growth of sustainable fashion. With consumers becoming increasingly aware of the environmental impact of their purchases, there is a growing demand for sustainable and ethically-produced clothing. By allowing customers to make more informed choices about the products they buy, AR is helping to promote transparency and accountability in the fashion industry.

Looking to the future, it's clear that AR is much more than just a passing trend. By 2026, it's estimated that 24% of all retail purchases will take place online, making the need for innovative solutions to reduce returns and promote sustainability more urgent than ever (Statista). For online retailers, investing in AR technology is not just a smart business decision, but a vital step towards a more sustainable and profitable future.

Augmented reality technology has really transformed the way fashion events are held. With the pandemic disrupting the traditional fashion industry, virtual fashion events have been popping up all over the place. It's pretty amazing how AR technology can make these events more inclusive and accessible to people all over the world, no matter where they are. Not to mention, it's a more cost-effective option for fashion brands too. Instead of shelling out big bucks for a physical event, they can now stage a virtual one with the help of AR technology. Plus, virtual events can be filmed and shared online, which means they have the potential to reach an even wider audience than a physical event ever could!

Augmented reality technology is causing quite a stir in the fashion business! It's being utilized for anything from virtual fashion displays to try-on sessions to online fashion events. And it's not just about making shopping more enjoyable for customers; AR is also helping to reduce waste and boost efficiency in the fashion sector. As the fashion industry evolves and adapts, you can expect that AR technology will be right there in the mix, leading to a more interesting and sustainable future.