Gucci’s signature Ace sneaker marks the debut footwear option that users can browse through and then view on-foot (All photos: Gucci)
Technological shifts have rewritten our shopping journey as luxury brands are employing new digital ways to entice consumers to shop both online and in-store. And Gucci is no stranger to breaking such frontiers. The Italian powerhouse has just added an augmented reality (AR) feature to its iOS app that lets shoppers virtually try on its line of Ace sneakers.
All you have to do is point your smartphone downward and choose a style. A digital image of the sneakers will be overlaid on your feet, where you can also see them from different angles. Because the app tracks foot movement, you can also take snapshot of the virtual shoes and share on social media. If you like what you see, you can make a direct purchase of the real sneakers from Gucci’s e-commerce site.
gucci_ar.jpg
The virtual try-on feature was developed in partnership with Wannaby, a Belarus-based startup that specialises in retail applications of AR technology. The latter’s Wanna Kicks app, launched in beta mode earlier this year, lets mobile shoppers view sneakers from brands such as adidas, Nike and Allbirds.
Wannaby seeks to compete with L’Oréal’s ModiFace, which develops custom AR hair, cosmetics, and jewelry apps for brands like Amazon, Sephora, Estée Lauder, and well over 80 others.
Although Gucci claims that it’s the “first fashion brand to implement AR technology”, French fashion house Dior unveiled an Instagram filter for its Fall/Winter 2019 ready-to-wear show in Paris that showed users playing with animations 'wearing' DiorSoLight sunglasses or double headbands.
That being said, this isn’t the first time Gucci has dabbled in augmented reality. The company launched a similar virtual tool to showcase its Gucci Décor collection during the Salone del Mobile design fair in April this year. Fans are already hoping for the brand to launch the AR function for shoes on Android devices soon.
For more info, see here.
