We’re steadily seeing virtual reality being utilized by more companies and industries, with its branding as the supposed future of gaming being complemented by similar comparisons regarding its potential impact upon film, television and sports. Now even the fashion industry is sizing up the technology, with the virtual tour company YouVisit having partnered with the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Russia in order to provide a VR experience for viewers from around the world.
According to the press release, YouVisit have provided these new fashion-focused virtual experiences in order to ensure that “designers and brands can reach new consumers that may otherwise be excluded from the conversation.”
The press release continues: “With high-end retail brands like Kenneth Cole and Ralph Lauren seeing an all-time low in customer engagement, something has to change to save the fashion world.”
You can view the virtual experience below, which is available in YouTube’s 360-degree video format, allowing you to click and drag the screen (or watch it in VR, if you’re equipped with a capable headset such as Google Cardboard):
YouVisit have also provided a VR Lookbook, allowing users to browse through items of clothing featured on the runway.
The end result is a glimpse of how fashion designers could utilize VR in order to increase customer engagement in the fashion industry, something which has experienced a mighty dip in recent years. Designers could use virtual reality to essentially give customers a front-row seat to their latest shows, raising interest in their brands in the process. YouVisit CEO Abi Mandelbaum spoke of how virtual reality could make a positive impact upon the fashion industry, telling Vogue: “One thing that I’ve noticed is that fashion is about a lot more than just the designs. It’s about what’s happening in the world, and it’s about the models, the designers, their inspirations, the stories behind them, and that’s what VR allows them to do, to tell all of that in an interesting way.
He concluded: “That’s the power of VR; it goes way beyond just what’s happening in the room.”
