Gucci is the latest major fashion brand to hop onto augmented reality deployment in its sales and marketing operations. The Italian luxury fashion brand has just launched a new in-app AR feature in its iOS app that allows customers to virtually “try on” the brand’s Ace sneakers collection in augmented reality. This is the first app of its kind where shoppers can remotely try on shoes in augmented reality. Nike came up with an AR app that scans feet to take up precise measurements but its mode was different from Gucci’s latest innovation which lets you literally try on a virtual show rather than merely taking the measurements.

Gucci Augmented Reality app
Gucci Augmented Reality app

It’s part of Gucci’s ambitious effort to ramp up its retail technological innovations. The in-app feature was developed in collaboration with the technology startup Wannaby. The feature not only lets users to virtually “try on” shoes but it also redirects them to a page where they can make an instant purchase of the product from Gucci’s ecommerce website.

The app is almost like fitting on the shoe in real-life and only that the shoe is virtual and has been overlaid on your feet via augmented reality.

Within the Gucci app, users can choose their preferred Ace sneakers and then point their phone’s camera at their feet at which point they will be prompted to put on the shoes virtually. The app even has an in-built photo feature which will capture the process of “wearing” the virtual Ace sneakers. The feature speaks to the user and can share the snaps through social media, email or text.

The underlying tech for the augmented reality feature was supplied by the Belarus-based startup Wannaby which focuses on developing augmented reality ecommerce experiences. The beta version of the app known as Wanna Kicks was launched early this year and has diverse functionalities that include trying on the shoes, fitting, styling and personalizing the shoe SKU using a vast catalog.

Gucci AR app instructions
Gucci AR app instructions

The app runs on an on-device as well as real-time machine learning algorithms that map out the position of the shoes in space and then fills in the details such as the texture, color and lighting variations. There is also the fully-equipped printing studio which Wannaby leverages to create the 3D sneaker models. The AR app provides users with a robust foot-tracking tech capable of adapting to multiple camera angles and following onto footsteps as the person moves or rotates their feet.

The Belarus-based startup wants to extend the use of this app into other retail segments such as in apparel or jewelry for which it has developed the Wanna Nails app which enables its users to virtually “try on” nail polish by picking from a curated collection which has recoloring and real-time segmentation features.

Shoes are some of the most popular and most commonly purchased fashion items so a shoe AR try-on app has the potential to be huge in the industry. The Wanna Kicks was snapped by Gucci just months after its release, allowing potential buyers to get a glimpse of the intricate details in the new Ace sneakers line while also “trying on” the shoes and getting the right fit before making a purchase. It offers a new experience where users can interact with the Gucci brand and explore the various models on offer.

Wannaby joins a growing line of augmented reality “try on” apps that have been released in the recent past. L’Oreal’s ModiFace has been incorporated into the shopping experience of some of the leading retailers such as Amazon, Estee Lauder and Sephora along with 80 other top beauty brands. There is also YouCam by Perfect that utilizes 3D face-scanning to provide virtual makeovers for cheeks, lips, eyes, hairstyles and eyebrows. Another AR beauty platform that has been making waves in the recent months is ManiMatch which virtually overlays nail products on fingernails. There is also the MakeupPlus by Meitu and Samsung’s Bixby Vision that leverages the ModiFace platform to enable users to try out products from some of the top makeup brands such as CoverGirl, Sephora and Laneige.

https://virtualrealitytimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Gucci-Augmented-Reality-app-600x400.jpghttps://virtualrealitytimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Gucci-Augmented-Reality-app-150x90.jpgSam OchanjiAugmented RealityTechnologyGucci is the latest major fashion brand to hop onto augmented reality deployment in its sales and marketing operations. The Italian luxury fashion brand has just launched a new in-app AR feature in its iOS app that allows customers to virtually “try on” the brand’s Ace sneakers collection in...VR, Oculus Rift, and Metaverse News - Cryptocurrency, Adult, Sex, Porn, XXX