The Introduction of Digital Human Stylists
Technology opens many doors for the sustainable fashion industry and there are increasingly more advancements to assist brands and their goals to reduce the environmental impact of clothing consumption.
The Fashion Innovation Agency at London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London and Reactive Reality are introducing digital human stylists that can learn and predict a user’s style choices based on information provided. The project, which is powered by Microsoft AI and IoT, Natural Language Processing, and Reactive Reality’s PictoFit technology, started in October 2020 and allows consumers to try on clothing in a virtual format and offer style tips. This advanced technology pre-scans 3D clothing in the user’s digital wardrobe to tailor to their needs which means that the stylist can understand the user’s wardrobe contents and the weather to offer suitable and accurate advice.
Microsoft Cognitive Services bring the stylist to life, which is also the user’s
photo-realistic twin, with animations and speech which provides opportunities for conversations between the stylist and user about future choices, feedback and requesting alternative styles. An in-store shopping experience is brought to consumers through the innovative design by transforming homes into a digital fitting room where users can interact with their stylist through a mixed reality headset, a tablet device, or smartphone.
"Digital humans are going to play an integral part in our lives in the future, so we wanted to build a new form of interaction for fashion retail that demonstrated the extraordinary opportunities ahead. A smart, trusted, holographic digital advisor will transform the way we shop for fashion and our understanding of how we utilise our wardrobes. Working with Microsoft and Reactive Reality has enabled us to bring to life a vision for a more personal, immersive, sustainable, and inspiring future for fashion retail." - Matthew Drinkwater, Head of FIA.
Thanks to the introduction of these digital human stylists, there is potential for a reduction in the environmental impact of fashion consumption due to increased purchase satisfaction and a reduction in unwanted item returns. Not only does returning items have a negative effect on the environment due to transportation, but they are rarely re-sold and typically end up in landfill. A huge carbon footprint is created due to returning unwanted garments and 5 billion pounds of waste is generated annually, fuelling 15 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. However, on a lighter note, the introduction of this technology will reduce this as consumers can try on clothing virtually in the comfort of their own homes and avoid the effects of clothing transportation and returns
“Having a digital human stylist has given me a glimpse of how I will interact with my clothes in the future. No more time wasted trying on physical garments and discarding them because they don’t look right – my digital stylist considers my day’s events, showing me outfit recommendations in seconds.” -Lisa Chatterton, Business Manager.
Do you think that having a virtual assistant (your avatar) would assist you with dressing? IS it something you might invest in, in the future?
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Featured image sourced from Brett Jordan, Unsplash.
Images 1,2 & 4 sourced from FIA London.
Image 3 sourced from Possessed Photography, Unsplash.