There are already tens of thousands of fashion retailers that use stock photos and hire their own photographers in order to give their customers an accurate visual representation of the garments that they are buying. From size charts and product descriptions to measurements and alternate views, online fashion retailers will do just about anything to get the edge. For a few years now a select handful of online merchants have been using virtual models and dressing rooms to ensure that consumers get the right clothing the first time around. In many cases, these animated models can be customized so that shoppers will know how a particular piece will look in real life.
Now, the virtual fashion phenomenon has gone one step further. Forever 21, a popular US based clothing retailer recently hosted a completely digitized fashion show. While the company was able to do away with ‘real’ models, they had to spend quite a bit of money on programming and development. It it not yet known how consumers will respond to the idea of seeing new clothing lines on virtual models, but the video has already proven to be quite popular. In particular, teens and young adults seem to respond to virtual dressing rooms and models positively while older consumers prefer to see clothing on real people or just by itself. You may or may not like the idea of having virtual models in place of humans, but retailers are going to continue to experiment with new marketing ideas until they are able to get it just right.
