Valentino sets precedent as first luxury label to introduce virtual try-ons

Italian label Maison Valentino is the first luxury brand to introduce virtual try-on (VTO) for its ready-to-wear collections, with the help of the Farfetch-owned augmented reality app, Wanna.

Taking its first step into augmented reality, Valentino has joined forces with Wanna on a pilot project that allows customers to virtually try on a curated selection of menswear pieces from its most recent Autumn 2023 collection, otherwise known as ‘Urban Flows’.

Shoppers will also have the option to try the ValenTie on – a sartorial accessory that is already available for pre-access on Valentino’s e-commerce platform.

Wanna’s CEO Sergey Arkhangelskiy, commented: "Not only [does AR] enable brands to showcase the apparel with the utmost realism, but also provides users with a novel experience of trying on clothing items before making a purchase online.

"It is a second-generation VTO experience designed exclusively for e-commerce use, which is highly realistic, and targeted at luxury brands. With the launch of the new virtual try-on category, we want to continue to help customers to make informed shopping decisions and increase customer confidence to purchase”.

This new technology sees Maison Valentino's customers transcend the limits of physical retail, through VTO, permitting customers to visualise how a garment would look on them through their smartphones prior to making a final purchase.

What’s more, the Wanna Wear app is available to download for free on the App Store. Unlike readily-available VTO technologies, Wanna's advanced AR showcases the garments and accessories to be viewed via any angle from the customer's iPhone cameras.