What is mirrARme?
mirrARme is a virtual fitting room app for online fashion retailers that allows customers to virtually try on clothing in AR. mirrARme converts 2D images of clothing into a 3D mode and then creates a realistic 3D avatar of the customer to then virtually try on the clothing to see the look and fit. This helps make online retail more engaging and personal by providing an immersive experience for shoppers while making it possible for retailers to offer a personalized experience.
The current landscape industry
Founder of mirrARme, Zac Swindells, had been keeping a watchful eye on virtual try on and virtual fitting room technology for a few years now. He's personally interested in it from the perspective of the fashion industry. In particular, he is really fond of how this technology is opening up new channels of communication between brands and shoppers, ultimately leading to more sales opportunities.
This year, Zac attended the Luxury Daily Business Intelligence conference. Amongst the usual technology insights for luxury, there was quite a buzz surrounding virtual fashion and augmented reality (AR). This is an area that luxury brands are beginning to embrace more than ever before. The word on everyone's lips at the moment is "innovation" – innovation that will help them distinguish themselves in a crowded market and create a more compelling experience for their consumers.
Two particular emerging technologies that have been generating a lot of interest from luxury brands are virtual try on and Non-fungible tokens (NFT's). First, virtual try on. From a fashion tech perspective, there has been huge growth in this sector over the last few years and Zac is only expecting it to increase even more so. It seems like high-profile luxury brands are tripping over themselves to launch their own virtual try on technology at the moment.
It's clear that virtual try on has significant implications for the fashion industry. It opens up new opportunities for brands to market themselves better, communicate with shoppers and ultimately increase sales.
Of course, this is nothing new and most people are familiar with having tried virtual try on technology for shoes. Zac will never forget that unforgettable moment when he first used this technology, or the feeling of 'wow', which was quickly followed by 'no way' as he realised what a game-changer it would be for everyone in fashion retailing.
Luxury brands are launching into non-fungible tokens (NFT's) too. These are special types of cryptographic tokens that act as digital assets. They are coded to self-execute certain rules that give them characteristics that distinguish them from other tokens or cryptocurrencies. NFTs use blockchain technology, just like bitcoin but they differ in one sense – they can be used to identify and verify the ownership of non-digital assets. They can represent ownership over a digital or physical item and work as an identifier.
For luxury brands, NFT's open up new possibilities for creating scarcity, uniqueness and value in their product lines, especially when it comes to limited edition items. Zac believes that society will see more and more high-end fashion brands using this technology as time goes on
The establishment of the company
How many times have you purchased something online that looked amazing but was not the right size or the right style for your body? Living in a house full of girls, his wife and 2 daughters, this has happened to Zac all too often.
The idea of mirrARme was born out of their frustration at the online shopping experience lacking the ability to try clothes on before you buy, plus Zac's own personal itch for developing new technology. It didn't take long for him to convince his wife that creating a company around this concept was a great idea!
Over the past year, Zac and his wife have built mirrARme from an idea into a new fashion tech startup. They recruited a good friend as a co-founder with immense technical expertise and passion for fashion, who has been a great asset in building the app with our globally distributed team.
Now that the functionality of mirrARme has been validated by real users, they are excited to take it out to fashion retailers who can benefit from this technology. They have just launched their app in the App Store under 'mirrARme' as a free download for everyone! mirrARme will be launching new fashion retailers on a daily basis, all with the ability to try on clothes virtually with your smartphone in AR.
How mirrARme works
mirrARme is a Virtual Try-On (VTO) solution for online fashion retailers, where the customer can see the fit and look of clothing on their own body in real time AR. It is a virtual fitting room in AR which uses 3D avatars to show garments from fashion retail brands. Customers can try on virtual clothes in real time and make sure they look good with the avatar version of themselves, in their own surroundings.
mirrARme has developed bespoke technology that turns 2D clothing images into 3D virtual garments with cloth simulation that allows customers to visualize how an item would look on their body as well as a complete Virtual Try-On experience. Regardless of body shape, size or skin tone the mirrARme app produces a true reflection in AR. To create a 3D avatar of the customer, mirrArme uses a combination of automatic and manual techniques: by asking for just one photo of the customer's head and a couple of measurements to generate a very accurate, almost mirror, 3D avatar that accurately represents their entire body
The AR solution is a step forward from the traditional virtual catalog or online window dressing, as it allows customers to interact with virtual garments and see how they look on themselves in real-time 3D. This offers a much more accurate way of seeing if an item will fit or not. The process takes less than 10 seconds and results in a 3D avatar fitting the item of clothing.
mirrARme’s VTO solution also assists with the industry's sustainability goals. Most online fashion retailers only offer the option of returns, which is not the optimal solution for customers that are unsure if an item fits their shape or style. If they buy multiple sizes and styles before finding one that fits, it can cost time and money to repurpose the returned items for the retailer. By reducing returns, this aids in the reduction of excess clothing being sent to landfills.
The mirrARme app has successfully been trialed with multiple fashion brands around the world and is looking forward to seeing more of them using AR in their retail offering. It’s an experience that is as close to trying on clothes in real life as it gets.
mirrARme is currently raising investment to bring its VTO solution to the mass market and to continue to grow its team. It's a young, experienced company with a fantastic international network of fashion retailers and technology partners. It is founders vision, now that they have the technology with mirrARme , that virtual try on will become the norm worldwide. Customers want a better way to see how clothes look and fit, but they also want a more personal experience. It is a win/win for all parties.
Check them out: https://mirrarme.com/