UK Edition
Death of the mannequin? How Zara's virtual models could transform the way we shop
This week, in 120 of its biggest stores around the world, Zara has cleared its window displays. Onlookers will probably, at first, be confused by the lack of merchandise - the stark white is pretty arresting. But if you follow the instructions written where the mannequins used to be, you’ll be privy to a futuristic new shopping experience.
The brand has installed its new AR (Augmented Reality) hotspots at key points around its shops for the next two weeks, and by downloading the corresponding app, customers are able to see virtual models showcasing the new Studio collection.
As I stood in front of Zara's Oxford Street store windows during a test run last week, I was pretty impressed with the catwalk-style mirage that only I could see.
Like hologram layers over the top of the environment in front of you, the AR models parade across your mobile screen, talking to each other and twirling to show the movement of a skirt, or dancing around a new season handbag. In store, you can stand next to them, or have a photograph taken with them, but don’t bother trying to take the coat off their back, as your arm will go straight through theirs.
The movements of models Léa Julian and Fran Summers were studied by 68 cameras in order to give the most lifelike, non-jerky picture, and Zara has installed an extra Wi-fi network in all participating stores so that their virtual renderings are as smooth as possible. Any customer ordering from Zara online will also be able to have a mini AR experience at home, as Julian and Summers can also dance across the cardboard box that your clothes are delivered in.
You can walk seamlessly around their forms for a 360 degree look at the clothes in question, and, like any other window displays, they will be redressed once a week in fresh outfits. The models are a little grey-looking in certain lights, and if you don’t like what they’re wearing, that’s tough luck, but if you are interested, you can click directly on the clothes to buy them.
‘With augmented reality translating into more and more real-world applications, the Zara experience demonstrates how innovation, inspiration and additive technology can reimagine conventional retailing,’ the brand explained of its motivations in a statement. ‘By experiencing the store environment and the app simultaneously, shoppers will not only experience a sense of awe, they will also discover how easy the tool is to use.’
Zara has chosen to apply this technology, initially, as a replacement for models or mannequins, but think what else it could do if it is developed. If trained to give style advice, Miss AR could become an integral part of the customer service experience. If models of different sizes were used, you could discover what something might look like on a figure just like yours. Celebrities could be given the AR treatment, allowing them to model in stores and changing advertising formats.
For now, it’s a novelty, and in two weeks time the regular perspex mannequins will get their space back in the Zara windows. But as the technology develops further, we might look back at this AR experiment and consider it a turning point. I'd say it is entirely viable that we may soon be hosting catwalk shows at home, with AR models parading new collections up and down the living room.