TOP10 NEWS / 09.09.2023

L'OREAL, UBITUS PARTNER FOR "PERFECT SKIN" METAVERSE EXPO

XR Today

The two will debut the immersive shopping experience at the Perfect Skin Expo in Taiwan. French beauty and cosmetics giant L'Oréal has?partnered with?Ubitus to develop a month-long metaverse showroom for its product lineups. From August 30 to September 30, the French company will showcase its Perfect Skin Expo in Taiwan to deliver greater product and shopping experiences for their customers. Using Ubitus’ extended reality (XR) technologies, the Perfect Skin Expo will support L’Oréal’s Dermatological Beauty Division to curate their products.

Companies like La Roche-Posay, CeraVe, VICHY, and SkinCeuticals will also work with L’Oréal at the Expo. These companies will demo their respective sensitive skin, restorative skin, anti-ageing, and antioxidant technologies, with design themes coinciding with each brand. On the metaverse platform, attendees can navigate across showrooms to view products. The experience will then redirect shoppers to buy L’Oréal’s products on Taiwan’s momo and Shopee eCommerce platforms. L’Oréal has tapped the solution to expand brand awareness and outreach, reduce waste, and tailor the customer experience to each user’s needs.L’Oréal Forges Partnerships across the MetaverseFurthermore, L’Oréal has previously?collaborated?with metaverse companies to promote its work. In September 2021, the cosmetics giant partnered with Meta Platforms (then-Facebook) and AR firm Modiface to provide Instagram shoppers with an AR makeup filter. The French beauty firm tapped Facebook’s Spark AR engine and Modiface’s AR solutions for virtual try-on demos. This included brands like Urban Decay, Maybelline New York, NYX Professional Makeup, and Lanc?me. Additional investments in metaverse technologies have included a major?partnership?with Ready Player Me. Using the latter’s cross-platform avatars, L’Oréal Professional and Maybelline New York debuted an immersive makeup and hair styling experience in November last year for potential customers. The company worked with world-famous makeup artists, hairstylists, and 3D content creators to bring the experience to life. The company stated that the partnership aimed to explore metaverse technologies to deliver better customer outreach to consumers and their products and services. Ubitus Cloud Streaming XR TechnologiesUbitus has provided cloud gaming solutions, ray tracing, and low-latency performance to L’Oréal Dermatological Beauty Division’s metaverse expo.

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CASIO WILL BE ROLLING OUT NFT WATCHES, CLOTHING AND FASHION ACCESSORIES

CoinGeek by Wahid Pessarlay?

Electronics manufacturing firm Casio America, Inc. has unveiled plans to explore new digital frontiers by filing a trademark application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).Japan-based Casio has its sights on?non-fungible tokens?(NFTs) for use in the digital world. USPTO licensed attorney Michael Kondoudis noted on X (formerly known as Twitter) that the firm’s recent trademark application would see it launch a range of digital products in the metaverse.“Casio is coming to the metaverse with NFT and virtual goods,” Kondoudis said. “The company has filed a trademark application covering: Virtul clothing + watches, NFT-backed media, robots with AI, stores for virtual goods, and more!”Casio will be rolling out NFT watches, personal digital assistants, animation packages, clothing, and fashion accessories for avatars in the digital world.

The company hinted at expanding its reach to creating “non-downloadable audio, music, images, and video” for digital and augmented realities.“Providing online non-downloadable virtual clothing, hairstyle, fashion accessories and animation package for avatars, all of them being for use in online virtual environments for entertainment purposes,” read a section of the filing document. Other filing sections revealed plans to offer retail and wholesale services for downloadable digital goods for individual users and institutional clients. NFTs will authenticate every downloadable digital good, spanning computer programs, application software, and digital files. The company notes in the filing that the foray into?NFTs?and the metaverse will provide users with an immersive and interactive experience for?Web3?technologies. Casio’s filing provides specific sections for personalizing experiences in digital spaces, and it offers the 77-year-old brand novel ways to interact with its customers. It remains unclear when Casio will launch its first wave of digital collectibles, but industry analysts are predicting a rollout in 2024.

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AURA BLOCKCHAIN CONSORTIUM NAMES ROMAIN CARRERE CEO

Fashion Network

Global blockchain platform the Aura Blockchain Consortium announced on Thursday the appointment of Romain Carrere as CEO and general secretary. Aura Blockchain Consortium was founded in 2021 by?LVMH, ?Prada Group,?Cartier, part of?Richemont, OTB Group and then later joined in 2022 by Mercedes-Benz AG Group, along with associate members including H.Moser?& Cie. and?Maison Margiela.The global conglomerate of luxury brands is dedicated to reshaping the industry through blockchain technology and has played a pivotal role in pioneering innovative solutions.?It empowers its member brands to seamlessly navigate the entire product life cycle, from origin to direct-to-consumer, through a diverse range of solutions, including SaaS, NFTs, and the Multi-Token Minter.“I am thrilled and indeed honoured to join the Aura Blockchain Consortium at such a critical turning point, as we scale the platform and our solutions globally,” Romain Carrere said.?

“This visionary and unique consortium holds a special place in the industry, gathered around the development of a truly collaborative concept. As I embark on this new journey, I will continue to innovate and push boundaries in collaboration with the entire team and Board. Through the use of blockchain technology and applications, I look forward to driving adoption of this technology and raising the overall customer experience to a level never achieved before in the luxury industry.”?During his time in the tech industry, Carrere has dedicated his effort to advising web3 start-ups. He has also provided strategic advisory services to corporations looking to venture into the realms of blockchain, NFTs, and the metaverse.?Lorenzo Bertelli, chairman of Aura Blockchain Consortium and group marketing director and head of corporate social responsibility at Prada Group added: “We are delighted, along with our member brands, to have Romain join our Consortium. With his extensive background as a tech entrepreneur, advising both web3 start-ups and luxury brands on their digital strategies, he brings invaluable experience that will help steer the Consortium into a new strategic phase and fulfil our vision on a global scale.”

https://lnkd.in/gFhYyTXQ

FASHIONING THE FUTURE: HOW TECH BRINGS NEW EXPERIENCES TO CONSUMERS AND LUXURY BRANDS

The Drum by Ward de Kruiff

As this year’s Digital Fashion Week gets underway, Ward de Kruiff of EPAM Continuum looks at how emerging tech is reshaping the fashion industry and the luxury brands that make it. Digital fashion is an experience, and how fashion brands communicate their values digitally is as essential as the designs they create. A new future for fashion is being shaped by intertwining the values digital consumers insist upon (inclusivity, diversity, and integrity) with cutting-edge technology. In the next few years, this tech will enable fashion brands to create, on a global scale, all kinds of new luxury digital experiences, and marketing opportunities for companies. Increasingly, we can go beyond targeting audiences on centralized platforms and instead build community.

?? Next stop:?hyperverticalizationAchieving this transformation requires a multidimensional approach that marries advanced technology with these core values, resulting in a tapestry of experiences – a concept I call “hyperverticalization.” The digital realm offers a unique platform for exploring fashion and creating experiential, tokenized customer engagement. The fashion industry is starting to venture beyond audience targeting on centralized platforms. These brands are building a community using artificial intelligence for hyper-personalization and knitting together fashion, music, gaming, sports, and art to connect and communicate in new ways. In this boom for the gaming industry, fashion is taking center stage. Collaborations between fashion brands and popular games are becoming commonplace. Gamers can now don exclusive virtual outfits, making their avatars runway-ready. This fusion of fashion and gaming creates a new avenue for brands to reach a younger, tech-savvy audience.This is just the beginning. Fashion’s expansion and resonance will depend on continuously exploring emerging technologies like web3, AI, gaming and immersive experiences, all while upholding the highest standards of quality, authenticity, craftsmanship, and ethical practices. These new experiences will enable the fashion industry to drive transparency, ownership and innovative distribution and authentication methods. Who has been experimenting so far? Luxury and sports brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Nike, and Adidas have been doing great work. In the future these brands are pioneering, life in the digital realm will be about decentralization, identity and co-creation. Virtual and gaming realities will be turned into new runways, offering unique platforms for further fashion exploration.

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DEUS EX MACHINA: ARTISTS TAKE BESPOKE DIGITAL FASHION TO A NEW LEVEL

Harper's Bazaar Arabia

"We asked a series of digital artists to transform a classic photoshoot into their dream fashion moment.

The results? Otherworldly…"Photography by Amer Mohamad. Styling by Nour Bou Ezz. Model: Alessiya Merzlova at Ford Models. Make-Up: Jean Kairouz. Hair: Maggie Semaan. Photographer’s Assistant: Jeffrey Zamora.From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia: The Futureexplore more:https://lnkd.in/g-Cnt8CC

BEHIND TATLER'S FIRST AI SHOOT

Tatler Asia

This month, Tatler Asia harnesses the power of AI for a fashion spread that fuses physical fashion with Midjourney-generated models and settings. The creative minds behind the project discuss the process.

Some AI tools, like DALL-E 2,?Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion, are capable of producing images, while others, such as ChatGPT, have the ability to generate text. Meanwhile, some, like Runway, can even create videos. Which all led us to wonder: what will AI mean for fashion? Can generative AI replace human photography? Is it possible to carry out a fashion shoot with the power of AI? Can fashion shoots be boundless now? These are some of the things that we addressed while planning the fashion shoot for our July issue, themed around Innovation.?Jacqueline Tsang, our regional head of content and editor-in-chief for Hong Kong, interviewed Cherry Mui, our regional fashion director, about her inspiration behind the project and to reflect upon the whole process.

?? Tell us about the idea and how did it start??

?? In fashion, ZARA SA, Gucci and other brands have been experimenting with AI technology in their business models, and have even been creating campaigns using AI-generated backgrounds. At?Tatler Asia, we were thinking about how to incorporate this technology into our creative execution and why doing it now would be a good time—particularly in the wake of?ChatGBT, when everyone’s going crazy about AI-generated content. So our creative director, Miguel Mari took the initiative to start exploring how we can create images using this generative AI app called Midjourney, [which currently has 15 million registered users]. This is how it started.?

?? How did you go about it? There have been some horror stories about when people didn’t know how to instruct the AI and then they came up with some freaky pictures. Did you have a similar experience?

?? Our process was to try to understand [the bot]—how you communicate with it and how to activate the prompts. At one point, we came up with images of people with six fingers and others with octopuses everywhere, which looked like they belonged on the cover of a sci-fi book. We did some really wild experimentations just to understand how it reacts to the text prompts.We wanted to express fashion through an AI lens, but we also wanted people to wonder if it’s real or fake. Our concept was to use Midjourney to create daily life scenarios with AI-generated models and settings, with the only thing real being the clothes we used for the shoot.

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MEET THE FIRST AI FASHION MAGAZINE - COPY MAG

"This is Copy Magazine – the world’s first AI fashion magazine. It embodies human creativity and technological progress, illustrating the limitless potential that emerges when imagination and technology match.?Creative Director Carl-Axel Wahlstr?m embarked on a collaborative journey with generative artificial intelligence.

Every prompt and image featured in the magazine mirrors Carl-Axel’s imagination, presenting not only?apparel but also a narrative of style and originality. This underscores the idea that this technology doesn’t aim to replace human imagination; instead, it enriches and amplifies it. The outcome redefines the landscape of creative partnerships, showcasing how the synergy between human ideas and AI technology can revolutionize and inspire innovative creations. This exemplifies the transformative power of innovation, marking the first chapter of an imaginative narrative that challenges our perception of reality." Carl-Axel Wahlstr?m, Creative Director and Founder Copy Magazine

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POWERED BY AI, THE COMPANY AIMS TO MAKE SELLING EASIER FOR RETAILERS

The New York Times

Lily AI matches online shoppers to the merchandise they’re looking for based on colloquial search terms, a welcome change for companies like Bloomingdale's. When Danielle Schmelkin went shopping online for something special to wear to her niece’s wedding in 2021, she was looking for “a very specific type of dress based on trends I had seen recently.” To her delight, Bloomingdales.com came through like a personal shopper. The menu filter for “formal dresses” prompted her to choose from 15 criteria like dress length, color, neckline, sleeve length and embellishments. Moments later, she was sorting through 200 desirable options. “It was quick and really focused,” she said. “I had no problem going from one page to the next, because there were meaningful results for me.” She found “the perfect dress,” and bought it.Months later, Ms. Schmelkin — in her role as the chief information officer at J.Crew Group — was introduced to Lily AI, an artificial intelligence-powered platform that began working with fashion retailers in 2019. Bloomingdale’s, she learned, was already a client. Intrigued, Ms. Schmelkin did a test run on its product catalog from the company’s Madewell brand. In less than a month, Madewell saw a 3 percent increase in purchases from online searches, according to Ms. Schmelkin. Lily AI is now used across the J. Crew Group, and each brand continues to see “meaningful increases,” she said, adding, “Lily AI is the real deal.” Lily AI staked its claim long before the recent buzz over A.I. reached a fever pitch. It already counts Macy's’, Bloomingdale's’, Gap Inc. brands, Abercrombie & Fitch Co. and thredUP among its customers. Lily AI was founded by Purva Gupta, 35, the company’s chief executive, and Sowmiya Chocka Narayanan, 38, the chief technology officer. Both women immigrated from India to the United States in their 20s, with the ambition of becoming entrepreneurs. The idea for Lily came in 2013 after Ms. Gupta, an economist, moved to the United States with her husband, an M.B.A. student at Yale. She went searching for “a flowy beach dress with sleeves” in stores around New York City and in online searches, only to keep striking out. She considered that language might be the barrier, she said, and wondered, “Was this an immigrant problem I was having?”Along the way, Lily AI attracted angel investors like Serena Ventures, the Serena Williams-backed venture capital fund, as well as the designer Tory Burch and her husband, the Tory Burch chief executive Pierre-Yves Roussel, who said it was a rare investment for the couple outside their company.

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AUGMENTED REALITY AND SPATIAL COMPUTING: THE FUTURE OF RETAIL

nft now by?Andrew Rossow, Esq.

Thanks to the successful marketing of Apple’s?Vision Pro, spatial computing and augmented reality (AR) are about to get even more exciting and in your face, transforming brick-and-mortar shops into next-gen storefronts.?Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, referenced spatial computing when he first teased the device as “the first product you look through, not at.” The device is scheduled for release in early 2024 and is part of a bigger movement that is actively working to bridge e-commerce and brick-and-mortar retail.Diego Di Tommaso, co-founder of the AR metaverse platform Over the Reality, told?WWD?that he has noticed a surge in AR’s popularity since Apple unveiled its Vision Pro. Naturally, he expects that brands will begin exploring new avenues, including physical mom-and-pop storefronts.In the next six to twelve months, Di Tomasso believes brands will primarily focus on AR activations in physical stores, which could involve integrating AR experiences into store exteriors or incorporating interior elements, such as virtual try-ons or product enhancements to entice customers.Digital and physical realities become oneThis approach has the potential to transform any location into a “store,” benefiting brands with strong online followings. By beaming store-like experiences with avatars into customers’ homes, online popularity could translate into real-world engagement.In September, Over will collaborate with Italian fashion company PINKO for an AR activation at a pop-up store in Florence’s Rinascente building. The activation will encompass both exterior and interior AR experiences, including interactive digital products, aimed at promoting a new sustainable product line. However, PINKO told WWD that while it’s still early, these “exterior and interior AR experiences, including interactive digital products” will help “drive awareness” towards a new sustainable product line. Dr. Giovanna Graziosi Casimiro. Casimiro, who since 2022, served as Head of?Metaverse Fashion Week, has turned her attention towards PHYGICODE, a consortium that wants to use these virtual technologies to “bring people back to the malls and entertainment centers.”?Having recently left?Decentraland?to step into the role of PHYGICODE’s Head of Production, Casimiro also shared her belief with WWD that we are about to see the transformation of “phygitality” into a more immersive experience that plays into the growing phases of spatial computing and AR.?While realizing these scenarios will take time, tech innovators are appearing more confident in anticipating AR’s next phase residing in retail.?read more:

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TEXT-TO-METAVERSE: HIBER INTEGRATES GOOGLE'S AI TO REDIFINE 3D CONTENT CREATION

Metaverse Post

As tech pioneers investigate the potential of?converting text into 3D worlds?and avatars, the fusion of artificial intelligence and metaverse concepts is gaining popularity. The incorporation of Google’s generative AI technology into?Hiber3D, a development platform offered by startup Hiber, is at the forefront of this movement. This platform offers a fresh method for producing immersive 3D environments, with the goal of streamlining the production of in-game content. Google’s generative AI technology, encompassing Google Cloud Run and PaLM, has been integrated into Hiber3D with the goal of simplifying the process of crafting virtual landscapes. This integration was announced at the Google Cloud Next event in San Francisco, indicating a strategic alignment of Google’s technology with the growing trends of AI, metaverse, and generative systems.oncyber, another one notable player in the metaverse landscape, has introduced a compelling innovation known as Magic Composer. This AI-powered tool enables users to personalize their virtual environments using text commands. Leveraging elements of the ChatGPT model, Magic Composer empowers creators and communities within the?Web3?space to craft tailored 3D settings.The emergence of these AI-driven advancements reflects the industry’s ambition to reinvigorate the?metaverse concept. However, the complex challenge of seamlessly translating text into fully-fledged 3D environments is not a straightforward task. The process involves classifying objects into distinct categories, each requiring specialized solutions. Particularly, the focus is often on developing solutions for props, assets, and interactive 3D avatars.The prospect of realizing text-to-3D world transformation is undoubtedly an ambitious endeavour, marked by its significant impact on the digital landscape. As technology pioneers continue to push the boundaries of AI, metaverse enthusiasts eagerly anticipate the evolution of these innovations and their potential to reshape?virtual experiences.

https://lnkd.in/gzQat2HC

METAVERSE AI: THE RISE OF AI IN THE METAVERSE

XR Today

Is Metaverse AI the Key to the Future of the Digital World? Metaverse AI innovations could be the answer to the?problems innovators?are facing today. Hype for the metaverse peaked last year after?Facebook rebranded?to “Meta”. Analysts even began predicting a lucrative future for metaverse technologies. According to Grandview Research, the global metaverse market will grow by around?41.6% CAGR?up to 2030. Yet despite ambitious investors and innovators, it still feels like a true “metaverse” experience is decades away. Companies are scrapping metaverse projects, and even Meta themselves seems to have shifted from a focus on digital environments to AI. Some analysts believe the reason for this is the rising demand for?generative AI?pushing the metaverse to the sidelines. However, the reality may be that advanced AI solutions are precisely what the metaverse needs to flourish. The Rising Impact of Metaverse AIWhen it comes to the Metaverse, AI may form a crucial building block for future development. Just as concepts like?the blockchain, 5G, and extended reality, artificial intelligence has an essential role. Developing metaverse environments requires incredible computational resources and exceptional skill. The introduction of new Metaverse AI solutions has unlocked a new era of growth and innovation for Metaverse early adopters already. In the gaming and entertainment industry, metaverse AI is helping companies like?Second Life?generate dynamic virtual worlds and environments that feel more realistic than ever. In the retail world, companies are investing in AI-powered virtual storefronts, which allow customers to browse through and buy products more immersively. Even?real estate and travel?companies leverage AI-powered content and metaverse technologies to embed consumers in unique environments. As artificial intelligence algorithms become more advanced and ideas like spatial computing and LLMs transform the marketplace, the connection between AI and the metaverse is growing stronger. Examples of Metaverse AI: Intelligence in the MetaverseWe’re still in the early stages of discovering what Metaverse AI can accomplish for the next generation of digital experiences. However, the opportunities are already beginning to present themselves in various unique ways. For instance: Metaverse AI Optimizes XR ComfortWhile the adoption of extended reality is increasing in the consumer and business landscape, developers still have challenges to overcome to deliver fantastic user experiences. The metaverse requires a lot of computing power to create comfortable, immersive environments for users.

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REFORMING FASHION: AI, NFTS, AND TIKTOK

KillerStartups

In recent years, AI has emerged as a critical player in the fashion industry, with a growing number of businesses looking to leverage its capabilities to drive innovation and growth. This trend is expected to continue as technology advances and companies seek new ways to differentiate themselves from the competition.

?? Growing Influence of AI in the Fashion IndustryFor example, AI has been used to help fashion designers create unique and on-trend designs, streamline manufacturing processes, and develop highly targeted marketing campaigns. Additionally, companies have started using AI-driven technology to better understand consumer behavior and preferences, allowing them to provide a more customized and personalized shopping experience.

?? The Adoption of AI Across Different Areas of BusinessThe use of AI in the?fashion industry?is not limited to specific business functions, such as demand prediction and pricing optimization. It is also used in areas like design and highly personalized online shopping experiences. These applications can potentially revolutionize how businesses operate, driving efficiency, customer satisfaction, and profit growth. Moreover, advancements in AI technology are expected to continue at a rapid pace, providing even more opportunities for businesses to adopt innovative practices and set themselves apart from competitors.

?? NFTs in the Fashion Industry: A Changing LandscapeWhile the initial excitement surrounding fashion NFTs led to significant investment and growth, the market has experienced a decline in recent times. This downturn is due to a combination of factors, including market saturation, environmental concerns, and a shift in consumer interest back toward traditional luxury items and experiences.However, despite these challenges, fashion brands still invest in Web3 projects and partnerships to stay ahead in the digital landscape. These investments help brands diversify their digital portfolios and maintain their competitive edge as consumer behavior evolves.

?? Exploring the Future of Fashion NFTsCollaborations between high-end fashion brands and digital artists, as evidenced by Gucci’s partnership with Yuga Labs and Louis Vuitton’s €39,000 Travel Trunk NFTs, reveal the industry’s commitment to exploring the possibilities of NFTs. These initiatives showcase the potential for NFTs to revolutionize luxury fashion by offering unique digital experiences that engage consumers in new ways. As more premium brands embrace NFT technology, the luxury market is shifting, presenting new opportunities for both creators and collectors alike.

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