Luxury brands often encapsulate desirability and top-tier craftsmanship with their products, which are often more about the status they uphold. These brands are built on rich histories and traditions and embody exclusivity.
However, introducing AI has been shifting and molding these values so the brands can create a standing for themselves in the modern world. AI trains machines in that it can simulate human intelligence, and that can be used for various purposes.
Let’s take a look at how luxury brands are using AI as a catalyst for creativity.
The Evolving Landscape of Luxury Brands
Fashion, along with the brands that carry it, needs to adapt to the changing cyrus matches of the online shopping world.
Some are increasing their prices, like Hermes, to keep up with inflation, while some not-so-luxury brands are closing down, like Forever 21. In fact, Forever 21 is an excellent example of how failure to adapt to E-commerce, among other reasons, can lead to a downfall.
To avoid the same fate as Forever 21, luxury brands are now catering to a customer base that is increasingly younger, tech-savvy, and connected. Matching the needs of a newer customer base means
embracing innovation and digital experiences while maintaining brand identity is crucial.
Luxury consumers today have a vast array of choices at their fingertips, so brands must offer a diverse range of preferences, offering a wider variety of products and experiences beyond the traditional.
AI Applications in Luxury Services
Some luxury brands are inarguably ahead of the curve as compared to others. Nevertheless, about 60% of these brands are willing to use AI for customer insights. This just goes to show they’ve been seamlessly merging AI behind the scenes without being loud about it.
Let’s take a look at how specific brands are harnessing the power of AI.
Dior Insider
Dior, the renowned French fashion house, has embraced AI with a touch of Parisian elegance by creating Dior Insider. Launched back in 2017, Dior became one of the first venturers to experiment with AI.
Dior Insider has come a long way in terms of personalizing each customer’s experience. You can interact with the AI chatbot through Facebook Messenger, and it’ll answer questions about your skin type, makeup preferences, and desired look.
Then, based on this data, the AI recommends suitable Dior products, caters to specific concerns, and even suggests new trends that might pique your interest.
That’s not all. Dior Insider goes beyond simple product suggestions and gives users access to exclusive content like makeup tutorials and behind-the-scenes to Dior’s elaborate process. This is what fosters a deeper connection with the brand for users.
Chanel’s LipScanner App
Chanel has taken a bold step into the world of AI by launching their Lip Scanner App, which helps users make a fully customized lipstick shade.
You can scan the color of lipstick on someone else’s lips, in a magazine picture, or even just a color on an item of clothing. Then, the AI instantly analyzes the color and matches it to the closest shade from Chanel’s extensive lipstick collection. Not everyone is a fan of the iconic red Chanel lip, and this way, you can find what tickles your fancy!
The AI even identifies the texture of the lipstick, giving you an option between a formal matte or a playful glossy look. This reduces the tedious task of swatching and matching and ensures that you find the perfect shade each time.
After scanning and matching, you can virtually apply it to your lips using your smartphone’s camera through a virtual try-on experience.
Prada’s AI-Generated Visuals
Instead of keeping AI usage under wraps like LV labs, Prada has embraced it fully in their artistic visuals for their latest fragrance campaigns.
The brand collaborated with still-life photographer Johann Besse to capture captivating images of their fragrance bottles. These pictures were taken with a dreamlike aesthetic and then fed into a particular AI generator.
After AI analysis, it was able to generate entirely new visuals and graphics that pushed the original aesthetic further. This approach blurred the lines between traditional product photography and AI creativity to curate a highly specific set of photos.
Valentino’s VTO experience
Valentino has been using AI to bridge the gap between online shopping and the in-store experience using Virtual Try-on (VTO). This immersive experience lets customers virtually see how specific clothing items from their collections would look on them.
With just a smartphone camera, customers can superimpose the image of any chosen garment from their collection to create a realistic representation of how it would fit and drape on your body.
This makes the experience of luxury shopping wider to a wider audience and even allows users to rotate the virtual garment, zoom in on details, and see how it moves with different body positions. Customers don’t need to worry about the guesswork of a size chart and can easily make an informed purchase.
Ethical Considerations of AI in Luxury
The development and usage of AI have always been controversial, especially because of several ethical ethical considerations.
One concern is that AI-generated designs might lack the soul and human touch that generally defines luxury. Since AI works by processing a large amount of already existing data, the question of plagiarism often arises.
However, the middle ground between human creativity and AI generation can retain both the authentic human touch as well as the surrealist AI effect. Prada’s fragrance campaign is a good example of how the two properties can intertwine to create a unique outcome.
Another concern is that AI algorithms are only as good as the data they’re trained on. This means that biased data can lead to discriminatory or unfair recommendations. So, luxury brands need to ethically source the data to avoid perpetuating biases.
Conclusion
Some praise AI, while others denounce it. But the reality is a bit more nuanced. AI can’t replace human creativity, but it can unlock new and powerful tools that make shopping more accessible and comfortable.
The key is approaching AI with ethical dilemmas in mind and using its functionality responsibly. After all, the customer base will always remain human, and humans will evermore crave the authentic touch.
