Pandemic accelerates technology adoption in Indian luxury fashion

22 October 2021, Mumbai:

The pandemic has forced people to think out of the box, be more agile and adopt new age communication formats, says Jaspreet Chandok, Head-Lifestyle Business, IMG Reliance, which is organizing the Lakme Fashion Week from October 21 to 25 this year.

Instead of the usual celebrities, and paparazzi flashes, the event this year offers audience a seamless digital experience. It has invested in two major areas; digital architecture and content management, as per a report by Forbes India.

The first part is this investment focuses on creating a virtual showroom for the event while the second part focuses on expanding its technical skills, adds Chandok. LFW has engaged two companies to execute its ambitious digital plans. These include the 10-year old Gurugram-based startup Tagglabs, which focuses on new media and technology innovations for marketing; and Geometry Encompass, a 14-year-old experiential marketing agency that reimagines retail, under the WPP group aegis.

Creating a fantasy 3D world with advanced technologies

Tagglabs is helping LFW construct a fantasy 3D world to enable viewers discover new products and interact with each other. On the other hand, Geometry Encompass has added real-time compositing and motion tracking to green-screen stage shows. This will enable viewers to watch the show from different angles and vantage points.

Advanced technologies are being to ensure consumers with rich experiences even in completely virtual settings, says Ranjit Raina, CEO, Geometry Encompass. For the LFW project, the company created new teams, engagement planners, shooting crews, CG teams, post-production and account management from two cities.

Bengaluru-based AI startup BigThinx also created a virtual fashion show for the New Fashion Week. The show was organized by Fashioninnovation, an inclusive and global showcase featuring designers from the US, Italy, India, Dubai and Japan.

Set in a futuristic mega-city, the show featured plus-sized and racially diverse models, alongwith those with vitiligo, an amputee and one in a wheelchair.

Besides being sustainable and environment-friendly, a virtual fashion show costs 1 per cent of the cost of a real-world fashion show, says Shivang Desai, Founder, BigThinx, The startup recently signed three Indian designers for its other flagship products including 3D body scanning and virtual showrooms.

A tech boost for the sector

The luxury hospitality sector has been somewhat slow in adopting new technologies. However, the pandemic has accelerated the use of new technologies in the sector. Four-year-old automobile startup Adloid Technologies is now seeing demand at levels that it had projected to see in 2022. The company is being flooded with calls from car brands despite not having any marketing or PR initiatives, says Shorya Mahajan, co-founder, Adloid Technologies. It is experiencing a 20 percent month-on-month growth, and is on track to achieve $1.5 million in topline revenues for this year, adds Mahajan.

Currently, the company is working on a module to simulate a test drive. It aims to provide customers the experience of being in the driver’s seat right in their bedrooms.

Indore-based technology firm is getting multiple requests from hoteliers, architects and designers to eliminate multiple touch points within rooms, and replace them with a single touchscreen instead, which is quick to sanitize.The company serves a luxe clientele including the Armani hotels in Dubai and Milan, Bulgari in Paris, Raffles in Singapore, the Aman in New York, St Regis in the Maldives and The Oberoi, New Delhi, etc. It offers all kinds of guest-facing technologies—from reservations to check-out. It expects overseas operations to account for 95 percent of its revenues this year.

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