Valentino to partake in virtual try-on pilot with Farfetch-owned Wanna

Maison Valentino is set to become the first luxury brand to offer ready-to-wear virtual try-on (VTO) via a demo app by Wanna, an augmented reality (AR) tech company owned by Farfetch.

The Italian label will be launching a clothing VTO pilot project with Wanna using a curated selection of men’s upper-wear pieces from its Urban Flows Autumn 2023 collection.

Customers will also be able to “try” the ValenTie from the brand’s AW23/24 line, a sartorial accessory that is currently available for pre-access on Valentino’s e-commerce site.

Through VTO, the brand is hoping to bridge the gap created by the inability to try on products when purchasing online, with the Wanna technology and app allowing customers to visualise how a garment would look on them through their phone’s camera prior to buying.

In a release, Wanna CEO, Sergey Arkhangelskiy, said: “Wanna’s clothing VTO not only enables brands to showcase the apparel with the utmost realism, but also provides users with a novel experience of trying on clothing items before making a purchase online.

“It is a second-generation VTO experience designed exclusively for e-commerce use, which is highly realistic, and targeted at luxury brands.

“With the launch of the new virtual try-on category, we want to continue to help customers to make informed shopping decisions and increase customer confidence to purchase.”

While Wanna’s Wear app can now be downloaded by consumers via Apple’s App Store, the company’s Clothing VTO can also be integrated by brands across their value chain, including for product design, wholesale and e-commerce.