Every year, tech proponents, luxury moguls, curiosos, and innovation-driven startups gather within the halls of Paris’ Porte de Versailles to attend the annual VivaTech conference.
Since its inception in 2016, the four-day tech symposium has grown to become one of the most important dates on the luxury calendar, as brands cotton on to the value of the emerging digital arena.
This year’s edition saw the big names roll in. With artificial intelligence crowned the buzzword of the week, the likes of Louis Vuitton, Loro Piana, Dior, and Bulgari used the convention as a proving ground to pilot their generative AI innovations.
LVMH Group, a founding partner of the VivaTech summit, captivated attendees with its Dream Garden exhibit, where 13 of the conglomerate’s subsidiaries presented their own AI-powered experiences.
Bulgari was one of them. The Italian maison unveiled a first-of-its-kind mixology experience, inviting guests to take the reins over product production and co-create their own unique scents via interactive technology and AI.
French perfumer Guerlain adopted a similar approach. The brand leveraged virtual reality tech to create a multidimensional olfactory landscape for visitors, complete with scents, audiovisual capabilities, and 3D technology. Users accessed the experience via a headset.
Speaking of which, Apple’s new Vision Pro gadget also made an appearance as part of Rimowa’s immersive presentation. Riding on the headset’s recent e-commerce success, audiences could explore Rimowa’s travel product range using spatial computing and augmented reality.
Meanwhile, Loro Piana introduced its “Silhouette” activation. The interactive display enables users to design their own digital doppelgängers before styling them in virtual Loro Piana garments. It’s a solution that could be implemented both in-store and online as a new try-before-you-buy service.
Others eschewed consumer-facing projects in favor of internal solutions.
Dior, for instance, has deployed generative AI with its new platform, Astra. The tool can reportedly extract data to help keep brands firmly attuned to consumer preferences. This includes customer comments from multiple channels, such as Google reviews, product pages, interactions with customer service, satisfaction surveys, and live shopping sessions.
LVMH has established itself as a notable disruptor in the Web3 ecosystem. In recent years, the group has onboarded several of its maisons into the virtual domain, with the most documented being Louis Vuitton’s high-octane NFT community.
The conglomerate’s presence at the VivaTech pavilion is helping shift the chatter around Web3.
Previous hurdles involved persuading the fashion community to engage with emerging technologies like virtual reality, 3D try-on, and AI. But receiving endorsement from luxury’s biggest linchpin is helping close the gap between the maturing landscape and the fashion set.
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- In other news this week, L’Occitane en Provence has launched a new virtual shopping destination alongside developer Emperia. The L’Occitane Greenhouse invites visitors to explore the brand’s range of summer fragrances, drawing inspiration from the picturesque landscapes of southern France. Consumers can also learn more about L'Occitane’s approach to craftsmanship and locally-sourced ingredients.
- Digital fashion house Syky has announced a new collaboration with virtual jewelry expert Xtended Identity. Dropping on June 7, the five-piece collection comprises both digital and physical pieces, including a made-to-order crown that takes 30 days to craft. The collaboration is also the first drop in the “Syky Drops” series, a monthly release of pieces from some of the world’s most exciting digital designers. This week, Xtended Identity also launched its new Vision Pro experience, offering a new way for consumers to explore the brand’s product range.