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How SAR is Transforming Retail, Virtual Try-ons, and Consumer Experiences in 2025 and Beyond?
Technology in Fashion
10 March, 2025
Table of contents
Spatial Augmented Reality (SAR) is seamlessly blending virtual content into physical spaces, transforming the fashion and beauty industries. Unlike the contemporary Augmented Reality (AR) which needs personal devices such as AR glasses or smartphones, SAR can help project the digital items onto real-life spaces. This allows multiple users to access the augmentation in simultaneous time without the need for personal devices.
Spatial Augmented Reality (SAR) facilitates the immersive experience that can be provided on virtual try-on, enabling customers to check out how clothing, accessories, or makeup products appear on them without trying them physically. Gucci has an app that allows users to see the sunglasses, sneakers, and hats on them digitally. Prada experimented with the AR try-on showcasing hands-free properties that enhance customer interaction with virtual products using gesture recognition.
Brands and retailers are leveraging SAR in their store displays to have an engaging shopping experience. Through the projectable dynamic fixture for the product display, they can offer the consumers an interactive experience that combines virtual and physical elements. In June 2023, Valentino Beauty introduced Smart Mirror at its New York pop-up event that allows visitors to try on its Spike Valentino lipstick.
SAR can help designers in runway presentations, digital patterns, and project effects and animations onto garments in real time to add a new dimension to the show to captivate the audience. Balenciaga presented its Fall 2021 collection in a video game by integrating AR elements to create an immersive virtual experience. Gucci had virtual and augmented reality activations such as an interactive experience on platforms including Snapchat.
Spatial Augmented Reality (SAR) is being combined with AI to enable more personalised and responsive experiences. AI can help SAR predict fashion shopping, custom designs, and adaptive beauty AR. It can analyse consumer behaviour and preference to allow SAR to change and create content in real life. Nike has Fit Engine, an AI-enhanced AR fitting technology that has been used since 2023, available on its app and flagships. MAC Cosmetics introduced an AR Virtual Try-on that uses AI-powered colour-matching with SAR projection on the face. H&M Group has smart mirrors with AI-powered features that use facial recognition to recommend outfits.
SAR is promoting sustainability by allowing virtual sampling and thereby, reducing the need for physical prototypes. This enables the designers to visualise, and change their designs virtually and minimise resource consumption and waste. Valentino partnered with Wanna, the AR company, to provide digital try-on experiences for its Urban Flows Fall 2023 men's collection. This enabled the customers to sample the garments digitally.
As the social media platforms use SAR features, users are facilitated to share interactive content, check-out virtual fashion shows, and partner on design customisation. In 2021, Prada collaborated with Snapchat to launch an AR Try-on for outfits and accessories through gesture recognition. In 2022, Instagram expanded its AR Shopping Filters that allow brands like Dior and MAC Cosmetics to create virtual try-ons.
SAR is being combined with wearable technology to redefine functionality and personal style. Designers such as Iddris Sandu are launching apparel embedded with wearable technology that can connect to the metaverse to let wearers access digital platforms and experience it through their apparel. Nike dropped Cryptokicks which is a blockchain-powered digital sneaker line.
Cover Image: H&M Group's Smart Mirror at COS Store, courtesy H&M Group official website.