When you think you’ve seen it all and you can no longer be amazed in the fashion industry, you couldn’t be more wrong. When this thought crosses your mind, just remember March 17, 2021, the day Gucci launched its new sneakers. Eccentric, colorful and without laces, their price is only 12,99 EUR.
Why is that? It’s simple, they do not exist.
We are crossing the digital frontier of fashion. Augmented reality and fashion. You can take a selfie, or shoot a video to see how they fit, but you can’t wear them to walk around. You own them, but at the same time you don’t. The creative director of the Florentine company, Alessandro Michele, designed them with great attention, making the effect highly realistic, but they are not in production, they are visible only through the smartphone screen.
The sneakers catch the eye of the youngest with a modern design, not found in retail but on the Gucci app.
Now you might wonder, why all this? Why should I spend 12.99EURO on sneakers that don’t even exist?
The first virtual shoes by Gucci perfectly fit the new strategy of merging fashion and video games, not aimed at selling, but at offering an experience that goes beyond reality, to captivate and keep new users. The Gucci brand becomes the perfect playmate for users and the two become closer than ever. Some people look at them with scepticism, it’s true, but as an accomplice to lockdown, digitization wants to rediscover our social relations. And Gucci is not missing out on this opportunity. We have to admit that we are on another level here: the technique and perfection of the Italian signature join the WOW effect on social media. Gucci is always one step ahead.
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