Week season is almost upon us, and with a month of runway shows, parties and
non-stop collections to review it is hard to digest all the new trends.
Technology has been changing the way we view, search for, and buy fashion so
there’s no surprise that social media and technology are changing the dynamic
of fashion week – it’s a Technology Takeover.
That’s where new visual search technologies come into action – 2014 has been
the year of Visual Search, with apps such as Style Thief launching with image recognition software, letting you take a photo of any fashion item and
being able to instantly buy the same, or similar items. Using sophisticated
image recognition software from Cortexica
– a UK company based in the Imperial College London – the app allows you take a photo, do an image
search on the fashion item and buy it in just a couple of clicks. The app taps
into the Street Style trend and with everyone getting ‘fashion envy’ during
fashion week, it’s the easiest way to shop next seasons trends right now.
Image Recognition technology is just one of the newest technologies which is altering the future of the fashion industry. Visual search changes the nature of impulse and makes images instantly shapable.
Without
leaving our living rooms, we can all get instant front row access to the
fashion shows as well as VIP backstage access thanks to social media.
Technology has created a need for constant newness in Fashion, and with
customers already embracing visual discovery on platforms such as Instagram and
Pinterest, they will increasingly demand this experience when shopping online
and from a mobile.
Bosworth, who
launched the app said, ‘Everyone can relate to that feeling of looking at an
editorial or a catwalk image and wanting to buy something similar.’
advanced visual search technology allows us to shop instantly from the catwalks
or from Street Style looks that we love. Retailers are snapping it up too –
Cortexica’s sophisticated algorithms radically shorten the path from
inspiration to transaction, allowing anyone with a smartphone to immediately
identify and purchase products that they encounter. European retailer Zalando
is the latest online retailer to introduce visual search into it’s platform.
