How Playar uses XR and AI for immersive experiences and storytelling

Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the fashion industry at a rapid pace. While some companies are taking a wait-and-see approach, others are taking bold steps forward.

FashionUnited spoke to Justin-Caine Cavanas for the “AI in Fashion” series. He is the XR & AI Lead at Playar, a Belgian company specializing in immersive experiences.

1. Who are you and what do you do?

I’m Justin-Caine Cavanas, XR and AI lead at Playar in Antwerp-Berchem. I have been working in the immersive sector for six years. There I combine technology with emotional experiences.

Playar has now developed around a thousand immersive experiences for well-known brands such as Gucci, Tiffany’s, Samsung, Lego and Coca-Cola. But we also work for smaller brands, cultural and educational projects as well as for government institutions.

I support these collaborations and ensure that everything runs smoothly. I also ensure that the quality and style of our experiences meet the brand’s expectations.

For example, we developed a social AR experience for the Dior flagship store in New York. Visitors scan a QR code on the facade. You’ll then see the store come to life in a gingerbread style during the holidays, complete with a digital billboard. Even Monsieur Dior steps out of a taxi and comes to life on the screen. At the same time, you can click on various elements to get more information, for example about the “New Look” dress or the “Lady Dior” handbag.

We set up an AR mirror photo booth experience for Burberry in a large shopping center in Hong Kong. There, visitors receive personalized product advice by asking questions. At the end they take a photo home with them.

2. What does an immersive experience offer for brands?

Our core philosophy is story living instead of storytelling. Instead of having passive spectators, we make people active participants in a story. This means that experiences stay in your memory for longer and create a real emotional impact. This is important at a time when attention is scarce. Traditional 2D marketing such as television, desktop and mobile is losing its impact. A few years ago there was a shift from desktop to mobile. Now I see the shift from mobile to spatial. The fact that XR and AI are increasingly becoming an integral part of brands’ media strategies underlines this. It’s no longer seen as just a nice-to-have.

AR product presentations therefore have a commercial effect, which is confirmed by studies. Customers buy faster (Shopify: plus 94 percent conversion) and return fewer products (Ikea: minus 40 percent). This is because they can experience the product better before purchasing it.

Still, for us, the real magic lies in the experience itself. I was on site at Harrods in London to set up the AR experience and observe the interactions. I saw people marveling in front of the mirror or smiling spontaneously. I find such reactions powerful because they show that emotions can be evoked. This is something that often gets lost in our daily, screen-dominated lives. We are a little jaded by the flood of information.

3. What’s next? for XR and AI dynamics?

High end-Brands see that it works. XR can make fashion more special and experience-oriented. Through AR enhancements and digital hybrids, clothing is not only worn but also experienced. This means that product and experience are inextricably linked.

Fashion is also playing an increasingly important role in games like Roblox and Fortnite. AR enables brands to present their collections in new ways and to involve consumers in a playful way.

What excites me most are the new XR and AI technologies and the change that is already taking place. New consumer glasses that look “normal” and are easy to wear on the street, like those from Meta and Snapchat, are making XR more commonplace and accessible. I think in the next two to three years there will be a very big change in how people experience and interact with digital content. And that presents huge opportunities for the luxury, entertainment and hospitality sectors.

At the same time, AI also brings challenges. Major fashion houses such as Dior, Gucci, Chanel and Louis Vuitton rely on existing expertise, talent and brand identity. AI must not trivialize this. Brands should not use them to create a vision, only to reinforce it.

Technology is a tool, not an identity. At a time when machines can now design, personalize and sell, it is crucial to preserve the humanity of fashion.

4. What challenges do you experience in your work?

Working with innovative technology means constantly switching gears. Every few weeks there is an update, a new tool or a new platform.

We also notice that it is sometimes more difficult to sell XR projects in Belgium because people are a bit more conservative. In addition, XR remains abstract for many people. Clear visualizations, mock-ups and storyboards help close this gap.

Tight deadlines are often a challenge. The Dior Spectacles experience for Snapchat’s ‘Crafted for Luxury’ event in Paris took just 2.5 to three weeks to complete. This required quick decisions, creative flexibility and close collaboration.

One of our greatest successes is our team itself. We have a work culture in which we can combine high speed and quality. We think flexibly and continually improve. We are very proud of that.

5. Finally, do you have any tips for readers who work or want to work with XR and AI?

First, don’t do anything with AI just because you think you have to be part of the hype. The most impactful projects start with human questions. How do the customers feel? What is missing from their experience? Where are there points of friction? What do they really need?

Second: Dare to start small. If the over-promises of the metaverse have taught us anything, it’s that it doesn’t always have to be big and overwhelming. A small experience that really works and touches people is better than a large, technically impressive project that is emotionally empty. Create something that excites you. The team needs to get behind it and real people need to benefit from it.

Technology is only successful when people forget that it is technology and simply experience it as magic. The AR mirror at Harrods is a perfect, low-threshold application for fashion and stationary retail. The consumers stand in front of it and it works.