Virtual try-on has been a fixture in retail fashion for more than two decades now. While the technology has evolved from 2D visualization to augmented reality-powered mirrors, many current offerings present challenges that can prevent customers from having an immersive experience. Some show garments virtually papered on top of an image of a person, while others show only a partial view of the overall look.
Lumesa, a New York-based AI startup co-founded by Manvitha Mallela and Malavika Reddy, is addressing these limitations with a new AI-powered virtual fitting room technology that provides a front and back view of an outfit on an AI model or a consumer’s digital twin. The user has the option to animate the image to see how the clothing drapes and to try on several looks at the same time, as they might at a physical retail store.
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“We wanted to feel like you’re in the fitting room and you’re trying on one thing after another,” Mallela told Sourcing Journal.
The technology is in beta mode with brand partner Anne Klein. The goal is to create a seamless online wardrobe where customers can build an entire outfit virtually. When browsing items on Anne Klein’s website, shoppers will see an option to “Build a Look,” which will generate a full outfit—from tops, bottoms and dresses to watches and footwear—based on products the user selected, layering them in a way that feels natural.
They can choose to see the outfit styled on an AI-generated model or on an avatar created with a photo of themselves that they upload to the site. The tech is size-inclusive, with the option of either choosing a plus-sized AI model or a digital twin that reflects the corresponding body type.
The technology trains AI on Anne Klein’s inventory, including the unique details and styles—or brand DNA—that distinguishes it from the rest of the market. These distinct qualities can all be observed in an actual photoshoot for a fashion brand, Mallela said, through small but important styling details like an untucked shirt or an open jacket. Lumesa is designed to create outputs that would pass the standards of a brand’s professional photoshoot.
“We actually pick up on all of that and actually enable that to come through in the content that we make out for the customer,” she said. So if a customer wants her digital twin to wear a shirt, it will always be tucked and refined, similar to how a model would wear it in a photoshoot that showcases Anne Klein’s Brand DNA. “For a lot of brands, customers go there because they trust what the brand is showing,” she said. “They want to buy into their lifestyle.”
The startup comes fresh from a rebrand. When it raised a $6 million seed fund earlier this year led by Work-Bench, it was known by a different name. Originally Flock, it underwent a rebrand so as not to be confused with the controversial surveillance cameras made by Flock Safety. Lumesa, which came from the word Lumen meaning light, captures the essence of the startup better. After all, the technology is about bringing a shopper’s vision to light.
While Mallela deferred from disclosing other brands that it is in talks with, new features will be added to the virtual fitting room technology over time, which may include an option to share the entire look on social media. Ultimately, Mallela said it will be up the brand to decide how much creative control to give the customer. She said “guardrails” can be put in place to make sure outfits stay “on brand.”
