OTB Group teams up with Google to launch AI shopping experiences

OTB Group, the parent company of brands including Diesel, Jil Sander, Maison Margiela, Marni, and Viktor&Rolf, is teaming up with Google Cloud to launch a new AI-enhanced and “hyper-personalised” shopping experience using the technology giant’s virtual try-on API.

The initiative aims to bridge physical and digital shopping experiences by utilising Google Cloud’s generative AI to empower client advisors with digital styling tools to offer customers a hyper-realistic 360-degree visual preview of the product, which they can try on virtually, before encouraging them to book an in-store appointment to “experience the products first hand”.

The technology will launch with Diesel and Jil Sander across the US and European markets, before expanding in the coming months to Marni and Maison Margiela, followed by a rollout to additional markets.

Renzo Rosso, chairman and founder of OTB Group, said in a statement: "I have always believed in technology as a strategic lever to enhance human talent, at the service of people and creativity. In this context, Artificial Intelligence represents an extraordinary opportunity to make the customer experience more advanced, engaging and personalised.

“Together with Google Cloud, we have implemented a Virtual Try-On solution that introduces a new personalised shopping experience and provides our teams with more effective tools to deliver outstanding service and build closer relationships with clients. This project brings to life a vision I have been nurturing for over three years, made possible thanks to Google's best-in-class expertise in AI. I am confident this is the natural direction for the evolution of e-commerce and clienteling, and a key driver of growth for the future of the fashion industry."

The technology leverages Google’s Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform and Gemini models.

In addition, beyond the virtual fitting, the fashion group will also encourage customers to use AI image editing, built with Google's Nano Banana, to place themselves within Diesel's and Jil Sander's latest campaigns or fashion events, and then bring those images to life with video generated by Google's video creation LLM, Veo.

Matt Renner, president and chief revenue officer at Google Cloud, added: "Technology is at its best when it solves real-world challenges for the customer.

"This collaboration demonstrates how Google Cloud's AI can elevate the role of the retail team beyond automating tasks. By integrating Google Cloud's Virtual Try-On, OTB Group is pushing past standard transactions to provide client advisors with the AI tools needed to deliver deeply personal, confident shopping experiences at a global scale."