Is this a sweet spot for African brands to capitalize on Google’s new “Try on” feature?
AI generated African model on the runway
The way we shop for fashion is undergoing a seismic shift.
What once required countless trips to fitting rooms and guesswork about how clothes might look is now being transformed by artificial intelligence and augmented reality.
Artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing how fashion brands operate. From the moment a trend emerges on social media to when it lands in your shopping cart, AI is working behind the scenes. Whilst Augmented reality (AR) is solving fashion retail’s biggest problem: the uncertainty of online shopping. Virtual try-on technology lets you see how clothes, accessories, and even makeup will look on you before you buy.
Google new “Try on” feature
Google‘s latest move into this space perfectly illustrates how mainstream this technology is becoming. As tech reviewer Marques Brownlee recently demonstrated, Google has just launched an AI “Try On” feature in Google Shopping. His review reveals both the promise and the complexity of this technology:
“Google just announced this feature and added it to their labs today, but basically as long as you have a full body picture of yourself with a pretty simple background, and then you go into Google Shopping and try on the clothes, it will AI generate a photo of you with that clothing hopefully fitting accurately. Seems like one of those features we all saw coming from a mile away, but now it’s real.” Marques Brownlee reviews
Marques Brownlee // Tech Reviewer
The “Sweet spot” for African Brands
For African fashion brands, AI and AR represent more than just new tools—they’re pathways to global competitiveness. The continent’s rich fashion heritage, from Kente cloth patterns to innovative sustainable practices, can now reach worldwide audiences through digital platforms.
African designers are already blending traditional aesthetics with contemporary styles, and technology is amplifying this fusion. AI can help preserve traditional patterns while optimizing production processes, and AR can showcase the intricate craftsmanship that makes African fashion unique to global customers who might never visit a physical store.
The sustainability angle is particularly powerful. As consumers increasingly demand ethically-made products, African brands’ commitment to traditional, sustainable practices, enhanced by AI-driven efficiency, positions them perfectly for the conscious consumer market.
For African fashion brands, the question isn’t whether to adopt these technologies, but how quickly they can overcome the barriers to implementation. The brands that move first will not only survive the digital transformation—they’ll help define what the future of fashion looks like.
The runway to the future is digital, and it’s time for African fashion to take center stage.
