High fashion, sustainable farming, and immersive technology collide.
Balenciaga, a French luxury fashion house known recently for the humorous series of AI-powered memes (created by demonflyingfox) that turn famous film/television characters into drop-dead gorgeous runway models, has launched a new augmented reality (AR) experience designed to raise awareness around sustainable farming.
First spotted by Adweek, the Balenciaga Regenerative Agricultural Experience uses AR technology to educate users on the proper techniques for improving soil health, including intercropping, crop rotation, agricultural waste, and composting.
The experience begins by selecting a farmer using your smartphone device. You’ll then guide your digital companion toward virtual landmarks located throughout your real-world environment while planting virtual crops.
In addition to the educational AR experience, the luxury fashion house is also investing in other technologies vital to maintaining a healthy ecosystem.
“In addition, Balenciaga will invest in eDNA, an innovative technology developed to measure and monitor biodiversity by detecting traces of DNA in the environment,” says the official website. “The data that eDNA provides helps corporations, landowners, and farmers to get a more accurate picture of an ecosystem’s health. eDNA is used on a project led by Epiterre, part of the Regenerative Fund for Nature.”
“This project seeks to restore ecological balance and to safeguard livelihoods in the Occitanie region of Southwestern France. Certain agricultural strategies can be used to sustain or improve a habitat’s health, but without accurate data and metrics, it is difficult to know if these strategies are in fact working. This is why eDNA technology plays an important role in restoring ecosystems.”
The Balenciaga Regenerative Agricultural Experience was developed by Atomic Digital Design and is available now via WebAR, meaning no download is necessary in order to access the experience. Simply scan the QR code above or visit the official website to get started.
Feature Image Credit: Balenciaga, VRScout
