Since 1910, the Italian fashion house Zegna has built its status on high-quality fabrics, particularly cashmere and wool, and a refined expression of elegance for men.

The corporate’s latest moves are accelerating its commitment to meeting the needs of clients where they live – which is an increasing number of within the digital domain.

Zegna unveiled an upgraded version of its ZEGNA X system developed with Microsoft technology that personalizes the shopping experience using data tools and artificial intelligence (AI).

ZEGNA X 360 connects style consultants with customers online. The system allows for a customized shopping experience using a 360 “configurator” that makes it possible to see how different combos of clothing work together. The corporate also announced it was investing further in its relationship with Microsoft and dealing together to seek out ways to make use of AI in other elements of its operations.

After a two-year trial period, the ZEGNA X system has already accounted for about 45 percent of revenue from Zegna boutiques, in line with Edoardo Zegna, chief marketing, digital and sustainability officer of ZEGNA Group. Clients can order custom-tailored clothing and have the garments delivered anywhere inside 4 weeks, sometimes less.

We spoke to Zegna about how he sees the corporate adopting AI and other technologies to enhance its client service, efficiency and commitment to sustainability. The conversation has been edited for clarity and length.

Did you imagine 10 years ago you can be doing this sort of bespoke tailoring using digital tools?

When you return 15 years, there was this concept of luxury brands having a standing or an ego. … There was this concept of ‘I’m luxury, I’m fashion, I’ll determine if I need to allow you to in or not.’ It made you almost intimidated to walk right into a store.

I feel this has shifted completely. I feel the concept we must be waiting for the shopper is totally obsolete. As a substitute, we must be attempting to be a part of his life, and if we wish to be a part of his life we’d like to try to know how he lives, what he likes, how he likes to be contacted.

Style consultants used to maintain this information in a bit notebook. The massive shift happened 10 to fifteen years ago when luxury firms decided to turn into data firms, creating ways to succeed in the shopper in addition to creating products for a selected customer.

How do you maintain the thought of luxury within the digital sphere?

It’s very personal contact. It’s less intimidating, it’s more like a connection you’re making. The best way I prefer to see it’s that there’s a difference between “service” and “clientelling.” Service is about getting a product from place A to position B. Clientelling is about how are you going to make the shopper feel unique, how are you going to make him feel necessary?

Zegna was one in all the primary fashion brands to embrace sustainability as an ethos, and to look for methods to chop waste. How does using recent technology fit into that?

One in all the explanations we’re working with Microsoft is how we will have AI help streamline and personalize.

With the ability to predict at a better rate the products that a customer may have will clearly create less waste. Ultimately transportation will occur way less. As a substitute of shipping clothing from a warehouse to the shop, they will just ship from the warehouse.

How one can make things sustainable goes through the whole value chain of the product. How can we be an increasing number of net zero on the creation of each product? That may extend to the best way fabric is cut and to how waste fabric and thread could be reused.

What are your hopes for the way AI could improve your operations?

Currently, we use Azure to do all our CRM (customer relation management), data gathering, reporting, analytics and predictive analytics as an entire. We shall be moving all our IT infrastructure into the cloud starting in July.

But I feel the following stage, and that’s the reason we’re making this announcement, and that is why we’re working closely with Microsoft, is the following stages of personalization. … how can we improve the connection with the shopper. What’s the likelihood of them responding to a brief text or fairly an extended text? What form of images do they reply to?

Lastly, we now have committees working around production. How can we improve the efficiency of all of that based on timings of deliveries, optimization of spaces and so forth. AI could be very much the long run of mainly each industry I might say.

Is there a contradiction between Zegna’s dedication to its traditions and using cutting-edge technology?

I might say absolutely not. Ultimately there may be magic in luxury, or in clothing, or in anything artistic. There’s the ability of emotion. And that emotion can’t be synthesized from an algorithm. It’s something that you’ve got to present – on top of the sheer data that you’ve got. The key and the success are the mix of art and science. One doesn’t replace the opposite.