Renzo Rosso: Google's virtual try-on boosts OTB's average spend
Renzo Rosso, chairman and founder of the Italian fashion group OTB Group (OTB), states that the Virtual Try-On tool developed with Google is starting to show its first results, including a higher average spend among customers who have used it.
Rosso shared his vision on innovation, technology and artificial intelligence as the main speaker at Google Think Style Unfold. The event, dedicated to the fashion, retail and luxury sectors in the EMEA region, took place in Milan on October 14, 2026. On stage, he spoke with Melissa Ferretti Peretti, vice president and country manager of Google Italy.
Clienteling in a changing luxury market
OTB, which owns Diesel, Maison Margiela and Jil Sander, announced its collaboration with Google Cloud in May to offer personalised shopping experiences based on artificial intelligence. The tool is based on Google Cloud's Virtual Try-On technology. It digitally dresses the customer and allows them to check the fit of garments.
For Rosso, the project is closely linked to clienteling. “The luxury market is becoming increasingly difficult. There is one thing we firmly believe in, however: clienteling, the ability to establish a human relationship with the end consumer,” he stated. “The better we get to know our customers, the more we can build a relationship of trust and re-establish the loyalty that had been somewhat lost in our world.”
“Together with Google, we have worked on a truly innovative project that combines our vision and creativity with technology, helping us to engage with the consumer,” Rosso continued. “Thanks to the Virtual Try-On, we can digitally dress the customer, allowing them to try the fit of the garments.”
“The system is constantly evolving and is starting to deliver good results, including an increase in the average spend among customers who have used this tool,” explained Rosso. “The technology allows us to go beyond the single garment and offer a more complete styling experience.”
Training as a starting point
Beyond the tool itself, Rosso emphasised that the transition to artificial intelligence starts with people. “There is a lot of talk about artificial intelligence today. The first step for companies, however, is to prepare people for this transformation by giving them the skills to embrace a new way of working,” he said.
“AI must be applied strategically to all business areas; it is fundamental for being competitive. However, to seize this opportunity, it is important to be ready,” he added. “This is why I believe that training is central, also to allow people to embrace the right mindset and the right approach.”
Rosso concluded with a reflection on change: “Change, as always, presents difficulties, and we must be ready to guide it, enhancing what makes each of us unique: soul, heart, passion and creativity.”
Google: from exclusivity to community
Ferretti Peretti pointed to OTB as an example of how artificial intelligence can strengthen the bond between brands and consumers. “In fashion and luxury, desirability stems from culture, creative vision and the emotional bonds that brands build with people,” she stated. “In this context, artificial intelligence can be an extraordinary enabler that creates personalised narratives and experiences, leading the consumer to evolve from the concept of exclusivity to that of belonging to a community.”
“OTB is a virtuous example of this vision: with Google Cloud's Virtual Try-On technology, it has placed innovation at the service of human relationships, bringing the care typical of a physical boutique directly into the digital world,” added Ferretti Peretti.