A note from Karin & Liya
June felt like the unofficial fashiontech/culturetech conference month. From New York to Paris, Cannes and Basel, the same themes surfaced again and again. AI is moving beyond experimentation into practical deployment. Creators are becoming long-term brand partners rather than campaign add-ons. And technologies like virtual try-on and smart glasses are beginning to break into the mainstream.
Market Not Convinced About Snap’s Glasses
Snap unveiled its latest generation of AR smart glasses with a campaign shot by Steven Meisel and a roster of high-profile ambassadors. Despite strong fashion credentials, the launch received a mixed reaction from both the broader market and the tech community alike. The memes of Evan’s folded ear were doing the rounds, and Snap's share price fell following the announcement. The challenge remains the same: building hardware people actually want to wear.
Meta x Kylie Jenner Smart Glasses
Meta's also had some smart glasses news. Their collaboration with Kylie Jenner shows a very different playbook. Rather than a broad influencer campaign, the company partnered with a single global celebrity, creating smart glasses that look like a fashion accessory first and a piece of technology second (Kylie’s voice included). Whether this translates into consumer adoption remains to be seen, but the initial response has been noticeably more positive.
Filippa K's AI Campaign Backlash
Swedish fashion brand Filippa K removed its Spring/Summer 2026 AI-generated campaign after photographers and creatives pointed out striking similarities to existing fashion imagery. The most criticised images closely resembled Arket's 2021 campaign by Johan Sandberg. Following the backlash, Filippa K removed the campaign and announced it would review its internal processes for AI-generated content. Generative AI is becoming a brand governance challenge, as much as a creative one.
Max Fashion Brings Google VTO to the GCC
Virtual try-on reached another milestone in the region as Max Fashion partnered with Google Cloud to launch an AI-powered virtual try-on experience across its e-commerce platform. As one of the Middle East's largest fashion retailers, Max's rollout signals that VTO is beginning to move beyond experimentation and into mainstream retail.
In her latest article, Liya explored why virtual try-on has reached a technological inflection point, different use cases driving adoption, and why the next challenge is no longer the technology itself, but changing consumer behaviour. We also discuss what it will take for VTO to become table stakes across fashion e-commerce.
Read the full article here
In Focus: Signals from the June Conference Circuit
We published a Conference Signals Report: June 2026, unpacking the biggest insights from Fashionology, Cannes Lions, VivaTech and Art Basel, together with our own observations on what they mean for fashion brands, retailers and startups.
Below is a quick snapshot, but we encourage you to read the full report.
Fashionology Summit | New York
One of our community members, Katerina Ali, founder of Immersifi, attended the Fashionology Summit and shared her insights with us.
The strongest message was that fashion-tech has entered a more commercially disciplined phase. Investors are looking for technologies that integrate into existing workflows, strengthen customer relationships and deliver measurable business outcomes. Also:
- Recognition is replacing the funnel as the key priority for brands
- When it comes to taste, humans must remain in the loop
- Value is moving from the transaction to the wardrobe: resale, cost-per-wear, and intent-based shopping
Cannes Lions
If last year belonged to AI, this year belonged to creators. Across Cannes, creators evolved from campaign partners into long-term brand assets, while owned communities became increasingly valuable in an AI-driven media landscape.
VivaTech
The conversation shifted from experimentation to execution. AI infrastructure, generative search (GEO), operational workflows and owned audiences dominated discussions across fashion, beauty and retail.
🗓️ New: Events Intelligence Hub
If June taught us anything, it's that keeping track of global fashion-tech events is becoming a full-time job.
We've launched the FashionTech Middle East Events Intelligence Hub — a curated calendar of conferences and events at the intersection of fashion, luxury, technology and culture. For the events we've attended ourselves, we've also included our own notes and observations to help you decide which are worth adding to your calendar.
This month, we spoke with the founders of Maison Safqa, a Saudi-based off-price marketplace rethinking how premium and luxury brands manage excess inventory in the GCC. Backed by 500 Global, the team shares why they believe the region is ready for a brand-safe off-price model, how they're using AI to streamline operations, and the lessons they've learned building a fashion marketplace in Saudi Arabia.
Read the full interview here.
June ✨ Events we attended
Art Basel
Karin attended Art Basel this month, where luxury brands including Chanel, Dior, Zegna and BOSS hosted invitation-only dinners, collector gatherings and VIP events alongside the fair. While luxury's presence at Art Basel is nothing new, what stood out this year was the growing prominence of digital creativity.
Alongside works celebrating traditional craftsmanship, textiles and weaving, the fair featured a dedicated exhibition of digital and AI-generated art, suggesting the conversation has shifted from whether technology belongs in the art world to how it is expanding the definition of contemporary creativity.
Who Controls Luxury Now?
Karin explores how power in the luxury industry is shifting beyond the brands themselves. As creators, social platforms, resale markets and online communities play a greater role in shaping desirability, luxury is becoming less about what brands say and more about who influences the conversation. It challenges the traditional idea that luxury brands alone control their image, arguing that influence is increasingly shared across a wider digital ecosystem.
Read the full article here.
Virtual-Try-On test drive: Victoria Beckham x DressX
Liya puts one of the most high-profile virtual try-on launches we've seen this year to the test, comparing the Victoria Beckham × DressX experience with Google's Virtual Try-On. The article explores where each technology excels and where they fall short. Read the full article here.
This month, we're watching Peter Semple, CEO of Depop, on the Social Currency podcast. The conversation explores how AI is reducing friction across resale: from automated listings to personalised discovery, while also unpacking why community remains Depop's biggest competitive advantage.
Watch the full episode here.
E-Tailers Specialist
Chalhoub Group | Dubai
Chalhoub Group is hiring an E-Tailers Specialist to manage and grow relationships with online retail partners. The role focuses on driving e-commerce sales, digital merchandising and marketplace performance across third-party platforms. Apply here
Global Influencer Marketing Manager – Kits & Accessories
Huda Beauty | Dubai
Huda Beauty is hiring a Global Influencer Marketing Manager to lead the end-to-end strategy and execution of global PR kits and influencer campaigns. The role sits at the intersection of influencer marketing, product launches and brand storytelling. Apply here
Indirect E-Commerce Lead
L'Oréal Middle East | Dubai
L'Oréal is hiring an E-Commerce Lead to drive e-com strategy across online retail partners, leading joint business plans, digital activations and commercial relationships with key e-com players. The role combines strategic planning, stakeholder management and data-driven decision-making. Apply here
Closing Thoughts
We'll be taking a short break from our Coffee & FashionTech meetups over the summer and will return in September. In the meantime, if you attend an interesting conference, discover an emerging startup or have an insight worth sharing with the community, we'd love to hear from you.
Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram to stay updated… and if you’re building something exciting in FashionTech, we’d love to hear from you.
Until next month,
Karin & Liya
Co-Founders, FashionTech Middle East
