5 Things to Know About Gucci’s Apple Vision Pro Immersive Film

Gucci’s “Who Is Sabato De Sarno?” documentary is preparing for its immersive close-up as an Apple Vision Pro interactive experience, with the debut set for Wednesday.

The video spotlights the fashion house’s creative director in the days preceding his runway premiere, as directed by Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost, of “Catfish” and “Paranormal Activity” sequel fame. Gucci brand ambassador Paul Mescal narrated the film.

More from WWD

• AI's Role in Overcoming Post-pandemic Supply Chain Challenges

• Product Design Firm Whipsaw Lends Its Award-winning Prowess to the Wellness Space

• Alo Brings Its Studio to Street Style to an Exclusive Partnership Launch with Beats

The new, more immersive version doesn’t overhaul their work, but aims to draw viewers in more deeply. That’s good news for the fans of the original and its funny or moving moments. Gucci’s goal, to blend virtual elements with physical reality, offers a new lens on the film and the creative director at its center, while furthering the brand’s tech-forward cred for embracing emerging innovations.

On the eve of the mixed-reality debut of “Who Is,” here are five things to know about the experience.

1. In this format, the experience switches between mixed reality and full immersion. It was designed to transport users to Milan, Italy. According to the company, viewers will have a sense of “moving seamlessly from key moments of the documentary into reality and vice versa,” such as seeing Milanese trams drive by.

2. Vision Pro users will see special effects, backgrounds and interactive 3D products, such as the new bag by De Sarno, the Gucci Jackie Notte.

3. Eye and hand motions will handle the interactions and navigation as if by magic — that is, if they work well. The good news is that, so far, reviewers have been impressed with the Vision Pro’s eye tracking and hand gestures, calling them natural or intuitive. People will be able to check out virtual items, jump through chapters of the film and adjust volume without mucking about with hardware controllers.

4. The immersive documentary runs for about 20 minutes, just like the 2D documentary film. However, given the interactivity, perhaps your mileage will vary.

5. The experience will go live on Wednesday in Gucci’s app for the Vision Pro. Obviously, there is no Android version, as the Vision Pro is an Apple-only affair.

Best of WWD

• Retailers Leverage First Insight for ESG Alignment

• What Steph Curry's Sneaker NFTs Can Teach Fashion

• Year in Review: Brands, Retailers Go Hyper-digital in a Challenging Landscape