2026 has barely begun, and yet the luxury digital landscape is already showing exciting new directions, with brands experimenting with AI, immersive experiences, and personalised engagement to captivate discerning customers.

There have been a huge number of trends we've liked this month that we've seen, but at Skywire, here are a few of our favourites:

OpenAI is running ads on ChatGPT

One of the most notable shifts in digital media - not simply recently, but probably over the last year - has been OpenAI’s introduction of advertising into ChatGPT.

In early January 2026, OpenAI began testing ads for users on the free and “Go” tiers of the chatbot in the United States, with placements clearly labelled below responses and designed to be relevant to the context of conversations without influencing the AI’s output.

We recently wrote an article on the impact that we feel this will have within the luxury space - there is scope for premium brands to engage their customers with the curated thought once reserved for more intimate channels, however, now delivered at the scale only the internet can offer.

This is, of course, an area where nuance matters massively, and getting it right requires some care, which also opens up opportunities for a luxury digital agency like Skywire to help premium brands appear in high-intent, advisory environments where audiences are actively seeking guidance rather than passively scrolling.

Google expands AI-powered virtual try-on, letting shoppers upload photos to see clothes on themselves

Another trend we’ve liked is Google’s rollout of AI-powered virtual try-on software across global markets, which allows users to upload a photo of themselves and visualise how a piece of clothing - from tops and dresses to jeans and shoes - will look on their own body before buying.

This feature, now live in regions including the UK and India via Google Search and Shopping, brings a digital fitting room directly into the mainstream shopping experience.

It doesn’t just enhance convenience for consumers; it also benefits retailers by reducing returns, increasing confidence in online purchases, and providing richer engagement data that can inform merchandising and personalisation strategies.

However, it’s not automatically a must-have for every merchant. We predict that brands with highly stylised, size-dependent, or complex product ranges will surely see the greatest impact, while simpler or commoditised categories might not justify the investment.

For agencies and in-house marketing teams alike, this highlights the importance of guiding clients on when and how to integrate platform-level try-on tools, ensuring they align with the brand’s positioning, product complexity, and target audience expectations.

Optimising content for these experiences is becoming just as critical as optimising a brand website - because increasingly, the first impression of a luxury product is actually happening on a platform, and not the brand’s own domain.

House of Finnies: digital hub offering watch guides & care tutorials

To contrast all this complexity, we also wanted to highlight what we believe was an example of simplicity executed extremely well.

The "House of Finnies" initiative from Aberdeen-based Finnies The Jewellers elevated its ecommerce experience by building a digital content hub focused on watch guides, care tutorials, and educational content.

This strategy mirrors the in-store expertise luxury buyers expect, using rich editorial content to inform and inspire customers before purchase - effectively replicating a boutique experience online.

What marketing and technical teams can take away from this is that there is a growing value of designing long-term digital “clienteling” platforms, not just campaigns, where content architecture and authority become key conversion drivers.

Kaorium - Your AI scent sommelier

The final trend we’ve particularly liked is Selfridges’ launch of Kaorium, which is an AI-powered fragrance discovery tool that transforms how shoppers engage with perfume.

It works by interpreting emotional cues and language inputs. Kaorium recommends scents tailored to individual preferences, allowing customers to explore fragrances in a highly personalised and intuitive way.

This isn’t just a digital gimmick that taps into gamification - it creates an immersive, experiential interaction that bridges the gap between online and in-store discovery, helping shoppers make confident choices whilst simultaneously driving traffic and elevating engagement.

We can also imagine that tools like Kaorium will be an absolute gold mine for insights into customer preferences and behaviour, and that there will inevitably be more imaginative solutions developed by marketing and ecommerce teams for this purpose as time goes on.

Please feel free to get in touch with one of our experts if you'd like guidance on your own bespoke solution!