eBay has launched AI-powered celebrity style-matching content for its fashion offer, using visual search to link outfits with its inventory.

‘Shop the Celebrity Look’ allows customers to buy direct from photos of celebrities. Hovering over a photo brings up the option to view items similar to the one worn in the photo.

Customers can either shop the exact items worn by the celebrity or find similar budget-friendly alternatives via eBay’s marketplace.

The photos are sorted into editorial pieces and organised into fashion trends, with four celebrity photos per trend.

The initiative, which is in pilot stage, is in partnership with consumer magazine and digital platform Time Inc. Time provides the exclusive content while eBay powers the platform with AI technology.

eBay UK trading vice-president Murray Lambell said: “Our latest pilot creates a simplified yet appealing shopping experience that brings clothing to life in a new and exciting way.

“We know that celebrity style shopping leads to high engagement and now visitors will be able to shop the latest celebrity trends, brands and luxe items for less.”

eBay UK boss Rob Hattrell spoke to Retail Week earlier this month on the power of image search and AI.

He said: “There are limitations on what you can do with image and limitations of what you can do with voice, so it’s about joining all AI-powered capabilities together to give lots of different technologically enabled experiences in lots of different ways.”

Many online fashion platforms have turned to editorial content as a way of communicating with customers and maximising engagement and time spent on a site, with etailers as diverse as Asos and Yoox-Net-a-Porter investing in content.