Wikipedia

Digital fashion

Digital Fashion is a field of fashion design that relies on 3D software or artificial intelligence to produce hyper-realistic, data-intensive digital 3D garment simulations that are digital-only products or digital models for physical products.[1] Digital garments can be worn and presented in virtual environments, social media, online gaming, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR) platforms. [2] The field contributes to the development of a more sustainable future for the fashion industry It has often been praised as an answer to ethical and creative concerns of traditional fashion by promoting innovation, reducing waste, and encouraging conscious consumption.[2]

Digital fashion garments can be posed and composited onto photographs which can then be uploaded to social media to showcase the outfit.
Digital fashion garments can be posed and composited onto photographs which can then be uploaded to social media to showcase the outfit.

Digital fashion is also the interplay between digital technology and couture. Human AI is an intersection of technology and human representation. Where human value is emphasized and enhanced by technology and the possibilities of discovering design. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have been deeply integrated both into the fashion industry, as well as within the experience of clients and prospects. Such interplay has happened at three main levels.

  1. ICTs are used to design and produce fashion products, while also the industry organization leverages onto digital technologies.
  2. ICTs impact marketing, distribution and sales.
  3. ICTs are extensively used in communication activities with all relevant stakeholders, and contribute to co-create the fashion world.

The fashion industry in general has paved the way for digital fashion to be introduced with more technology being in the industry like virtual dressing rooms and the gamification of the fashion industry. Digital fashion is also seen in many different online fashion retail websites. It may be seen on common websites you shop on. This evolution in the fashion industry has called for more education and research of digital fashion which will also be discussed in this article.

Design, production, and organization

edit

Among the many applications available to fashion designers to model the fusion of creativity with digital avenues, the Digital Textile Printing can be mentioned here.

Digital textile printing

edit

Digital textile printing has brought together the worlds of fashion, technology, art, chemistry, and printing to produce a new process for printing textiles on clothing.[3]

Digital printing is a process in which prints are directly applied to fabrics with printer, reducing 95% the use of water, 75% the use of energy, and minimizing textile waste. The main advantage of digital printing is the ability to do very small runs of each design (even less than 1 yard).[4]

Digital Textile printing also offers other benefits such fast printing speeds that help the time and space needed to print different patterns on garments of choice.[3]

 
Example of digital textile printing using an Inkjet printer to create a butterfly design on a t-shirt using water-based color ink.

Marketing, distribution, and sales

edit

While all digital channels can be used in order to market and sell fashion completely online (eCommerce), they usually are implemented in connection with offline channels (so-called "omni-channel"). Here, virtual and augmented reality is playing a crucial role.

The fashion industry has faced its own problems including pollution and fabric waste, which has resulted in a shift to more sustainable methods like digital fashion. The industry is also constantly being intertwined with digital media and has allowed for the use of digital tools within the business itself and with consumers.[5] Two of the ways digital fashion is utilized with consumers is through virtual dressing rooms and virtual cosmetic counters.

Prospects and clients can use ICTs - own computers, tablets and smartphones - to virtually simulate fitting rooms and cosmetics counters, and see how they look in specific outfits and makeup.[6] Customers can give any look and decide on what to suits and buy products.

Oftentimes beauty retailers will feature virtual fitting rooms to allow users to experience the look of their product before committing to a purchase. Some examples are color contact retailers Freshlook, which allows users to simulate contact lens wear in their color contacts studio before purchase.[7] Colorful Eyes also offers a virtual color contact lens try on room.[8]

Virtual dressing room

edit

A virtual dressing room[9] (also often referred to as virtual fitting room and virtual changing room although they do perform different functions) is the online equivalent of the near-ubiquitous in-store changing room – that is, it enables shoppers to try on clothes to check one or more of size, fit or style, but virtually rather than physically.

Fashion retailer Topshop installed a Kinect-powered virtual fitting room at its Moscow store. Created by AR Door, the Augmented Fitting Room system overlays 3D augmented reality clothes on the customer. Simple gestures and on-screen buttons let users "try on" different outfits.[10] However, the high variability of virtual fit platforms to predict consumer clothes sizes called into question the accuracy of these systems in their current form.[11]

Communication and experience co-creation

edit

Fashion is also a matter of socially negotiating what is "in" or "out", fashionable or not. In other words, fashion items do not only play on the economic market of physical goods, but also - and sometimes even more importantly - on the semiotic market of the production of social tastes and customs.[12] Thanks to social media, and to all services offered by the so-called web2.0, laypeople can contribute to co-create the fashion world, shaping tastes, customs, and fashion-related values.

Social media in general has catapulted the impact fashion has on our everyday lives and values. Fashion has taken a central role is mass production and is constantly evolving due to the ever-lasting digital transformation.[13]

Social media has also helped evolved to a point where not only can brands reach consumers, but consumers can reach brands as well. TikTok for example started a trend in 2020 with #GucciModelChallenge.[14] This creates a space where the brand is gaining awareness from their consumers in the ever-changing digital age.

Gamification

edit
 
Virtual runway show in the game Second Life

Gaming has played an important role in fostering digital aspects of the fashion world, first beginning with dress up games that used avatars and allowed players to select garments. Nevertheless, it seems it will now move on to the real world and start using avatars of real people.[15]

Garments from luxurious brands have been copied and adapted into the aesthetics of games such as the quarantine-released Animal Crossing: New Horizons and The Sims.[16] As to the former, users found themselves filled with time during the COVID-19 confinement and recreated outfits from a great variety of fashion brands, including Chanel, Gucci and Versace. Moreover, it became a platform for users to showcase their costume designs.[17]

In April 2019, Moschino collaborated with simulation game The Sims in a capsule collection that featured signature Jeremy Scott garments.[18] The collection was made available to shop and the campaign was set against the backdrop of a Sims-like atmosphere.[19] Furthermore, in May 2019, Nike partnered up with Fortnite to include their iconic Jordan sneakers. In similar fashion, in May 2020, Marc Jacobs designed 6 of the brand's favorite looks for Nintendo's Animal Crossing: New Horizons in a partnership with Instagram user @AnimalCrossingFashionArchive.[20][21] They were made available to download.

Similarly the other luxury brands mentioned, Louis Vuitton partnered with game League of Legends to create skins for characters within the game.[22] Digital fashion in various different video games allow users to express themselves beyond their avatar and combine the self-expression of fashion into the digital gaming realm.

Digital fashion education and research

edit

Nowadays, the fashion industry needs experts in digital fashion, equipped with the above-sketched knowledge and competences. Several Bachelor and Master programs in Fashion have in recent years integrated Digital Fashion courses.[23]

An example is Ravensbourne University's 'Digital Technology for Fashion Pathway,' launching October 2021.[24] This new pathway will offer BA Fashion students the option to specialise in digital fashion with a focus on emerging technologies within this field. The Ravensbourne BA Fashion Class of 2020 paved the way for this new offering by collaborating with the gaming department and launching a digital fashion game live and in partnership with Twitch in July 2020, and featured in Forbes as 'Visionary.'[25]

In 2021, University for the Creative Arts became the first major arts university to launch a new postgraduate higher education degree in Digital Fashion, the first Master's course of its kind in the UK.[26] This new course allows creative researchers to learn how to create garments which are completely free from the material world, and how to fit them digitally to a client – whether they are a model for a virtual catwalk, a social media influencer looking to boost their reach, a gaming avatar in need of a fashion edge or a movie character being given a bespoke costume.[27]

While there are not (yet) dedicated scientific journals devoted to the topic, several research activities have been done in the field. Among them, a dedicated conference has taken place in 2015 in Seoul, South Korea. SComS - Studies in Communication Sciences, a Swiss-based Communication Journal, has published a special thematic section on Fashion communication: Between tradition and digital transformation.[28] In July 2019, a conference titled FACTUM19 - Fashion Communication: between tradition and future digital developments has taken place in Ascona (Switzerland), whose proceedings are published by Springer.[29] During FACTUM19, a document titled "Fashion Communication Research. A way ahead" has been published.[30]

Fashion is closely related with Art and Heritage. Several museums related to fashion have started to make their appearance in the past thirty years. Examples are the Museum Christian Dior Granville, the Museum Cristobal Balenciaga, The Armani Silos, The Museum Audemars Piguet.[31] Among the most important initiatives to digitize fashion history, thus making such heritage available to researchers, practitioners and all interested people, two projects can be mentioned: Europeana Fashion[32] and We Wear Culture[33] by Google Arts and Culture.

The rise of digital fashion during COVID-19

edit

Since the beginning of the 2020 pandemic, the fashion industry has suffered strong economic losses, as sales plummeted and jobs were lost, but it has since learned to digitally recover through virtual clothing, catwalks, and showrooms.[34]

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, fashion is among the industries that have been forced to adapt their commercial and creative strategies to better suit the social distancing measures.[35] Therefore, the digital channel has since seen a rise in use, offering live shopping and has been highlighted as the only way to overcome physical barriers.[36] It is also believed that these changes will prevail in years to come, as reported by WGSN.[36]

Among these circumstances, new digital fashion houses were born, looking to push the boundaries of design, innovation and sustainability: Tribute Brand, The Fabricant, Auroboros and RTFKT.[37]

Once events only attended by selected people, catwalks and showrooms have become more accessible through live streaming and virtual fashion shows. Thus, they have resulted in high fashion becoming more procurable to the general public. Milan Fashion Week was renamed “Milan Digital Fashion Week”[38] and the New York version prioritized outdoor spaces to further prevent the spread and set the maximum capacity at 50.[39] The British Fashion Council also took upon the opportunity to show this year's designs online.[40] In a historic moment at London Fashion Week 2021, the digital fashion house Auroboros became the first brand to present a solely virtual collection at a major international fashion week.[41] Consequently, many celebrities decided to watch fashion shows that they used to attend front row from the comfort of their own homes and showed their glamorous looks from their Instagram pages.[42]

In 2021, big virtual fashion events are becoming more common. An example of this is the International digital Fashion Week. With this event, there is the largest virtual fashion show being held with over 100 designers in the fashion industry being represented. This has occurred as a result to the COVID-19 pandemic.[43] However, now digital fashion has a chance to thrive in a new technology and fashion fusion industry.

The importance of fashion films has also been stressed as a medium to creatively show designers' upcoming collections. As a result, methods that were only used by digital focused houses such as The Fabricant are expected to become the norm. Therefore, 3D experiences have gained momentum. As a matter of fact, high-profile models such as Bella Hadid have already incorporated such advanced and revolutionary practices into their curriculum, as seen in an Instagram post that displays the star getting a full body 3D scan for a Mugler Spring Summer 2021 film.[citation needed][44] The video shows her in a gold outfit as Pegasus, against the backdrop of a fantasy-filled world.[45]

Other embraced formats include avatar videogames such as Zepeto, which Louboutin partnered up with to showcase their SS21 collection. This way, attendees could create personalized avatars and view the brand's latest designs. On June 15, Balmain also resorted to digital fashion and created a virtual showroom[46][47] hosted by the avatar of creative director Oliver Rousteing, who posted on Instagram his face getting 3D scanned, adding "#future".[citation needed]

Additionally, for their SS21 show, Italian streetwear brand GCDS recreated a 3D runway with cutting-edge technology and avatars that displayed the digitally rendered clothes.[48][49] They even incorporated the celebrity avatars of Dua Lipa, Anwar Hadid, Chiara Ferragni and Fedez, to name a few.[citation needed] They were shown sitting front row in the audience as if it had been a traditional show. It was referred to by the brand as the "first digital front row".[citation needed] The role of avatar influencers such as Lil Miquela and Noonoouri has been emphasized as well and definitely had an impact on the fashion industry during the pandemic, as they encouraged sales with the promotion of fashion brands.[50]

One advantage of the digitalization of fashion is being eco-friendly, as it reduces fabric waste. Opposing beliefs state that clothing is only meant to be worn in real life, and that the process involved with sewing has always been sacred.[51]

The Emergence of the NFT Clothes Industry

edit

NFTs, unique digital assets that use blockchain technology to verify ownership and provenance, have been embraced by various industries for their ability to create, trade, and tokenize digital content. The NFT clothes industry is a natural extension of this trend, applying the same concept to digital fashion items. As virtual worlds, gaming platforms, and online social spaces become increasingly popular, the demand for customizable digital avatars and unique virtual outfits has grown. NFT clothes cater to this demand, offering users a way to stand out in the digital crowd.[52][citation needed]

The rise of the NFT clothes industry presents both opportunities and challenges for the traditional fashion sector. On the one hand, it allows designers to explore new creative possibilities without the constraints of physical materials and production costs. This opens up the potential for collaborations with digital artists and programmers, paving the way for more innovative designs and a broader audience reach.[53]

The NFT clothes industry can promote sustainability by reducing waste, pollution, and resource consumption associated with physical fashion production.[54][55]


See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ Särmäkari, Natalia; Vänskä, Annamari (2022). "'Just hit a button!' – fashion 4.0 designers as cyborgs, experimenting and designing with generative algorithms". International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education. 15 (2): 211–220. doi:10.1080/17543266.2021.1991005.
  2. ^ a b "Digital Fashion: The Way Forward for Sustainability?". Textile Consult. 31 July 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Moltchanova, Julia (23 June 2011). "Digital Textile Printing" (PDF). Theseus.fi – via Metropolia.
  4. ^ "Fashion Marketer". Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2014-06-12.
  5. ^ Noris, Alice; Nobile, Tekila Harley; Kalbaska, Nadzeya; Cantoni, Lorenzo (2021-01-02). "Digital Fashion: A systematic literature review. A perspective on marketing and communication". Journal of Global Fashion Marketing. 12 (1): 32–46. doi:10.1080/20932685.2020.1835522. ISSN 2093-2685. S2CID 230600615.
  6. ^ "New tech lets retailers give head-to-toe virtual makeovers". www.retailcustomerexperience.com. October 3, 2011.
  7. ^ "Freshlook ® Color Studio | freshlookcontactscom". www.freshlookcontacts.com.
  8. ^ "Eye Color Changer | Upload Your Pic | Try On Eye Colors". 20 September 2016.
  9. ^ "LA Times on virtual dressing room". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012.
  10. ^ Houston, Thomas (May 12, 2011). "WATCH: Ladies' Virtual Dressing Room Is Powered By Kinect". HuffPost.
  11. ^ Januszkiewicz, M.; Parker, C.J.; Hayes, S.G.; Gill, S. (October 2017). "Online Virtual Fit Is Not Yet Fit For Purpose: An Analysis Of Fashion e-Commerce Interfaces" (PDF). Proceedings of 3DBODY.TECH 2017 - 8th International Conference and Exhibition on 3D Body Scanning and Processing Technologies, Montreal QC, Canada, 11-12 Oct. 2017. 3DBODY.TECH. pp. 210–217. doi:10.15221/17.210. ISBN 978-3-033-06436-2. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  12. ^ Trukhan, Tatiana (2023-05-22). "QR codes on clothing". PG. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
  13. ^ Noris, Alice; Nobile, Tekila Harley; Kalbaska, Nadzeya; Cantoni, Lorenzo (2021-01-02). "Digital Fashion: A systematic literature review. A perspective on marketing and communication". Journal of Global Fashion Marketing. 12 (1): 32–46. doi:10.1080/20932685.2020.1835522. ISSN 2093-2685. S2CID 230600615.
  14. ^ Dazed (2020-08-25). "Teens are turning themselves into Gucci models on TikTok". Dazed. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
  15. ^ Johnson, Becca (2020-11-25). "Will Video Games Replace the Fashion Show?". CR Fashion Book. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  16. ^ Iluyomade, Simi (2020-04-22). "How The Sims Became a Hub for Digital Fashion". CR Fashion Book. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  17. ^ "'It's a way to live out fantasies': how Animal Crossing became fashion's new catwalk". The Guardian. 2020-05-21. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  18. ^ Arts, Electronic (2019-04-16). "Introducing Moschino x The Sims". Electronic Arts Inc. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  19. ^ Shaw, Sophie (2019-04-15). "Virtual and Reality Merge in Moschino X The Sims Capsule Collection". CR Fashion Book. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  20. ^ Dazed (2020-05-05). "Marc Jacobs drops six cute looks on Animal Crossing". Dazed. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  21. ^ "Marc Jacobs (@marcjacobs) posted on Instagram • May 2, 2020 at 6:16pm UTC". Instagram. Archived from the original on 2021-12-24. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  22. ^ Nguyen, Terry (2022-01-21). "What's the point of digital clothes?". Vox. Retrieved 2022-04-21.
  23. ^ "Master Programmes | Digital Fashion Communication Research". digitalfashion.ch. Retrieved 2017-06-12.
  24. ^ "Ravensbourne To Launch Digital Technology for Fashion Course". 24 March 2021. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
  25. ^ "Visionary Fashion University Creates Visionary Online Game to Showcase Graduates Collections". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
  26. ^ "Digital fashion designers sought for UK's first degree in virtual couture". TheGuardian.com. 23 February 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-23.
  27. ^ "Digital Fashion MA University for the Creative Arts". Retrieved 2021-02-23.
  28. ^ "Fashion communication: Between tradition and digital transformation". www.hope.uzh.ch. Retrieved 2019-06-01.
  29. ^ Fashion Communication in the Digital Age. Retrieved 2019-06-01.
  30. ^ "Fashion Communication Research. A Way Ahead – Digital Fashion Communication Research". Retrieved 2019-09-20.
  31. ^ Noris, A., & Cantoni, L. (29 Aug. 2022). Digital Fashion Communication. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill. doi: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004523555
  32. ^ "Europeana Fashion". www.europeana.eu. Retrieved 2017-06-13.
  33. ^ "We Wear Culture - Google Arts & Culture". Google Cultural Institute. Retrieved 2017-06-13.
  34. ^ "What will the fashion industry look like post-Covid 19". i-D. 2020-09-25. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  35. ^ Roberts-Islam, Brooke. "Virtual Catwalks And Digital Fashion: How COVID-19 Is Changing The Fashion Industry". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  36. ^ a b Faria, Ana Paula; Providência, Bernardo; Cunha, Joana (2021). "The Foreseeable Future of Digital Fashion Communication After Coronavirus: Designing for Emotions". In Martins, Nuno; Brandão, Daniel (eds.). Advances in Design and Digital Communication. Springer Series in Design and Innovation. Vol. 12. Cham: Springer International Publishing. pp. 510–515. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-61671-7_47. ISBN 978-3-030-61671-7. S2CID 226336704.
  37. ^ Menon, Maya (2021-08-17). "Cyber couture: 8 digital fashion houses to shop for virtual clothing now". Vogue Singapore. Retrieved 2024-05-11.
  38. ^ "Milan Digital Fashion Week 2020". milanofashionweek.cameramoda.it. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  39. ^ "Governor Cuomo Announces New York Fashion Week to Take Place in September with Limited or No Spectators". Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. 2020-08-25. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  40. ^ Estanyol i Casals, Elisenda (2020-10-23). "Los eventos de moda en tiempos de COVID-19". COMeIN (in Spanish) (103). doi:10.7238/c.n103.2071. ISSN 2014-2226.
  41. ^ McDowell, Maghan (June 2021). "Startup spotlight: How digital fashion brand Auroboros is breaking through". www.voguebusiness.com. Vogue Business. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  42. ^ Friedman, Vanessa (2020-05-02). "Is This the Future of the Fashion Show?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  43. ^ FWO (2020-09-02). "International Digital Fashion Week Launches the World's Largest Fashion Week". Fashion Week Online®. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
  44. ^ Yotka, Steff (22 October 2020). "Meet Digi-Bella—Bella Hadid's Virtual Avatar Stars in Mugler's New Film". Vogue. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  45. ^ "Mugler Spring Summer 2021 Part 01 Film - YouTube". www.youtube.com. 21 October 2020. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  46. ^ Satenstein, Liana (15 June 2020). "Olivier Rousteing's New Avatar Hosts Balmain's New Virtual Showroom". Vogue. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  47. ^ Socha, Miles (2020-06-15). "EXCLUSIVE: Olivier Rousteing's Avatar Greets Buyers at Balmain's Virtual Showroom". WWD. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  48. ^ "Go BTS of the virtual, otherworldly beauty at GCDS's digital fashion show". Dazed. 2020-09-24. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  49. ^ "GCDS OUT OF THIS WORLD SS 2021 | DIGITAL FASHION ARCADE SHOW - YouTube". www.youtube.com. 24 September 2020. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  50. ^ Matthews, Kayla (28 April 2020). "How COVID-19 Could Impact Virtual Influencers". Hello Partner. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  51. ^ Evans, Jonathan (2020-07-22). "Digital Fashion Week Showed Us the Platform's Egalitarian Potential—and Its Limits". Esquire. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  52. ^ WW, FashionNetwork com. "NFTs in the fashion industry". FashionNetwork.com. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  53. ^ "Is the Indian fashion industry ready to tackle the metaverse on a global scale?". Vogue India. 2023-02-22. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  54. ^ "Boss in Miami steps up see-now-buy-now push". Vogue Business. 2023-03-16. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  55. ^ Melinek, Jacquelyn (2023-03-08). "Meet the women-led web3 startups from Thousand Faces' demo day". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wiki.x.io/w/index.php?title=Digital_fashion&oldid=1258697431"