What is the future of your practice as a designer? Marketer? Communicator?
Fashion Futures - Molly Parry
Contents Introduction The Fabricant Technology in Fashion Now Fashion Skins and Virtual Clothing Future of Fashion Post COVID Questionnaire Future of Technology Within Fashion Conclusion References
INTRODUCTION
There are currently many different directions for municator, but the direction I have chosen to rese the fashion industry with technology. I have looke fashion such as the fabricant, other examples of t and virtual clothing. I have also looked into the lead to more virtual clothing or lead to having mo ly trying on clothes. I then looked into the futur created and who may be the consumer for these idea different ages a questionnaire asking various ques virtual clothing? To conclude my research, I summa within the industry.
the future of being a designer, marketer or comearch more into is technology and the future of ed into current brands that use technology within technology in fashion now such as fashion skins future of fashion with covid and how this could ore technology within fashion such as virtualre for technology for clothing and what could be as, this then led me onto giving people I know of stions for example if they would be interested in arised technology and the future use of technology
The Fabricant They are a digital fashion house leading the fashion industry towards a new sector of digital-only clothing, they specialise in photo-real 3D fashion design and animation. Developing digital fashion editorials, digital clothing and occasional collections. Always digital, never physical. With a focus on the fashion industry, they use tools from the film visual effects industry such as motion capture, 3D animation software and body scanning to produce hyper-real digital fashion experiences (Fabricant, 2020). They combine talent from both fashion and animation industries to produce captivating digital fashion content for digital and physical channels. Digital environments allow them to go beyond the laws of physics to create impossible macro shots, camera movements and lighting scenarios. The advantage of digital is the flexibility to imagine, prototype and adjust the designs to any scenario at any time during and after production (Fabricant, 2020). The fact that The Fabricant are completely digital and show a new way of presenting clothes and collections really interests me. I like how it is showing us what the future of fashion could look like and I love how it allows people to be who they want to be by digitally dressing.
Technology in Fashion Now
The use of technology already exists within the fashion industry for example, artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality and 3D printing. These examples highlight the start of technology in fashion and how it will only continue to develop and grow.
Artificial Intelligence In recent years, brands have been using artificial intelligence to enhance consumers shopping experiences, analyse data, boost sales, forecast trends and offer inventory-related guidance, for example, chatbots and touchscreens being used in stores to improve customer experience and customised product suggestions. The technology behind it includes algorithms that track customers journeys to match them with the right products. Artificial intelligence has already been used so that brands can instantly have access to data that allows for planning the right styles and quantities in a timely manner (Kochar, 2020). For example, Finery, the British fashion label has come up with an automated wardrobe planning tool that, using analytics, records its female customer’s purchases and introduces them in a virtual wardrobe. The platform also allows women to create looks from their wardrobe and even choose from over 10,000 shops (Kochar, 2020). Another example is that Truefit has an online fit engine that helps users find an adequate fit with brands and new styles on the market. Another interesting example is Intellingence Node, which allows users to track trends in real-time, specific keywords entered by customers, user navigation patterns, price points and more. Intellingence Node AI-driven search discovery platform also tracks the exact or closest matches to your product (Kochar, 2020).
Today artificial intelligence is allowing to prognosticate trends and sales, allowing brands to understand consumer patterns and predict their production levels. Google and Project Muze are also a good example of how machine learning can be applied to fashion. Through the use of neurotechnology, Project Muze allows to make creative decisions on behalf of the consumer through their personality and interests. Amazon who is managed by Israel-based researchers would use artificial intelligence to know if an item is stylish or dowdy (Brand, 2020). These examples of how artificial intelligence is already used within fashion brands highlights just how much technology is going to impact the industry in the future and how it will only continue to grow.
Virtual/Augmented Reality
Combining the physical and online worlds of retail has been one of virtual reality’s most exciting applications in fashion. One widespread use is enabling customers to virtually try on outfits with high accuracy due to the use of customised measurements that allows augmented reality technology. This unique shopping experience engages the customer as they are intrigued in seeing the product on themselves before buying without trying on the clothes themselves (Kochar, 2020). Some companies using AR and VR in interesting ways include: Obsess: a platform that allows brands and retailers to create to serve 3D 360 shopping experiences on their websites, mobile apps and social channels via a 3D Commerce Cloud (Kochar, 2020). Avametric: which enables brands to render real clothing virtually in 3D and also to customize them on digital body models for web, mobile, and AR (Kochar, 2020). Virtusize: enables online fashion retailers to virtually illustrate the size to find the accurate fit for the products their customers choose (Kochar, 2020). EFI Optitex: which greatly improves the expensive and lengthy process of finding an adequate fit by taking essential components of the designs like flat sketches and technical patterns which morphed to simulated 3D renderings, which allow for cutting, loosening the fit and make all necessary adjustments in real time (Kochar, 2020). Amazon: Amazon has another great example of how augmented reality can be used in fashion. The retailer has been patenting a virtual mirror where a user can try products on at home. Soon will be possible to stand in front of a mirror and realistically try on clothing without all the deliveries and returns (Brand, 2020).
3D Printing
3D printing has also grown since it was first introduced in the 1980s, many brands, both big and small, have been looking into its possibilities for on-demand production, to create new avenues for customization, sustainability and creativity. Many fashion brands are embracing 3D in their collections in 2020 from accessories to full looks. Although it takes many hours to create, it does result in less waste, printing garments on-demand reduces fabric waste by about 35%. If this minimal waste approach continues it could provide valuable insights on how to reshape the current state of factories and align them with a more sustainable social and environmental focus (Kochar, 2020).
Digital knitting has also been making great strides in the 3D printing and offering a myriad of customisation possibilities. For example, manufacturers like Shima Seiki can turn cones of yarn into a full, seamless garment in less than an hour, and Ze-Nitis creates digitally knitted urban wear that allows for functionalities and benefits to be placed where the body needs it the most (Kochar, 2020).
Fashion Skins and Virtual Clothing The use of virtual clothing may seem like it would just be a ‘trend’ however with technology within the fashion industry growing at a rapid pace it looks like virtual clothing and skins will be the new reality and will be appearing in the future a lot more than we think. To the previous generations of fashion buyers, used to the physical and palpable fashion garments, the idea of a digital self and virtual garments might come across as strange, and hopefully fast-passing movement, however, I have researched into virtual clothing that already exists to show how far it has already come, and it seems like this will just be the beginning to virtual fashion. The idea of virtual clothing is to instantly ‘transport’ the consumer anywhere in the world or allow them to be whoever they want to be no matter how different to their physical appearance, there’s no doubt, the world of fashion is changing. It is driven by the tech-savvy generation of fashion consumers as expressed on social media. Young fashion buyers seamlessly engage with avatars and adopt them as their non-biased fashion influencers. A reality of a digital self that makes them forget of their actual self by making the ideal self finally feel real (Arnault, 2019). As such, the next fashion ‘reality’ is the one where we can dress and augment our virtual bodies and digital selves. Digital clothes are designed for ‘virtual-egos’, which will further allow shoppers to engage on another level with their favourite brands, via virtual avatars influencers (Arnault, 2019).
A growing number of fashion brands are open to the idea of using a by responding to their followers and shoppers with innovative crea Yoox. An Italian e-commerce platform for luxury goods and one of t launch of their Yoox Mirror. A virtual fitting room where shoppers customised to resemble the buyer (Arnault, 2019).
Another example of a fashion brand using virtual reality is Gap, t most advanced AR dressing room concepts to date. The shopper selec it further thanks to the digital avatar that is built according to the digital avatar can wear/test/try all existing garments on Gap’ ments and accessories can be purchased via the app (Arnault, 2019) Gucci ports ality dress
has also experimented with virtual fashion with their digita avatar-to-avatar communication. With over one million custom types, Genies allow shoppers to create their versions of the themselves with over 200 pieces of fashion apparel, all Gucc
Louis Vuitton has also designed skins for League of Legends charac other one is Ralph Lauren’s recent collaboration with Bitmoji whe and-match wardrobe from Polo Ralph Lauren (Kochar, 2020).
avatars as fashion influencers and the design of virtual garments ations in artificial intelligence and mixed reality. For example, the first companies to test the physical-digital merger with the s can interact with Daisy, a digital avatar which can be fully
they collaborated with Avametric and Google to design one of the cts a desired garment from the catalogue of 3D and can customise o the user’s personal biometrics and information. Once created ’s database for perfect matching and then once decided, all gar).
al version of Silicon Valley designed avatar-collection which supmisation options such as eye, skin, and hair colour, up to personemselves. Once they have created their avatars, the shoppers can ci branded (Arnault, 2019).
cters and Drest sold digitised versions of Farfetch inventory. Anere customers can create their own Bitmoji look with the new mix-
Virtual fashion has also been described as a solution to one of the world’s major eco problems. Digital fashion, which refers to 3D-rendered garments that only exist virtually, is a very real idea that offers much greener, zero-waste alternatives in a world plagued with growing fears over waste and concerns about the negative effects of manufacturing (Marchese, 2019). Although it has not been widely broadcasted, digital fashion is not an entirely new idea. Back in 2016, web avatar site bitmoji teamed up with bergdorf goodman to allow users to dress their avatars in looks from fashion brands such as zac posen, alexander mcqueen, calvin klein and other top designers. Then, in 2018, scandinavian retailer carlings released its first digital clothing collection, called neoex, a 19-piece genderless collection cost at relatively lowprice points (between €10 to €30, or roughly $11 to $33 USD) (Marchese, 2019). More recently, in May 2019, a one-of-a-kind digital design from the fabricant, the world’s first digital-only fashion house, sold for $9,500 at a blockchain conference. Virtual pieces of clothes such as this could offer a sustainable alternative to fast fashion, whilst providing the ‘me’-culture heavily populating social media with new looks without having to actually produce physical garments. Meanwhile, a pop-up store in London is giving consumers a chance to try on digital garments to test their commercial potential, a chance to see the commercial validity of such an idea (Marchese, 2019).
From these examples of current digital clothing, it is clear to me that this is just the beginning of this idea and it will only continue to grow and influence the fashion industry more, shape the future of fashion and be a huge part of the future.
Future of Fashion Post COVID The future of fashion and fast fashion could quickly be deteriorating due to the current situation with Covid 19, Fast fashion relies heavily on cheap manufacturing and with the virus leading to the shut-down of some of the world’s biggest supply chains in China and Bangladesh, this has created unprecedented challenges for retailers. The demand is also no longer there, since the beginning of March, the Spanish group Inditex, which owns Zara and Pull & Bear, reported a 24.1 per cent drop in sales globally (Barrow, 2020). These effects have hit the most vulnerable the hardest, with low-paid garment workers paying the price for major brands cancelling orders, in many cases after the work has already been done. The reality is that many garment workers will now be plunged into destitution, through no fault of their own. This has once again prompted a much-needed conversation regarding the future of fast fashion and how the industry ought to take valuable lessons from the coronavirus pandemic, perhaps recognising its reliance on those the industry continues to exploit (Barrow, 2020). “Fast fashion may well survive Covid-19, but it must change going forward. As the pandemic has forced the industry to slow down, fast fashion has an opportunity to reconstruct itself, moving to a ‘slow’ fashion model while prioritising workers’ rights and the environment.” Holly Barrow, Content Writer at the Immigration Advice Service and Printed Tape has looked into whether the Covid-19 pandemic will finally get the fashion industry to change its ways (Barrow, 2020).
While we have been encouraging an end to overconsumption for many years, we know that in the face of this unexpected halt in manufacturing due to covid, it is the most vulnerable, lowest paid people in the fashion supply chain that feel the worst effects. IndustriALL, the global trade union which works to give workers around the world a voice, says that millions of garment makers have already lost their jobs as a result of the virus and have no access to social or financial safety nets to help them weather this storm (Revolution, 2020). In the global fashion industry, brands typically pay their suppliers weeks or even months after delivery, rather than upon order. This means that suppliers usually pay upfront for the materials or fibres used to make the products brand buy from them. In response to the pandemic, many major fashion brands and retailers are cancelling orders and stopping payments for orders already placed, even when the work has already been done, taking no responsibility for the impact this has on the people working in their supply chains. Factories are left with little choice but to destroy or keep hold of unwanted goods already made and lay off their workers in droves (Revolution, 2020).
It has been reported that about 1,089 garment factories in Bangladesh have had orders cancelled worth roughly $1.5 billion due to the coronavirus outbreak and that many factories in Bangladesh have been shut down indefinitely. Some workers were given less than a month’s salary as severance and many others have received nothing at all. These workers now do not know how they will take care of their families in the coming days – how they will manage costs for food, rent and other necessities (Revolution, 2020). The income these workers earned was barely enough to cover their living costs, and as a result, they have little to no savings set aside to deal with a crisis such as this. On the other side of the world a similar situation happened, The Garment Worker Centre describes how garment makers in Los Angeles are often not eligible for unemployment benefits. This is partly because the underground nature of the industry, such as “off the books” work, makes applying for paid family leave or disability insurance uniquely challenging in the face of the pandemic (Revolution, 2020). Due to Coronavirus, it has left the fashion industry in a very unclear state and with no certainty on whether these jobs will be filled again or if the industry will bounce back it looks like the idea of technology will be the way forward so that we can come back from the issues coronavirus has caused the industry. The primary driver will continue to be digital channels, reflecting the trend established before the COVID-19 crisis and the reluctance of people in many countries to gather in crowded environments. Recent data show that we have vaulted five years forward in consumer and business adoption of digital in a matter of months. Around the globe, we expect more than 20 percent annual digital growth in 2021 compared with 2020 (McKinsey, 2020).
Questionnaire
I asked some friends and family a f virtual clothing to see their opini be a big part of their future, I go itive responses towards the future majority of the people who answered 25 which could be why they are so o ion. The questions I asked were –
few questions on technology and ions and whether they think it will ot mixed responses but mainly posof technology within fashion. The d were between the ages of 19 and open to the idea of virtual fash-
Would you be interested in virtual clothing? 87.50% said yes 12.50% said no
Why? Sustainable Because its a better way to see how you would look before actually buying the clothes It would be quicker and easier Its interesting and new Because I sometimes just wear an item once and if it was virtually it won’t go to waste in my wardrobe - more sustainable I prefer something physical Sounds interesting Much easier that physical shopping
Would you like to have the option to virtually try on your clothes? 100% said yes
Do you think virtual clothing/skins will become a big part of the future? 75% said yes 0% said no 25% said sort of
Why? Because most things are Turing virtual A lot of shops are closing The future will be digital but won’t take away physical clothing There are already developments of virtual clothing that will only get more advanced Because fashion and technology is growing The way the world is going with coronavirus, most things will be digital Sustainable and more connective through VR ect.
What do you think of the two above images? Do you think this is an interesting way to advertise clothing? Yes it’s new and enticing Eye catching I think it’s cool because they are digital clothing which isn’t advertised a lot I think that it is an interesting way to advertise their clothing! They replicate what clothes would look like on a human body well and realistically Yes Yes it shows the clothing better Yes Yes, although think on an avatar you get more idea of how it all looks
How old are you? 85% - 19-25 0% - 25-35 15% - 35+
To conclude on my findings from the que and family, it is clear to me that the the idea of virtual clothing and do bel ture this was highlighted when I asked will be a big part of our future no one yes or sort of. From the responses I re tainability plays a big part on why tec a more sustainable option with less was showed the images from The Fabricant an clothes without an actual model is an i 100% of the people who answered said ye generations agreed. This makes me belie to even the older generations and they ogy will bring, they will mostly agree fashion and is something positive, as a formed about digital fashion and do not being a digital savvy generation.
estionnaire I asked some of my friends younger generation (gen Z) do favour lieve it will be a big part of our futhe question do you think technology e said no, all responses were either eceived it has made me aware that suschnology will be so popular as it gives ste having digital clothing. When I nd asked if this idea of showing the interesting way to advertise clothing es, even the older people from older eve that once these examples are shown are educated on the good that technolthat technology will only grow within at the moment they have not been int have background knowledge due to not
Future of Technology Within Fashion
It is clear that with the current use of tech within fashion that it will continue to have a big say in how trends will unfurl in the future. Technology and artificial intelligence may impact the diversity and wearability of a simple shirt meaning that answering a question such as what will clothes look like in the future can be a difficult proposition. I have researched into the future for fashion and the fashion industry’s plans for design and trends to come (NA, 2020):
Futuristic Clothes: Formulated after the sleek form of smartphones and other tech devices, the fashion industry may be heading towards the use of futuristic-looking clothing. Common colour schemes potentially to be used will be metallics, shades of black and streamlined shapes (NA, 2020).
Clothing Designed for VR Glasses: Clothes specifically designed around virtual reality glasses may be the wave of the future. Fashion optimised by the use of this technology will allow onlookers to see their clothing in a different form than what the person may actually be wearing. For example, a person may be wearing a white shirt but when onlookers have glasses on, the clothing may appear to change colour (NA, 2020).
Data-Gathering Clothing: Recently, companies have started using smart materials to build their clothing and products which will be able to collect data on the person wearing the pieces. For example, Nike is working on basketball shoes Nike Adapt BB that will be able to track a person’s foot movement and produce data on whether or not the person could potentially injure themselves during a game (NA, 2020).
Customised Pieces: 3D printers could eventually become a necessity in people’s homes as customised clothing and products are on the rise. Although highly expensive in 2020, within the next 100 years, engineers may be successfully producing these printers at an affordable price for the general public (NA, 2020).
Chameleon Clothing: The use of artificial intelligence in the fashion industry may end up having the ability for clothing to change colours, temperature, and size. Embroidered into the textiles of material, this technology will be able to react to not only a person’s body temperature but also the amount of light a person is exposed to. For example, the fashion of the future may be able to turn a black shirt, white if it detects a person’s body temperature increases because of sun exposure. Or during a workout, clothing could possibly gain elasticity and then reform itself once activities are completed (NA, 2020).
CONCLUSION
To conclude my research, we can only imagine what fa and what our clothing will look like. It is a known ing and only continue to grow but we will not fully there with time. It is obvious that with the growth with all of our daily lives, digital clothing and te even further and be extended. Trends will constantly of the current pandemic may be here to stay but over making a unique, bold, tech-based impact with clothi
ashion trends and updates will happen in the future fact that technology will play a role in clothbe able to depict how society will be until we get of technology already not just within fashion but echnological improvements within fashion will grow y be changing, technology will be growing, effects rall, it is guaranteed the fashion industry will be ing.
BibliographyArnault, L. (2019, January 20). Dressing You, Or Your Digital Self? – The Evolution Of Avatars In Fashion. Retrieved from WTVOX: https://wtvox.com/fashion/the-evolution-of-avatars-in-fashion/ Barrow, H. (2020, May 12). Will fast fashion have a future post Covid-19? Retrieved from Greenworld: https://greenworld.org.uk/article/will-fast-fashion-have-future-post-covid-19 Brand, M. V. (2020, November). How Technology is Changing the Future of Fashion. Retrieved from Verb: https://verbbrands.com/news/thoughts/how-technology-is-changing-the-future-of-fashion/ Fabricant, T. (2020, September 26). About Us. Retrieved from The Fabricant: https://www.thefabricant.com/about-us Kochar, S. (2020, August 19). Top 9 Technology Trends Reshaping The Fashion Industry In 2020. Retrieved from Techpacker: https://techpacker.com/blog/design/top-7-fashion-technology-trends/#virtual-and-augmented-reality-vrMarchese, K. (2019, November 18). Designers are now selling clothes that don’t actually exist. Retrieved from Design Boom: https://www.designboom.com/technology/digital-clothes-virtual-fashion-carlings-the-fabricant-11-18-2019/ McKinsey. (2020, December). The State of Fashion 2021: In search of promise in perilous times. Retrieved from McKinsey & Company: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/ state-of-fashion# NA. (2020, November). Future Fashion Trend Predictions What will clothes Look Like in 100 Years. Retrieved from Appnova: https://www.appnova.com/future-fashion-trend-predictions-what-willclothes-look-like-in-100-years/ Revolution, F. (2020, March). The impact of COVID-19 on the people who make our clothes. Retrieved from Fashion Revolution : https://www.fashionrevolution.org/the-impact-of-covid-19-onthe-people-who-make-our-clothes/
Images – Figure 1 - https://www.thefabricant.com/the-fabricant-lookbook Figure 2 - https://unrtd.co/media/carlings-digital-collection-3d-rendering-virtually-dresses-neo-ex Figure 3 - https://www.thefabricant.com/the-fabricant-lookbook Figure 4 – https://www.taas.nyc/ Figure 5 – https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/artificial-intelligence-ai.asp Figure 6 – https://singularityhub.com/2019/05/10/5-breakthroughs-coming-soon-in-augmented-and-virtual-reality/ Figure 7 – https://medium.com/future-today/the-10-types-of-3d-printing-technology-2f07d97882f8 Figure 8 – https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/300966 Figure 9 – Digital Image created by me on Marvellous Designer Figure 10 – Digital Image created by me on Marvellous Designer Figure 11 - Digital Image created by me on Marvellous Designer Figure 12 - Digital Image created by me on Marvellous Designer Figure 13 – https://bombyxplm.com/the-future-of-fashion-is-digital-post-covid-19/ Figure 14 - https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/fashion-world-post-corona-industry/ Figure 15 - https://www.thefabricant.com/it-hong-kong Figure 16 - http://www.jantrendman.com/en/trends/the-fabricant-immateri%C3%ABle-mode Figure 17 - Digital Image created by me on Marvellous Designer Figure 18 - Digital Image created by me on Marvellous Designer Figure 19 – https://www.fibre2fashion.com/news/textiles-technology-news/centric-designs-3d-digital-workflow-with-fashion-systems-252148-newsdetails.htm Figure 20 – https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/voices/virtual-reality-has-an-accessibility-problem/ Figure 21 – https://keiseimagazine.com/the-evolution-of-digital-fashion-and-the-impact-on-sustainability/ Figure 22 – Digital image created by me on Adobe Dimension Figure 23 - Digital image created by me on Adobe Dimension Figure 24 – Blurred lines throughout all pages - https://pixels.com/featured/fuzzy-lines-donna-proctor.html