DIGITAL FASHION: THE NEXT FRONTIER IN FASHION
On September 13, 2021, Kim Kardashian donned an all-black attire by Balenciaga at the Met Gala. Her stark black Balenciaga haute couture gown with matching mask drew a lot of conversation online, even within the Fortnite community. Multiple Twitter users from within the Fortnite community saw a close comparison between her attire and locked characters within the popular video game. They wondered why she was dressed like a video game character you haven’t unlocked yet. The rumors came clear when, a few days later, Balenciaga announced a collaboration with Epic Games, the developer of Fortnite, to bring the fashion house’s signature clothing and apparel into the game.
Haute couture and the fashion industry have entered the gaming industry, and we have only just gotten started. Businesses are always looking for ways to carve out a lucrative market share and digital fashion is a niche market that has enormous potential. The possibilities for digital fashion are as limitless as the potential for the metaverse, and it will be one of the biggest industries of the immersive internet in the coming decade.
What is Digital Fashion
Digital fashion is a relatively new industry that is snowballing. Digital fashion uses virtual avatars and digital models to sell (digital) clothing and accessories. This means customers can browse items online, try them in-store, and even buy them without leaving the house.
In the physical world, fashion designers are limited by the available fabrics and the laws of physics when they design their clothes. These barriers do not apply in the metaverse. Digital fashion designers can come up with any type of garment or fabric to create exclusive and exotic designs never seen before.
The trend is an idea that started with the rise of 3-D printing, but it was not until recently that technology caught up with the metaverse to make digital fashion a reality. Now, with augmented reality and virtual reality, you can virtually try on clothes without leaving your house — or even getting up from your computer chair.
Digital Fashion and Retail and Ecommerce
Virtual retail experiences provide the opportunity to immerse customers in a simulated environment that goes beyond a product display into a personalized experience.
The retail industry has taken a considerable step toward innovation with virtual reality advancements allowing shoppers to experience products before they buy them.
Shoppers can roam around a store or even walk through an entire mall without leaving their homes or offices. This provides an excellent way for retailers to reach out to customers who prefer online shopping over going into actual stores due to convenience and low business maintenance costs.
The integration of AR into eCommerce has allowed users to experience products in virtual reality before they buy them. The most popular example is ASOS’s See My Fit system which will enable shoppers to try on different outfits by simply uploading their photos and choosing from a variety of looks suggested by the app.
More about this article written by Dr Mark van Rijmenam, CSP
https://www.thedigitalspeaker.com/digital-fashion-next-frontier-fashion/