How the digital world is transforming fashion

About the author

Vic Riches is an artist and fashion designer who bridges craftsmanship with the digital world.

Vic’s career has spanned globally, supplying design direction for major brands in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Paris and London.

With unique access to the luxury, art and tech world, Vic infuses these elements to form an entirely new design philosophy.

The domination of digital

Global change, industry disruption

Digital has become a seamless extension to our physical lives. From the sudden, everyday use of QR codes to the vast potential of generative AI, technology is accelerating tenfold.

Innovation is often a response to major economic, environmental and social challenges.

Since the pandemic, industries have heavily invested in technology to compete in an age of volatility.

Artificial intelligence and automation are powering innovation in thousands of ways.

This report focuses on how technology is transforming our experience of fashion, with a spotlight on its potential within the luxury industry

The digital self

Over recent years, a new phenomena of self expression has emerged.

Driven by increased time online, the importance of self expression in the digital space has grown. Our virtual versions have become centre stage, this was especially true during lockdowns.

The concept of the ‘Zoom Shirt’ emerged, presenting us with one of the many ways we started dressing up exclusively for the screen.

But dressing digitally goes so much further than this…

Video gamers have been expressing themselves in the virtual world for decades

“57% of US Gen Z gamers feel like they are able to express themselves more openly in a game than in real life”

-Razorfish

Gaming has converted to big spending online…

“In 2018, 69% of Fortnite video gamers spent $84.69 on in-app purchases—nearly 60% of those purchases were of avatar skins”

-Forbes

For the Gen Z generation, the digital world is a playground of self expression

“Gen Z’ers are typically creating multiple digital personas in online games and on social media.

They live a considerable portion of their lives in digital communities, they want to present themselves in a way that is true to them.”

-Forbes

Enter, digital fashion…

“In 2019, the world’s first digital-only dress sold for $9500. A landmark moment in digital-only couture”

-The Fabricant

Digital fashion allows us to wear imposed virtual clothing in photos and social media.

This is powered by augmented reality.

Since the The Fabricant mesmerised us with its digital dress in 2019, digital fashion has challenged the idea of whether our clothes need to be physical.

Environmental impact

“Digital marketplace, DRESSX guarantees that it offers limitless creativity with 97% less environmental impact”

-LinkedIn

While consumption might appear immaterial in the digital world, industries must tackle the vast amount of energy needed to power its software and hardware

Green Cloud Computing is a methodology that minimises energy consumption through cloud-based services

Solutions are being implemented, but education and transparency are needed to address this complex environmental issue

Mixed reality

The way we experience digital fashion is about to get a lot more immersive. Mixed reality headsets present endless possibility in how we express ourselves in the intertwining virtual and physical world.

Undoubtedly as technology evolves, our experience of the digital world will become infinitely more seamless.

Generative AI

“Generative AI could be one of the most consequential technologies in decades for the fashion industry”

-Business of Fashion

Generative AI might change everything. Its technology can be applied in almost every aspect of the workflow.

Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence, or ‘machine learning’ capable of generating text, images or other media by learning patterns. Use cases within fashion are vast and still being explored.

At the time of compiling this report, generative AI is probably only being used at 1% of its full potential.

Design and marketing use cases

  • Identifying viral trends

  • Tailored smart assistance

  • Dynamic personalisation (highly customised marketing communication)

  • Optimising workflow (reducing waste, saving money)

  • Generating design ideas, colour palettes and more

  • Limitless product placement and content creation

Ethical questions

The use of AI raises many ethical questions. Within fashion, particular areas of contention are:

  • Ownership over ideas and identity

  • Data misuse

  • Job displacement

  • Perpetuating biases

All of these issues require a sensitivity and awareness—in some cases regulation, especially as this rapidly evolving technology presents many new challenges.

If we can put ethics at the forefront of conversation, generative AI has the potential to be both a vital design tool and a force for good.

But we urgently need education, transparency and action towards building a space that offers safety, ownership and equal opportunity.

Now is the perfect time to start exploring how AI can feed into your own process

This should not mean a departure from human creative expression.

If anything, the arrival of this technology can help us differentiate human brilliance from machine generation.

If generative AI can drive efficiency, it might help us focus on valuable human skills instead of time-consuming, automatable tasks.

Critical thinking

Teamwork 

Empathy

Emotional intelligence

Are essential to innovation….

…and exclusively human qualities (not AI!)

“It is critical to strike a balance between technological advancements and the preservation of human skills and values”

— NFT Paris

Opportunities for luxury brands to lead innovation with AI

  • Co-create with smaller entities who are early adopters of new technology

  • Pivot mindset from consumer to community, build community-first membership models through dynamic personalised experiences

  • Bridge the gap between craftsmanship and technological advancement, harness AI to authenticate handcrafted product

  • Advocate for ethics within the digital space by offering a platform for those leading the conversation

  • Connect seamless and immersive digital experience with physical product

  • Build new sustainable practices that offer true traceability

Thank you for reading