New Technologies in Fashion

Virtual and augmented reality is a growing phenomenon that is slowly being implemented into a vast array of industries across the globe. Fashion is no different. Over the past few years, major fashion houses have embraced these new technologies to better showcase their products and appeal to a newer, more tech-savvy demographic. Seeing fashion companies create entire games to show off their newest collections is something that I thought I'd never see. 

Balenciaga's fall/winter campaign in 2021 kicked off with the announcement of a game titled Afterworld, through which the customer (player?) can walk through each of the levels to reach the eventual party level where they can spot the clothes from the collection on non-player characters. 

The game is free to play online, but was also screened out to select individuals via virtual reality headsets, that place the user into a more immersive environment. Whether this actually had a positive impact on their sales, I don't know. What do I know is that it was different. No other fashion house had done this before, especially not one with a robust reputation like Balenciaga. 

Mainstream fashion houses are slowly catching up however. With the NFT craze going around, a number of major brands like Prada and Gucci began to offer virtual tokens online alongside physical collector's items and exclusive clothing, an endeavor which they have mostly been successful in. The introduction of VR could completely change how modern fashion shows operate, allowing viewers across the world to watch their favorite designers' shows from the comfort and safety of their own home. In the long term, this could potentially revamp how fashion brands approach the creation of samples, reducing pollution and wastage. 

The internet completely changed the acquisition and delivery systems within the fashion industry and allowed consumers to enjoy shopping from brands located in distant countries with ease. Who is to say that these technologies won't?