Fashion loves technology.

fashion loves technology.

A newfound infatuation. An undeniable love. An anticipated collaboration. And a promising future. It’s fashion and technology. Whether it be fashion catalyzing technology, or the other way around, the mingling between the two is nothing short of exciting. We have obviously kept a close eye on how global fashion brands have used technology to prove their value in the world of marketing and branding, let's take a look at fashion’s love for…

1. NFTS

NFTs. The non-fungible reality of 21st-century digital technology and the metaverse. It has come to life and, just as its reality can’t be ignored, its influence on global fashion brands and their love for them is equally as noticeable. An NFT, otherwise known as a non-fungible token, holds value as a unique, digital asset that is created or “minted” to represent a plethora of things, whether tangible or conceptual. 

You may be asking, how are fashion companies capitalizing on the recent rise in their popularity to further their brands?

Well, luxury fashion houses such as Prada are at the centre of the NFT game. As of December 2019, Prada launched its first-ever Timecapsule Collection. Since then, every first Thursday of the month, an exclusive, limited edition piece of this collection has been released and with that, those who purchased a piece were privy to their own unique serial number. 

Now, as of June 2nd 2022, these serial numbers hold unique NFTs for past and future shoppers of the collection. Not only does this incentivise customers to buy the collection, but it also excites past shoppers and furthers consumer loyalty - a win-win for all.

Louis Vuitton is also taking part. In celebration of the company’s 200-year anniversary, Louis Vuitton released “Louis the Game”, an interactive game experience where players play as Vivienne, the company mascot, and explore 6 different worlds to collect 200 candles.

These candles represent the 200 years of LV and embedded throughout the game are 30 collectable, unsellable, however, NFTs designed by popular NFT artist Beeple. Though the company isn’t selling these NFTs, users have the chance to win one in an NFT raffle! 

2. AUGMENTED REALITY

AR, or augmented reality, has become a valuable asset to the fashion industry, particularly in regards to consumer experience and making sales more interactive, fun, and engaging. Simply put, AR can be used to superimpose or project an image or virtual rendering onto the real world using electronic devices such as your smartphone. In particular, AR has been key in revolutionizing sneaker shopping. A company key in heading this movement in the sneaker world is Nike. It's safe to say, Nike is at the forefront of technology. Not shying away to innovate at all. Whether it's building their own metaverse on Roblox, or using tech such as AR. They kind of do it all.

With the increased inclination to shop online and the simultaneous occurrence of global lockdowns, this tech proved extremely valuable from its launch in late 2019 to present-day 2022. When done right, AR can be effective in increasing consumer engagement with the brand, help increase sales and boost the notion that the brand is tech-savvy, current, and with the trends - something that is appearing more and more relevant for younger generations when choosing where to shop. 

3. 3D

Though 3D technology has a very wide scope in today’s world, its constant evolution has proved to be another reason why fashion loves it so much. 3D creation, technology that harnesses three-dimensional appearances and perspectives to create virtual or tangible experiences, has been exceptionally valued by AUROBOROS, a futuristic tech fashion house based in London, England, who have honed in on 3D’s capabilities to evolve their brand into the digital world. 

Creative directors Paula Sello and Alissa Aulbekova implemented 3D scanning technology in combination with AR to render their plant-like garments and fashion designs into the 3D world. 

These designs can be fitted to the customer's measurements and then digitally applied to images, providing a futuristic and sustainable form of fashion that has been previously untapped. Endeavours such as this, showcase the yet-to-discover capabilities of tech in supporting fashion, as well as just how valuable it can be to the future of the fashion world. 

I really urge you to reach out to our friends at MUTANI as well. When it comes to digital fashion in the metaverse, they have a lot to say.

4. Gaming

Similarly to the way AUROBOROS used 3D tech to put their designs into the digital space, Gucci used video games to do the same with their designs. Gaming, while at first glance may seem irrelevant to the fashion world, actually serves as an emerging platform for fashion brands to promote themselves through digital experiences. Just last year, Gucci partnered with Roblox to replicate the Gucci Garden Archetypes experience, virtually. 

Through this experience, users could explore the space and themed rooms, as well as look at, try on, and even purchase items that they see in the Roblox world.

And let's not forget the Endless Runner game by Louis Vuitton. The 8bit look may be ‘80s, but the concept is undeniably now: a one-of-a-kind video game to announce a luxury french fashion house’s clothing collection. With ‘Endless Runner’, Louis Vuitton aimed to promote its Autumn-Winter male collection and “revisit the New York City set of Virgil Abloh’s 2019 Fashion Show that took place in Paris in early 2019.”

This intersection of video games and fashion proves technology’s ever-evolving value in facilitating fashion and its trends. 

5. VR

While virtual reality isn’t necessarily a new tool from the tech world, it certainly is one for the fashion world - especially when it comes to making previously live experiences virtual. Prada in particular is a key rider of the VR fashion wave and has headed some out-of-the-box initiatives facilitated by VR technologies. Prada’s virtual reality project is at its core a collection of videos, including seasonal fashion shows, epicentre tours, and even sports experiences, that can be accessed on platforms like YouTube VR, Facebook, VEER, Oculus and Youku, and viewed using VR headsets and cardboard via mobile phone to get the full experience. 

These videos enable an immersive experience for not only Prada consumers but also the general public. This facilitates additional interaction with the brand and allows for everyone to feel part of the Prada fashion experience. Over 10,000 people have viewed Prada’s VR Spring/Summer 2021 Womenswear Show!

Fashion really does love technology and all its individual, creative, and helpful facets. Tech helps fashion evolve, whether it be in the digital world or the real one. It doesn’t just launch better experiences, it creates new ones for everyone all around the world to discover.


All credits to Karma Saqfelhait - thank you for the research and great write-up.