The fashion industry has long been known as a trendsetter. With the digital evolution powered by AI and AR, the industry has used these technological advancements to merge fashion and technology to create virtual fashion shows and digital clothing. In this article, we dive into virtual fashion shows and digital clothing and examine why these two technological innovations may be the future.

What is a Virtual Fashion Show?

Virtual fashion shows leverage technological innovations, such as the metaverse, to enable brands to showcase their products and services. It involves the creation of virtual outfits that are only in the digital realm with other tools, such as the virtual fitting room and outfit generator. This has made virtual fashion and digital clothing capture the imagination of designers, brands, and consumers. 

Virtual fashion shows are popular because they overcome the limitations of venue size and audience reach, as an unlimited number of people can attend. In addition, virtual runways are usually more sustainable, as they minimize the time and resources that would have been spent on physical production and travel.

Virtual fashion shows became extremely popular during the pandemic as they were a safe and accessible alternative to the traditional runways. Some of the benefits that have continued to drive theme include:

• Global reach. Fashion shows eliminate the geographical barriers often associated with traditional fashion shows, so designers can showcase their designs to a bigger audience.
• Creative freedom. Since designers are not bound by the physical constraints of a runway, virtual shows offer them unlimited storytelling opportunities using technological innovations such as interactive elements, augmented reality, and 3D environments.
• Sustainability. The impact on the environment resulting from physical production is minimized.

What is Digital Clothing?

Another worldwide trend that is gaining prominence fast is digital clothing. This involves fashion bands creating virtual clothes for the digital environment, which can then be seen in games, videos, and pictures in the virtual world. Customers can even buy these digital clothes to identify themselves on the internet without adding a theme to their physical wardrobe.

Digital clothes are commonly used in video games to interact with digital spaces like the metaverse. In the past, they were also used to display some clothing brands and provide visual effects on TV and movies.  

When combined with AR technology, fashion enthusiasts can view themselves wearing digital clothing, using AR filters, and taking videos and images while wearing it. This has a big implication on social media, too. The technology even allows you to wear your digital clothing when attending a meeting on Zoom.

Benefits of Digital Clothing

Since 2018, we have seen an increase in digital clothing being made. So, why is digital clothing becoming popular? Here are several reasons:

Ability to Satisfy Customers

Many fashion enthusiasts buy clothes to satisfy their inner greed, filling their wardrobes with clothes they never wear. Digital fashion can help satisfy their desire to update their wardrobes regularly to keep up with the ever-changing fashion trends.

Add to Creativity 

Digital clothing allows fashionistas to show their creativity without spending much money. Since digital fashion doesn't have a physical form, fashion designers can create clothes that go against the Laws of Physics. This offers endless possibilities, from basic fashion apparel to metallic clothes or other unique shapes.

Looking Good Online

With digital clothing, you can create more Instagrammable moments than you ever imagined. This can be a great option for young fashionistas searching for great experiences that will grab the attention of their followers.

Sustainability

Fast fashion initially fulfilled the need to look good by creating a large inventory of clothes at a cheaper price. This often led to harmful environmental effects. However, digital fashion is now filling this role as it enables the creation of faster and cheaper clothing with little or no environmental impact.

Fewer Resources Needed

With digital fashion, there is no need for material preparation, physical manufacturing, packing, or even logistics. This means they reduce toxic emissions by over 96%. Additionally, they don't need any water, as is the case with fast fashion. Reports indicate that replacing one piece of your worn-out garment in your wardrobe with a digital fashion can save lots of water and reduce the carbon footprint.

How AI Will Power the Future of Fashion

The virtual fashion shows are digital clothing mostly powered by artificial intelligence, adding to innovations in several key areas, such as:

• Virtual fitting rooms. AI allows users to see how certain clothes look before trying them on. This has made online shopping easier and helped cut down on returns.
• Personalized recommendations. AI can understand your style and suggest designs and outfits that match your taste.
• Automation of designs. AI can also help designers quickly create detailed virtual clothes, allowing them to show creativity.

The Future of Fashion in the Digital Space

With the continued technological evolution, there are several trends in the fashion industry to watch. These include:

• Integration with metaverse. Digital clothing will continue to help people who want to create personalized avatars for their online worlds.
• NFTs and blockchains. It's possible to tokenize digital fashion clothes, providing them ownership and value.
• Collaboration between fashion brands and tech companies. In the future, we will likely see an increase in collaborations between high-end fashion brands and technology companies, resulting in a better digital experience.

In Conclusion

From the look of things, digital trends aren't just a trend but are helping to redefine sustainability, style, and creativity. This is a testament that AI has the power to change how we view and even interact with clothing. While the uptake of digital fashion has been low, it is expected to be the next big thing, especially in the era of AI social media tools.