Is digital fashion still in fashion?

Digital fashion is a great solution when it comes to some of fashion’s sustainability and diversity issues. The beauty of a digital asset is in its endless possibilities — both in the hands of the creative as well as the audience. I think initially we were all excited about it because it looked like a direct answer to physical fashion’s pain points. We had a vision that technology would come on leaps and bounds.

But then what’s happened post-Covid is that actually everyone is so rejoiced that we aren’t locked down, that the idea of metaverse spaces elicits a knee-jerk reaction. Everyone’s moving away from it.

But digital fashion is not a trend — it’s a tool. It can add layers. If you’re just making a twin of something that’s physical, you’ve already failed. No one’s going to feel it the same way. It has nothing to do with the vernacular of physical fashion, which is so steeped in craft and artistry. And it can’t express or play with the real possibilities of digital because it’s a twin.

Everyone’s like, ‘Oh, digital fashion is dead.’ But if you look at all the amazing statistics on Roblox or Fortnite — in 2023, Fortnite got $204 million in developer payouts, a 300 per cent increase from the year before — that is a really interesting point for the trajectory of digital fashion. It’s always been within gaming and now we see physical and luxury fashion stepping into that space.

And that’s another opportunity for us to create change: how can the creators get paid more? Historically in fashion, there’s been this really top-heavy payment structure where you work for accolades and internships. Whereas UGC (user-generated content) is a massive part of gaming, where people are earning real wages when creating. Gen Z and Gen Alpha understand creativity in this really nuanced way, which is about co-creation. And the bigger brands and luxury fashion houses are so scared of co-creation that I think they’re at risk of missing out.

Matt Powell, retail analyst at BCE Consulting