Listicle: Augmented reality: An inflection point in fashion

This article first appeared in Digital Edge, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on June 10, 2024 – June 16, 2024

A hundred million — this is the number of people who shopped using augmented reality (AR), online and in stores in the last couple of years, according to  Deloitte Digital research for Snapchat. The “Snap Consumer AR Global Report 2021” predicts that, by 2025, nearly 75% of the global population — and almost all smartphone users — will be frequent AR users.

Fashion is stepping into a whole new world. With 3D modelling software and AR technology, virtual try-on options are fuelling creativity and innovation in the industry.

And it is not just about wild aesthetics. Digital fashion is being touted as a sustainable solution to the “fast-fashion dilemma”.

Digital fashion offers a guilt-free alternative where anyone can experiment with a plethora of virtual garments without the environmental impact of traditional clothing production. Major brands are already jumping on board.

Multinational clothing company H&M has launched Loooptopia on Roblox, a platform where users can design virtual clothing. This gamified approach engages both young and older audiences. Meanwhile, Gucci’s partnership with non-fungible token (NFT) issuer, Yuga Labs, showcases a virtual fashion world ripe for exploration.

The future of fashion is digital, and it is brimming with exciting possibilities. Here are a few digital fashion brands you could look out for to find your next style.

Founded in 2018, Dutch digital design house The Fabricant produces unique 

3D garments and accessories that can be worn by avatars or used to make physical garments through sustainable on-demand production methods.

The Fabricant has collaborated with big brands such as Tommy Hilfiger and Puma, as well as released free digital clothing for anyone to download and use.

Native to the metaverse, Auroboros merges science and technology to create physical couture and digital-only ready-to-wear clothes.

Started by Alissa Aulbekova and Paula Sello in 2020, the brand’s digital designs are inspired by plant structures, human anatomy and supernatural entities from sci-fi such as like Avatar and Annihilation. For instance, its Biomimicry dress, showcased at the Victoria and Albert museum, features self-destructing materials and a design inspired by nature’s growth patterns.

The Dematerialised (DMAT) was established by Karinna Nobbs and Marjorie Hernandez in 2020 as a Web3 digital fashion marketplace where people can buy and sell authenticated virtual goods. The virtual items are released as NFTs generated and authenticated on the LUKSO blockchain network, designed for the new creative economy. Launched in May 2023, LUKSO focuses on social, cultural and creator-driven applications built with blockchain technology.

DMAT has collaborated with Vogue, Karl Lagerfield and even K-pop girl group, aespa, by creating a digital capsule collection centred around the group’s brand.

Tribute Brand is an all-digital fashion brand based in Croatia and founded by Gala Marija Vrbanic and Filip Vajda in 2020. The brand produces virtual items and its designers take inspiration from video games.

Bonded by a mutual passion for sustainable design, its founders set up Tribute Brand not only to reduce waste materials but also to instil sizing inclusivity in the fashion industry. With clothing being digital, size is no longer an issue, as digital designers can fit any digital clothing on a person.

Their designs have led to collaborations with luxury fashion houses such as Jean Paul Gaultier and Carolina Herrera.

XR Couture was established in 2020 by Subham Jain with the objective of curbing fashion waste. On top of the Covid-19 pandemic forcing everyone to create and consume content virtually, Subham felt that the digital fashion couture platform could allow for the generation of new and visually exciting content without having to produce material waste.

XR Couture offers customisable virtual outfits in multiple colours per purchase and leverages its 3D artists for photo recommendations through digital fitting.

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