Fashion is one of the biggest industries in the world. According to experts, its income by the end of 2030 could reach $3.3 trillion. This figure is not final if manufacturers will pay more attention to the latest technologies: artificial intelligence, blockchain, or 3D.
The first attempts were made back in 2012, after the boom in online shopping. The British developed a virtual body scanner. Some apps requested only to enter height as a guideline and take just one photo. If necessary, the users could use an online image compressor to make the photo upload process smoother. The system would then process the data and create 3D figures with the exact body size.
The world has made a lot of progress since then. Digital fashion, a relatively new direction, gave a new opportunity to express oneself. According to expert estimates, this industry is likely to grow by more than 500 times by 2027. In fact, high fashion is one of the most progressive and creative industries. It experiments beyond the metaverse and its possibilities. Recently, it became known that the artificial intelligence of the famous ChatGPT has opened up new dimensions for the fashion industry and countless opportunities that it did not have before.
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Digital fashion market
Digital fashion is represented by virtual 3D clothing designed for real individuals and avatars. Clothing is created with the help of three-dimensional graphics programs. The size of the digital fashion market in the US alone is estimated by at $120 million last year. It is expected that it will increase at an accelerated pace, as a result of which the total annual growth rate will be 188% and will reach $ 67.6 billion by 2027.
Digital technologies are gradually replacing physical ones. We often hear kids talking about their new skins. In this way, video game user-generated content inspired by well-known brands turns into real collaborations, which is certainly one of the main digital fashion trends.
One of the first brands to partner with the gaming industry was Louis Vuitton, which released Louis Vuitton skins for League of Legends. Recently, Electronic Arts (EA) signed a contract with several famous clothing brands for their ’s Need for Speed Unbound game. Players will see not only the Puma and Versace logo, but also the Palace, Balmain, and some others.
The recent, most anticipated event of the digital fashion world – Metaverse Fashion Week 2023 – brought together many fashion brands on the Decentraland platform. It was attended by 63 fashion brands, including Adidas, Coach, DKNY, Tommy Hilfiger, Diesel, and Dolce & Gabbana, along with DressX, The Fabricant, and the Digital Fashion Institute (IoDF).
Digital fashion went beyond being widely accepted in the meta-universe and computer games, where players pay hundreds of millions of dollars a year on the latest skins for their avatars. Now, it penetrated social networks.
Who buys digital clothes and why?
It is no coincidence that we mentioned games. Many designers believe that they prepared the market for digital clothing. For example, “skins” in Fortnite or DotA cost up to $10,000. They are bought only to stand out in the game as they do not provide any significant advantages.
In addition, real bloggers and influencers admit that they often need fashionable clothes just to post beautiful photos on Instagram. So why not buy digital ones for this? Moreover, such clothing does not change its properties after being worn.
This approach, by the way, brings us to another trend – environmental friendliness and responsible consumption. Bloggers also voice this reason among the important ones: the more things you buy, the more harm you do to the environment. In the metaverses, on the other hand, fashion can be consumed safely and sustainably. This is what our world needs today.
There are those for whom digital clothing is almost the only way to look perfect. For example, people with prosthetic limbs, a non-standard figure, or overweight. It can be difficult for them to find something that would fit perfectly, but at the same time, they want to be attractive in the photo.
Finally, digital fashion is an opportunity to try something that you would never dare to wear in real life. Instead of everyday black and gray oversized models, one can get striking, futuristic looks. This is a great chance to feel like a model in an haute couture dress or a hero of a science fiction film.