Colèchi speaks to Georgia about all things virtual and how this will impact the future of fashion discourse.
‘The shifting landscape of fashion from the digital realm to a virtual one has already begun to pave the way for new dynamics within both fashion design and fashion discourses’.
What is the title of your work?
The Shifting Landscape of Fashion from the Physical Realm to a Virtual One: The Impacts on Fashion Discourse and Contemporary Fashion
What was your overarching argument on the role that virtual fashion will play in the future?
A widely controversial topic regarding fashion discourse is the evolution of fashion from the physical realm to a virtual one. Two of the key terms which underpin my work are social media and virtual fashion, while they both define two separate entities, they do both coincide with the shifting landscape of contemporary fashion. Social media is a group of Internet-based applications that allow the creation and exchange of user generated content.
While virtual fashions are those which contrast with physical fashions, they are clothing concepts which are designed and curated solely for virtual platforms and avatars. The fundamentals of my research relate not only to those within the fashion scene but link directly to anyone who is immersed in any form of digital technology, be it social media, video games or even ecommerce, as in one way or another, they are all simulations of reality, which is what the concept of virtual fashion is founded upon.
In today’s society, the vast majority of us are immersed in some form of digital means, with this digitalisation impacting most parts of everyday life and in relation to fashion, it impacts fashion communication and the materialisation of fashion ideals via social media. A key argument I focus on however is the realistic limitations of virtual fashion and digital clothing, mainly in relation to the replication of the connections we have to physical clothing in digital fashion and the societal boundaries which limit this further.
What was the most interesting part of your research?
That many of the theories I looked at (coined by philosophers dating as far back as 1964) still have relevance – if not more relevance – in today’s digitalised society than the societies in which they were first written.
What did you conclude about the future role of virtual realities?
Through methods of research, it can be concluded that as we continue to detach ourselves from our physical reality into a hyper-realistic simulation, given the technological advancements that have already been made over the last decade, it is inevitable that we will soon find ourselves submerged within the hyperreal. Soon, we won’t be able to determine what is real and what is not.
Despite the progression of forward-thinking physical brands, such as Carlings and virtual brands such as The Fabricant, this concept of digital-only clothing still has a long way to go to be accepted by current generations; depicted through my primary research findings, in that this concept is not yet acknowledged to be the new mainstream, more as a current trend.
The shifting landscape of fashion from the digital realm to a virtual one has already begun to pave the way for new dynamics within both fashion design and fashion discourses. Through exploring the effects of a contemporary sharing culture and the immersion of our physical selves in simulations of reality, it is clear we have already begun to shift the landscape for fashion in many different forms, from design, marketing, and retail, paving the way unintentionally for a new environment for fashion.
Do you think there will be any limitations within virtual fashion?
It can, however, be identified that despite the fact that some elements of this new digital narrative provide new technological opportunities for both brands and consumers. Yet, for now it is limited to the boundaries of Instagram, video games and ecommerce – not a practical replacement of physical fashion.
As virtual design develops, brands and designers will have greater opportunities to both capitalise upon and experiment with new technologies. However, through my findings, evidence suggests that digital fashion is not going to replace physical fashion for the vast majority of consumers, as we live in a world of dressed bodies. It may, however, impact contemporary fashions and the discourses surrounding it, by bringing back the artistic value of garment design to a section of society who, through the continued growth of online and social platforms, may become less appreciative of the clothing itself and who find more value in a garment’s photogenic qualities.
How might this impact the future of fashion culture?
It is inevitable that the concept of digital fashion will pave the way for future opportunities within our current fashion culture. This is evident in the rate at which it has spread since 2016, when one of the first digital only fashion houses emerged, and collaborations between digital fashion brands and physical brands occurred, Nike and Gucci for example. With the increasing possibilities and prospects of the meta-verse, digitalisation will impact many areas of everyday life, but especially fashion as we will become our own personal avatar in which we can dress. It is hard to say when exactly this will become the norm, however, through the discussions I focused on, it is inevitable that this will heavily impact the future of fashion culture as it already has in more subtle ways, but the extent to which may be limited.
Since researching your topic are there any new findings that you would like to explore if you could rewrite the piece?
If I was to further explore my research question, I would look into the views and values held by other generations, not just Generation Z, as more in-depth understanding could be achieved on how technology is accepted amongst other demographics and how this can therefore impact the future of technology. I would also write about the meta verse as this is becoming a crucial part of this concept and much more progress is being made at a rapid rate since I wrote it, bringing more opportunities but also creating more controversy. I could also look further into how brands may be looking to adopt this shift and whether it is for financial gains or more for a creative and sustainable means.
