The relationship between fashion and technology is constantly changing. Whether its robot dogs at Coperni or Gucci’s step into the metaverse, these two industries are constantly overlapping. Now, New York is set to host the very first AI Fashion Week. So here is everything we know about the event so far.

AI Fashion Week will be taking place in New York from 20^th April – 21^st April 2023. The event will be backed by Spring Studios and Revolve, working to promote designers that use AI as a tool in their creative process. The event is open to submissions and received over 350 so far, some of which have been teased on Instagram in the build-up to the event. From what we have seen of the shared submissions, the designs have been extremely varied, demonstrating the endless creative possibilities that AI can provide. 

While all the submissions that we have seen so far have been extremely impressive, there will only be three winners that will have their collections made “bringing the digital AI generated into the real world.” These collections will then be able to be bought online, bringing designs from the forefront of technology into people’s real-life wardrobes.

If you are a budding designer using AI, the applications are open until April 15^th, so there is still time to get your entry in. There is a list of guidelines on their website, but as long as you follow these and get your application in before the deadline you stand a chance at winning. 

Now, the fun isn’t just for the designers. If you’re a fashion enthusiast, this is a great opportunity to witness fashion history in the making. While the opening event on April 20^th will only be available to a select few, the space will open to the public on April 21^st, so make sure you get down to Spring Studios if you can. 

_{Words by Amelia Gregory}

^{Header Image by Decentraland}

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Whilst the biggest steps in the digital fashion industry have been made within the last couple of years, the basis of digital fashion has been around for quite a while thanks to the video game industry. As gaming has evolved from its particularly heavy male focus in the 80s and 90s to a more widespread medium embraced by all genders and ages, there has been an increasing focus on character customisation.

This customisation allows players to form a stronger sense of immersion and personal attachment to their gaming experiences, whilst also embracing wider amounts of self-expression for players. For example, simulation games such as The Sims and Animal Crossing allow you complete control over your characters’ appearance(s) from their clothes to their face, whilst shooters such as Fortnite and Overwatch feature large casts of characters each with their own sets of unique outfits, ensuring that players will be able to find a number of looks that they feel best reflect aspects of their own style and personality.

This growing trend of character customisation and player freedom of expression hasn’t gone unnoticed by big fashion brands, with many beginning to collaborate with games as a way to promote new campaigns and products. Moschino, Stefan Cooke and, drag queen Pabllo Vittar, have all collaborated with The Sims by creating their own clothing and furniture items for players to use in their games. Whilst the likes of Ben Sherman, Anna Sui, GCDS, Valentino, Marc Jacobs and more recreated items from their campaigns and fashion lines in Animal Crossing; New Horizons shared QR codes for these items so that players were able to use them themselves. These collaborations show not only that fashion brands are now starting to take digital fashion seriously, but consumers are too, caring just as much about how they look in games as they do in reality.

So, moving on from the industry’s roots in video game customisation, how is digital fashion set to work and how will it change the wider fashion industry over time? To put it simply, digital fashion allows you to buy a virtual piece of clothing from a supplier or brand which you can then impose onto any photos and shoots of your own.

What are the advantages of going digital? The fashion industry has come under increasing scrutiny over the past few years, especially since the beginnings of the COVID pandemic, for its harmful impact on the environment and often less than ethical production methods. Digital fashion house, DressX, notes that the production of a digital garment emits 97% less CO2 than that of a physical garment, whilst production also doesn’t use any water meaning that the production of a digital garment saves an average of 3300 litres of water. Tribute Brand, another digital fashion house leading the way for the industry, also notes the lack of physical deliveries as a positive toward addressing the fashion industry’s environmental impact, as well as their being practically zero restrictions when it comes to gender, sex and size for clothing items.

All of this positive information is great of course, but is there an appetite for digital fashion from consumers? Going back briefly to the culture of character skins and customisation in video games, a 2020 report courtesy of market researcher Newzoo and gaming monetization firm DMarket reported that the character customisation sector of the video game industry was worth an estimated $40 billion a year. While these figures don’t directly relate to the wider digital fashion industry, they nonetheless show that there is serious appetite for virtual customisation and that the industry has serious potential to be embraced as more people dip their toes into virtual worlds and reality.

The influence of digital fashion has already begun to work its way into numerous fashion shows and Fashion Weeks as well. For example, London Fashion Week included a blend of physical and digital fashion showcases. This explored how digital has fast become a serious avenue for the industry and how it can continue to co-exist with physical fashion, with the two being able to be combined in exciting and innovative ways.

From February 10th to 13th 2022 there was also a Digital Fashion Week New York (not to be confused with a digital version of New York Fashion Week), which combined physical and virtual spaces to allow viewers to experience this new frontier of the fashion industry and how it will be used in the widely discussed Metaverse.

The inclusion of digital also allows for high end fashion to become more accessible for the general public to view and experience, making the fashion shows feel more accessible and personal than they have done In the past.

As for who exactly the digital fashion industry is primarily targeting right now, the general target audience is younger generations such as millennials and, particularly, Gen Z. As spending large chunks of time online has been a regular part of life since birth for these groups, they have come to appreciate how they present themselves in virtual spaces and on social media (such as with animated profile pictures).

In addition to this, the continuous rise of VR and the concept of the Metaverse, where people will be able virtually meet their friends in virtual spaces and take part in activities together like attending concerts, clubs, dance parties, bowling and more is allowing people the chance at a second virtual life away from their real one. The possibilities of what will be able to be achieved in these virtual spaces regarding fashion, self-image and self-expression are far greater than what can often be accomplished in reality meaning that users are going to be able to have a level of control over their image that has simply never been possible before.

So, how exactly is the fashion industry going to be affected moving forward? While we’re definitely not close to seeing the physical side of the industry disappear, it’s important that brands and designers begin to recognise the changes happening within the industry and steadily adapt over time to reduce the possibility of falling behind the rest of the fashion world.

Meanwhile, change for consumers will center around catering for and nurturing a second image and style in addition to their current real world one. The beauty industry has also begun to embrace digital, with brands such as Dior, now running virtual try ons, allowing consumers to see how products appear on them by using their laptop and phone cameras. This form of innovative technology could eventually become popular in the fashion side of the industry too, allowing consumers to see how a piece of clothing will look on them without having to either leave home or even physically try the product on. The fashion industry is definitely facing an interesting and exciting future with some of the biggest change it has ever seen, with the worlds of reality and digital literally colliding.

Words By Andrew Coyle

_{Photo Credit: Jonathan Simkhai}

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Priya Ahluwalia, the British designer who has become known for the multiculturalism represented in her work and ethical vision of fashion has just received the 2021 Queen Elizabeth II Award for Fashion Design.

Ahluwalia has been recognised as a brand that uses fashion as a tool for change due to the inclusion and representation of diverse cultures which mirrors the upbringing and internationality of the designer herself. But it is the constant prioritisation of social causes, from environmental to humanitarian one that distinguishes it in the fashion landscape.

It is a label that uses its role and designs to contribute to changing the current fashion industry in every sense.

“Her sustainably minded menswear collections, made of dead stock and repurposed locally sourced vintage materials, combine elements and influences from her Nigerian and Indian heritage, making her designs truly unique”

British Fashion Council

It is not very common for labels to be open about their production process and the different aspects that define it, but Priya Ahluwalia is. Everything from the production to the distribution of its captivating designs is done responsibly and is open for the public and fellow designs to admire. The sources it uses and the manufacturing processes that go behind every single one of her creations represent the positive aspects of fashion and tell the admirable story of its designer, but also the ones of the workers and communities that bring her designs to reality.

The conscious talent of this designer can be admired in the Autumn/Winter 2021 collection recently presented at London Digital Fashion Week. The menswear line that had us all speechless was accompanied by a visual collaboration with filmmaker Isaac-Wilson.The clothing protagonised the film with its strong silhouettes, fun patterns and culturally-referenced colours and styling. Nonetheless, the composition of the film, the musical choice, the diversity and the beauty of every model transmitted us the authentic and time-relevant vision of the awarded designer.

Through sustainable clothing and slow-paced visuals, she managed to capture a story honouring cultural unity, migration. This artistic inclusivity with which she hopes to go global with is what attracts us to her work and keeps up positive about the future of fashion, as recognised by Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex, on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen.

Words by Chiara Ferrari

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David Koma SS21 Collection, Xander Zou SS21 Collection, MAXXIJ SS21 Collection, Pronounce SS21 Collection

David Koma

Wimbledon may have been cancelled this year, but London-based designer David Koma still brought his SS21 collection to the tennis court. We mean it literally: his digital runway saw models walking around a grassy court perimeter, complete with net and scoreboard.The looks were infused with the preppy glamour of the game, but had added twists of fun and humour; there were glittering white tennis dresses, blazers decorated with a tennis racket on the back, and sweater vests edged with neon yellow. Models walked holding single tennis balls, or trainers, or with a racket slung across their shoulders – a vivid character portrait of the most elegant players (or courtside spectators) you could expect to see on the grand slam circuit.

David Koma SS21 Digital Runway Show

Koma is known for his sculptural, structured dresses, and these designs continued that trend; corset-like bodysuits with exaggerated hips appeared in a range of colours, worn with trousers or white mini skirts. There were strong asymmetrical lines throughout, including a one-shoulder mini dress with a striking cut-out panel at the hip.

As the light faded, the show turned towards evening wear. Flouncy ballerina skirts were exchanged for floor-length gowns, although the sporty theme continued in more subtle form. A string tunic dress made up of glittering jewels was still worn over electric blue cycling shorts – halfway between a party and the gym. Given that (for us at least) a lot of the fun at Wimbledon is down to the outfits, Koma has offered us a much-needed substitute here. Game, set, match.

David Koma SS21 Collection via Vogue Runway

Xander Zhou

The first Chinese menswear designer to show at LFW, Xander Zhou is known for combining tradition and modernity, imbuing his designs with a futuristic aesthetic. In this digital runway show, models walked in a pared-back setting of white walls, evoking a clean, almost computerised atmosphere. The first few looks were made up of shirts and trousers in simple colours (grey, black, or white), with a flash of excitement conjured by the styling; the models’ necks, chests and arms were covered with sparkling circular crystals.

Then came a series of denim designs; a blue shirt and jeans with faded black around the seams, followed by a similar denim ensemble in a tessellated pattern. The tetris-like blue blocks were accompanied by the sound effects of a computer bleeping – perhaps a discreet nod to the “physical” nature of LFW this year.

The silhouettes remained traditional, with variations in colour; a silky shirt in azure blue was cut with a low V-neck, while a canary-colored shirt was decorated with discreet floral motifs around the shoulders. Later, sparkle made a reappearance: colorful reflective circles embellished a range of items, from a grey jacket to a black short-sleeved roll-neck.Zhou has coined the term “techno-orientalism” to describe the style of his work. The phrase is useful for describing the main motif of this collection: a traditional dragon appears on many of the shirts, depicted as a collection of small eyelets in the material. It comes across as an original, futuristic reimagining of a familiar design – and given Zhou’s track record, we would expect nothing less.

Xander Zhou SS21 Catwalk

MAXXIJ

This was the LFW debut for Korean designer MAXXIJ, whose ‘Escapist’ menswear collection was showcased against the backdrop of a modern, industrial cityscape. The designs centered around loose, oversized tailoring with deconstructed details – exaggerated trench coats with long straps billowing off the hem, or navy blue jumpsuits in a luxurious satin texture.

The palette was muted; many pieces were made in a two-tone of pale and navy blue, with panels and pockets picked out in contrast. Given the neutral shades in most of the collection, one stand-out look was a bright red coat with long straps trailing from its edges – the cascading lines of material rippled around the model as he walked.

The cuts and colours were often unexpected and striking; a pale blue trench coat was designed with asymmetric buttons, while a two-piece of shorts and a jacket was made in a sleek, smudgy pattern, like the colours of graffiti running after rain.

The models strode around the city streets soundtracked by a contemporary cover of Fleetwood Mac (“you will never break the chain”), lending a sense of determination to MAXXIJ’s work. The collection fused industrial, urban shapes with luxury fabrics and daring tailoring – an exciting debut for an up-and-coming designer.

MAXXIJ SS21 Collection

Pronounce

Pronounce SS21 London Fashion Week

Founded by Yushan Li and Jun Zhou in 2016, Pronounce showcased its SS21 collection through a live video of the socially-distanced runway show. The collection was an eclectic mix; the main recurring feature was a piece of coloured silk wrapped around the torso, which fell away behind and trailed theatrically down the back. This silhouette ranged from the casual (blue silk over a black vest top) to high octane glamour: in one look, a pink womenswear suit was decorated with tiny dangling jewels, and layered with an asymmetrical sweep of metallic silk over the top.

Contrasting textures also formed a central focus; among the menswear, a brocade silver jacket was belted over grey trousers – one leg shiny, the other matte. Shades of olive and khaki green predominated, but the use of lilac stood out the most – especially in a fantastic oversized women’s suit, equal parts louche and authoritative. It would be easy to imagine such an outfit becoming a sophisticated staple of next summer’s holiday snaps – presuming, of course, that next year’s holidays still go ahead.

Words by Jaleh Brazell

Graphics by Frances Scott

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So that is day one complete of the first-ever digital London Fashion Week and it’s fair to say we have been amazed. Yes, the catwalk has gone, (COVID-19, we’re looking at you) but it did not stop the LFW festivities. Well, put it like this, to say we were spoilt rotten is an understatement!

Well, here you have it. A round-up on all the events, coming to you straight from the comfort of your sofa. Earlier in the year, the British Fashion Council announced that its biannual London Fashion Week Men’s would make history by becoming a digital-only and gender-neutral mix of both men’s and women’s wear.

Today we experienced a jam-packed day of all kinds of multi-media content including virtual showrooms, interviews, mini-films and podcasts to bring the fashion, culture and technology worlds together. Giving the chance for designers to share their experiences and thoughts over the last few months. James Massiah: Clio Corset To kick things off James Massiah, spoken word artist, opened up LFW with a poem to reminisce on the manic few months we’ve all been through and to get us excited for the future. “Looking forward to a lot of things when this thing is done. Bless those that I know I won’t see in the summer sun”, he said. In the two-minute poem he also made reference to the current BLM protests in response to the death of George Floyd in saying “Couple statutes in the sea, and then some statutes they got wrong and when that’s all said and done, let’s throw a party or two.” If one thing is for sure, he gave us a boost of optimism for romance, partying and hope for the rest of the year to come. What a way to kick off the show. Check out the full video Nicholas Daley: ‘The Abstract Truth Film’Showing off his Fall 2020 Menswear, Nicolas Daley really has a knack for leaving you speechless. And boy he did just that. His real panache for fashion combined with his taste in music gave us a live performance to kick start the show with three young musicians- Rago Foot, Kwake Bass and Wu-Lu- experimenting with jazz with psychedelic rock. The energy was second to none. Daley’s collection took inspiration from the 1970s, black abstract art movement and Afrofuturism with a line featuring kaki kimonos, layered tartan jackets and 70’s shades. We really didn’t know where to look but were quite amazed. Check out our favourite pieces from the collection here Lou Dalton English menswear fashion designer, Lou Dalton was joined on a Zoom chat by Gordon Richardson (designer and co-founder of LFW Men’s), Stewart Williamson (stylist of Lou Dalton) and Mark Neville (photographer) to discuss her latest collection and her lockdown motivations.

Lou’s LMFW AW202 collection is summed up by her as “quiet noise”. Her clothing is described as contemporary yet timeless. The simplicity to her designs are eye-catching but versatile to wear as experiments with layers, tweedy jackets double-faced wool and checked patterns. Now that’s officially stepping into Autumn. Check out the collection here Ahluwalia ‘Jalebi’ Moving swiftly on, we were taken to ‘Jalebi’, Priya Ahluwalia’s 3D VR photography exhibition and name of the designer’s latest book. For AW20, Priya designed a 360-degree exhibition, photographed by Laurence Ellis, which explored what it’s like to be a young, mixed heritage person living in Britain in 1965. It allowed us to see through Ahluwalia’s eyes to understand her experiences of visiting Southall, Britain’s first Punjabi community. See some of our favourite pieces from the exhibition hereWhy Are We Compelled to Create? We don’t want to give anything away. But we were absolutely inspired listening to the voices of designers and creators talk about what London Fashion Week means to them. With designer Matteo Bigliardi simply and rightly putting it: “it’s all about freedom of expression, and freedom to create.” They also spoke up to share how they’re making their mark on the world; whether that be supporting efforts in sustainability, refugees or diversity. This event really was a much-needed breath of fresh air and optimism. Take a listen for yourself University of Westminster 2020 MA Menswear For this LFW this year’s graduates ‘show an eclectic mix of influences and approaches to the discipline of menswear.’ The pieces channelled everything from spacesuit vibes to full-on glitz and glamour to detailed and colourful patchworking. They really explored different dynamics of menswear fashion and we were not left disappointed. A real exciting sight for the eyes. Check out our favourite pieces from their collection here Robyn Lynch supported by Rapha We all got a little bit emotional watching Robyn Lynch’s ‘time capsule’ home movie, which documents how life has changed since the COVID-19 lockdown, definitely something to show your grandchildren. “As a nation, our physical health has been attacked, our mental health eroded, our economy battered, and our society put to the ultimate test.” She recognised the struggle but was very quick to acknowledge the good in how times like these can be used to our advantage. The short film documents the making of her latest 7 look collection. Head to Lynch’s website to check out the collection. DANIEL w. FLETCHERWe joined in with an Instagram live with fashion designer and Menswear Artistic Director for Fiorucci, Daniel Fletcher who spoke to British Vogues Miss Vogue Editor Naomi Pike about his new AW20 collection and what’s up next for him in fashion. In his latest collection, Fletcher really came through with the pastels, panelling, clean tailoring and a lot of flares. You really think fashion-forward with this collection and we are all for it. Take a look and shop the collection here. Chalayan Cyprus born fashion designer Hussein Chalayan is best known for his uses of film, installations, dance and forms. But his latest collection featured a mix of quilt, monochrome and simplistic printed pieces. The collection still featured classic Chalayan signature looks including strapping and heavy shouldered coats and jackets. He really experimented with block colours and contrasts. Certainly a bold collection. Here are some of our favourite looks. And the day doesn’t end there. Upcoming we’ve got conversations with Fashion Director Bruce Pask, a chat with gentleman blogger and creative consultant Matthew Zorpas and ending the day in a discussion with ICEBERG and River Island. It’s been a lot of fun but not to worry. There are still two more fashion packed days of conversations with designers and collection releases to come. Words Clare Stephenson

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