“Traditionally, London Fashion Week has been an all-encompassing immersive experience; however, the long line of videos this year, all with disclaimers that they were shot in adherence to Covid-19 regulations, is unlikely to deliver an exciting experience. While beneficial to see collections paraded down a catwalk, live streaming has been around for more than ten years now.  

The first-ever Livestream fashion show was Alexander McQueen’s legendary “Plato Atlantis” in 2009. It almost broke the internet and ushered in a transformational new concept for fashion weeks as a branding broadcasting event instead of means for trade. Since then, the fashion industry hasn’t been keeping up with evolving Technologies to take full advantage of the accessibility of immersive experience creation. The use of the 2D video format has outlived its novelty value, and now that it is prevalent everywhere, it delivers flat and uninspired results. We cannot touch, feel or examine a video. Nor can we look at the fabric to check out its composition or how an item is made. Advances in 3D technologies present an exciting new opportunity for life, like the realism of digital objects that almost feel tactile. 

The technology exists today to create an immersive experience. While we’re seeing some brands experimenting with 3D modelling and digital twins of garments, by not showcasing these technologies in front of the captive fashion week audience, they are missing an opportunity to offer an immersive look at their new lines and showcase their brand’s craftsmanship. After all, that is any brands greatest asset: presenting the mastery behind their product in 3D invites the customer to have a comprehensive look from every angle. This engagement is incremental to building an appreciation for any product as well as an emotional connection. And this, in turn, will stifle the mass scale discard of unworn garments we have seen as a trend for the past few years. 

The move to e-commerce the fashion industry has experienced in the last year has meant new cutting-edge technologies such as AR and VR have become ever more critical. The significant events in the fashion calendar present the ideal opportunity to introduce these technologies to show innovation. 

A digital twin of a dress, for example, can be spun around, examined in high definition down to each stitch or fold in the fabric like it would in real life. In a year when consumers are also expressing a clear desire to buy from more sustainable brands, creating digital versions of new collections will also reduce waste by removing the need for samples to be sent worldwide”.

–Amal Jomaa, Head of Fashion, SO REAL