Snoozing on sustainable fashion? Give virtual a go!

When you think of sustainable fashion, you think slow. Handmade. Heritage. Simple lambswool jumpers that cost the earth and frankly aren’t very attractive. But what if I told you there was another way? What if you could buy all the “clothes” you wanted, keep up with the latest micro-trends and upgrade your Instagram feed?

Enter virtual fashion.

Virtual fashion exploded into popular consciousness in 2016 when Bitmoji allowed its users to dress their avatars in clothes from luxury fashion brands like Alexander McQueen. It's since gone from strength to strength. In 2018 Carlings released their first-ever digital streetwear collection and in 2019 the Fabricant sold the world's first piece of virtual couture - a dress for $9,500.

Still not convinced there’s a viable market for it?

In February 2021 RTFKT made over $3 million in five minutes by selling out their line of 620 virtual sneakers. This finally made the technophobic fashion world realise the true potential of virtual fashion and NFTs.

How can something that doesn’t even exist command such selling power?

Thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic our lives have been irrevocably changed. Gen Z currently spends twice as much time hanging out in the metaverse as they do with friends in real life. This figure is set to increase. The next generation of children will spend approximately 10 years of their life in the metaverse. A new way of living demands a new uniform. Why buy physical clothes to look good on Zoom, TikTok, Instagram or the next viral app, when there’s a cheaper, more sustainable and more exciting virtual alternative?

Just look at FFFACE x FINCH’s augmented reality streetwear or The Fabricant’s outlandish dresses.

We’ve rounded up 3 of our favourite virtual fashion moments to inspire you to join the virtual revolution.

1. When Safiya Nygaard tried virtual fashion for a week

The Youtuber tried on a plethora of styles from Dress X's extensive catalogue. My personal favourite is her haunted jacket look which you can see on Instagram here. Her verdict on the whole affair? She loves the concept and believes that many of Dress X's garments look amazing on the body. However, she thinks there needs to be more consistency in the quality of the photoshopping.

2. Dolce and Gabanna's NFT drop breaking records

Dolce & Gabbana NFT (nonfungible tokens) drop fetched over $6 million in 2021, breaking records worldwide. The 9-piece collection entitled "Collezione Genesi" is said to be the most complex fashion NFT offering so far. 5 pieces were physical with virtual iterations, whilst 4 were solely digital. The highlight of the collection was The Impossible Tiara - made of "gems that can't quite be found on Earth."

3. Iris Van Herpen's Mixed Reality Fashion Show

Iris Van Herpen stunned the fashion community with her latest collection Metamorphism. The first-of-its-kind mixed reality runway show was a roaring success. The avant-garde designer sent 16 physical looks down the runway followed by 3 digital looks that could be seen via virtual reality headsets. This runway show truly cemented virtual fashion's place as the next big thing.

As the virtual fashion economy evolves over time, it will be interesting to see how it develops. Are virtual fashion critics right? Is it just a fad? Or will we all be wearing augmented reality clothing 20 years from now?

What do you think?

Thanks for reading!

Imi Hawkes x