The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every one of us in very different ways, and it could be said that it’s helping us evolve as a society and make use of the technology in every possible way. The fashion industry is evolving alongside other industries, and we wanted to talk about the changes we will see in it in the near future.
One question everyone asks themselves is how runway shows are going to be done now. Well, even though some designers have chosen to do their shows behind closed doors with selected people, we want to talk about the real future of runways. The project Digital Village, organized by Helsinki Fashion Week, is a 3D digital catwalk show in which designers show their projects using technology, and we will tell you why this is the future of fashion.
First of all, virtual runways are very convenient because fashion enthusiasts don’t have to travel to other cities to see the collection, minimizing the pollution produced by travel means of transport. This will result in the reduction of crowds in big cities as well, also positively affecting the environment.
On the other hand, this type of show leaves more space for creativity. Creative directors can make literally anything they want to show their collection because they create the whole environment from scratch. This way, runways could take place on very crazy places present designers could never dream of: the moon, outer space, a pink river, inside a mountain or even create their own world! There’s no limit here.
Another possibility this format brings to life is the complex world of modeling. Even though it might take away many people’s jobs, it will erase the hard requirements models face when doing new castings. Maybe this will be the solution for stereotypes and body shaming because designers will create their perfect models according to the collection’s theme, making us aware that they are not real people and so we won’t look up to them and not try to achieve their physical conditions. In addition, this will enable designers to show the clothing the way they want because they will control the light, wind and gravity.
For this project New Aliens Agency models have been 3D scanned, and each look is a 3D rendering of its original design, designed by sustainable fashion designers and digitized by Scotomalab.
“Helsinki FW focuses on tackling root challenges surrounding sustainability and addressing the core issues of our currently unsustainable world. Some of these challenges include poverty, social inequality and exploitation, modern slavery, racism, and the shortcomings of the global educational system.”
If these challenges are not addressed and solved, there are not many chances for us to realize our full potential as a Human Species; and achieve sustainability in the many meanings of the word.
This project promotes sustainability and supports technology and creativity without any limits. Everything is possible with technology and catwalks will be super fun with all these features. Who knows? Maybe in the near future, we could be inside these imaginary catwalks with the use of virtual reality!
