Are you wondering how something intangible as digital clothes are going to revolutionize the fashion industry? If you are, then you are one of the brands that going to miss expanding your customer base while improving your sales and presence in the market. If you don’t believe us, skim over the following statistics on virtual fashion in recent months.
- 10.7 billion worth of NFT sales in Q3 alone according to BoF.
- 50% of the US consumers are showing their inclination toward digital assets.
- In the last 1 year, approximately 72% of the US population has visited a virtual world.
- A Fashion ceremony in the online world, Roblox has over 1.2 million interactions.
- Fashion experts predict that 15% of our wardrobe will be in digital form in the future.
- Global AR and VR market to reach 30 Billion US dollars by 2027.
The list that speaks about the golden future of fashion brands in the metaverse is just going to be increasing its length, just as brands improve their reach width. Yes, you’ve got the essence of digital apparel but to really ace the virtual apparel market, you have to thoroughly know in and outs of the industry.
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Valued at 1.5 billion in 2020, it is evident that digital apparel will hugely revolutionize the global fashion industry. What started just with 19 digital pieces has been growing at a pace much faster than expected. The pandemic has forced the traditional fashion industry to slow down, further encouraging the creation of digital garments and virtual models. Many experts predict that digital clothing is the future of the fashion industry.
Discover the following content and by the end, we’re sure you’ll be contacting us right away for your first digital apparel creation!
Beginnings of Digital Apparel
The first virtual clothing collection was designed by Carlings, a Scandinavian retailer, in 2018. Quickly sold out, the 19 virtual clothing pieces were edited on the customer’s pictures by the designers. The brand later created the first AR graphic T-shirt. This trend soon caught fire and inspired many brands to produce digital clothing.
Today, brands like The Fabricant, Moschino, Tribute Brand, and Dress-X are pioneering digital apparel.
Drivers of Virtual Clothing
Global Access
Technological developments and the rise of social media platforms have allowed trends to be readily available to everyone worldwide, breaking open the limitations consumers once had. These buyers now have access to every different fashion trend and all the latest collections. Fashion labels such as yours cannot meet the growing demand while achieving green living, an immediate responsibility for businesses and consumers alike. Digital apparel can satisfy all three important customers – brands, consumers, and the Earth.
Social Media Self
As Generation Z is taking up more space in the consumer world, fashion trends seem to change quicker. These digital natives regard their online profile more than their physical appearance. Besides wanting to stand out from the rest, they also want to express their unique personality accurately. Virtual fashion fulfills both of these pressing needs of the increasing consumer domain.
E-sport Demand
For your fashion brand, video games and e-sports are also a way to connect with Generation Z consumers. While the nature of the traditional fashion industry and e-sports contradict each other, it is interesting how e-sports are now incorporating fashion into their gaming platforms. To engage the new tech-savvy customers, brands are choosing virtual clothing and so should you. Gamers, eager to express their online persona through digital apparel, have opened up a new realm of potential fashion customers.
Fast Company writes about Gucci’s efforts of integrating fashion into the digital world through virtual garments.
Digital Lifestyle
Before the spread of COVID-19, the transition to a digital lifestyle was at a sluggish pace. The unexpected pandemic accelerated the transformation into a digital lifestyle, and buyers started to look for ways to keep up with their online persona. They are ready to spend and consume digital garbs, even if they will never be able to touch them in real life. Emerging online celebrities, also known as digital influencers, also inspire audiences to try out virtual fashion.
Tailor-made Garbs
Personalization is one of the digital consumer experience trends in 2021. Prospective buyers look for products and services that reflect their likes, values, and preferences. To conquer this new trend, fashion labels have to produce unique pieces for each of their buyers. This will again result in the accumulation of wastage and reduction of operational efficiency.
Virtual apparel is the only feasible solution you’ve got to create tailor-made garbs for the target audience pool.
Metaverse
Just like the real world, humans in the metaverse would want to dress the way they want. Clothes that express their uniqueness and fashion streak. Physical clothing can not access the virtual world and virtual garbs are a necessity. This is the sweet spot for most fashion brands and it can be yours as well. While continuing the revenue stream from physical stores, brands can also set up virtual stores in the metaverse. In these stores, your brand can sell virtual accessories and grabs that users use to personalize their avatars.
This not only keeps consumers close to your brand but also brings in a heft amount of revenue. And the best part, virtual garbs have high ROI due to the relative ease of their creation when compared to tangible apparel.
All in all, your brand can benefit from more revenue, less expenditure, and increased consumer connections with boundless space for creativity. Which fashion brand would miss this thriving opportunity. Not your brand, for sure!
Learn more about how Digital Fashion works in the Metaverse by downloading our FREE guide.
Advantages of Digital Apparel
Improved Shopping Experience
Digital clothes created by 3D rendering also improve customers’ shopping experience. When these garments are combined with virtual and augmented reality, a virtual try-on is created. Buyers can try the outfits before purchasing them and can also share their try-on pictures on social media. Due to the higher accuracy and fun element, consumers love them — who in turn will be loyal to your brand that provides digital apparel.
Eco-friendly Production
As one of the industries with the most pollution, the fashion industry has to adapt green living to support sustainability. Through digital fashion weeks, garments, and 3D models, it can achieve its sustainability and business goals. Also, designing garments through 3D methods helps the reduction of waste production by approximately 75%.
Limitless Creation
Unlike traditional manufacturing, 3D designers can create virtual apparel almost limitlessly and beyond their imagination. Most of the work happens on computers and render farms, where 3D designers create anything and everything. Also, the virtual closet does not need extensive storage space, saving both storage and maintenance costs.
Versatile Apparel
Digital garments are easy to modify according to the consumer’s changing preferences with the least amount of effort and time input. These are dubbed as universal garments that fit any body size, type, and gender. Unlike physical clothes, where recreation is difficult, virtual attires can be altered at any time. Additionally, digital clothing is economical in designing and creating.
Efficiency & Analysis
Virtual garbs come with the benefit of trading as NFTs. Supported by blockchain, brands can efficiently track digital apparel and the counterfeits circulating in cyberspace. Fashion brands can analyze the demand for a particular collection. They can, then, produce physical garments according to the demand and popularity; thereby, eliminating the excess manufacturing of less popular designs.
To the New Dawn: Digital Apparel Trend
Virtual clothes solve many of the crucial issues and needs faced by the traditional fashion industry. These support sustainability efforts, quench the fast-evolving consumers’ preferences while expanding creative limits. Technology has evolved to create digital apparel, but not enough to quickly apply them to the users’ pictures. Yet, this new dawn will take over the traditional fashion industry by storm sooner or later.
