What, how, and where of digital and NFT fashion

The value of clothing and accessories in virtual places is created by digital fashion, which transcends physical borders. This emerging area of the fashion market, which includes virtualized clothing, avatar fashion, and NFT-produced clothing, is sweeping the internet.

Although these digital fashion alternatives won’t completely replace physical ones, they might start to appear in more and more customer wardrobes. According to Morgan Stanley, within the next ten years, the addressable market for luxury brands might increase by 10% as a result of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and gaming. This blog delves into the ideas of digital fashion, virtual fashion, and NFT fashion, demonstrating how each differs from the other. There are enormous opportunities waiting to be seized. The site also discusses how digital technologies are affecting fashion, as well as their applications and advantages for brands and designers.

Why is digital fashion important? What is it?

The term “digital fashion” describes 3D representations of apparel, footwear, or accessories designed exclusively for use in virtual spaces. These clothing items are created with the use of computers and 3D design programs like Blender and CLO3D. Digitally produced clothing is created to fit an online representation of a real person or a virtual avatar in a game or metaverse. Digital fashion can be tried on in virtual dressing rooms before a purchase is made. For instance, Gucci and Snapchat collaborated to develop a filter that enables users to virtually try on footwear.

What serves the purpose of digital fashion?

creates fresh revenue sources

Designers and fashion companies can make money by selling their digitally created fashions to a new market of customers who are willing to pay for virtual goods. A digital outfit called “diaphanous,” for instance, was sold for $9,500 by the digital fashion business The Fabricant.

makes ecological clothing

Digital clothes, according to DRESSX, are manufactured with 97% less carbon than traditional fashion companies. According to Cointelegraph, digital fashion may also be utilized to optimize the manufacturing of real clothing by employing 3D software to precisely fit manufactured goods, lowering a brand’s carbon footprint by 30%.

enables more creativity and experimentation

Digital fashion design is not limited by conventional materials or the physical limitations of the actual world. Beyond the conventional human silhouette, designers can experiment with new materials and produce genderless creations. For instance, renowned Australian fashion designer Toni Maticevski created a dress with the glittering sea’s texture and mimicked the appearance of a sea urchin.

removing geographical restrictions

Anyone with internet access and a gadget to show digital goods can experience digital fashion. Accessibility is increased by creating online shops where customers may buy digital clothing instead of going to their physical counterparts. For instance, customers from all around the world may navigate, browse, and shop for clothing using augmented reality (AR) at the Tommy Hilfiger x Zendaya pop-up in New York.

Encourage creative partnerships

Technology and fashion are combining, opening up new options for collaboration that could promote creative growth. For instance, Nike purchased the digital fashion label RTFTK in order to create sneakers that can be purchased as NFTs. Adidas also created exclusive virtual goods in partnership with a number of NFT designers and artists.

What distinguishes virtual fashion from digital fashion?

The primary distinctions between digital and virtual fashion

the following

The term “digital fashion” is used to describe clothes, accessories, and shoes that are exclusively available online. This includes digital designs for physical objects, clothing produced as NFTs, and images of digitally rendered clothing on real humans. In contrast, virtual fashion is created to personalize and accessorize virtual avatars on gaming and metaverse platforms.

Sustainability

Because fewer resources are used in the manufacture of digital fashion than in the traditional physical counterparts, it has a smaller carbon footprint. As an alternative, virtual clothing is frequently produced as NFTs that use energy-intensive blockchain networks, making them less environmentally friendly.

Creativity

Designers can manufacture new materials while making digital clothing using artificial intelligence and sophisticated design software. The Fabricant, for instance, used liquid metal in one of its outfits. On the other hand, virtual fashion designs are constrained by the capabilities of the game platform on which the garment is made. You can create clothing with 3D cubes using voxel-style platforms like Roblox and The Sandbox.

Accessibility

Internet access and a smartphone, PC, or tablet are all you need to access digital fashion. In addition to requiring clients to be a part of the particular virtual game or platform where their digital wearable appears, virtual fashion requires the same requirements as digital fashion. For instance, a wearable owned on Decentraland can occasionally not be accessible on Roblox or in any other metaverse.

Revenue sources

By offering AR try-on options to encourage the purchase of actual things or by selling products that are projected onto a person’s photo, digital fashion firms can generate income. In the case of virtual fashion, companies and designers can create NFTs from their digital wearables and sell them on online shops like Roblox, Decentraland, or The Sandbox. The majority of platforms provide free or inexpensive fashion, however, some goods can be purchased for a premium.

What does cyberfashion mean in the metaverse?

In the metaverse, photorealistic apparel or accessories designed with game-like graphics for virtual avatars are examples of digital fashion. Users who view the metaverse as an extension of themselves and wish to personalize their avatars in order to express their uniqueness are fond of these digital clothing items.

Digital wearables could be anything from apparel to footwear to hats or bags as accessories. Avatars can also access skins or clothing in gaming metaverses, which completely alter the digital avatar’s morphology.

These things are available for purchase by avatars in-game, providing the brands or designers that make them with a source of income. For instance, according to Forbes, the NFL made $50 million from the sale of 3.3 million branded skins on Fortnite.

What distinguishes digital clothing from NFT?

Scope

Any fashion item or article of apparel that only exists digitally is referred to as digital fashion. NFT fashion, on the other hand, is digital clothing that was created on the blockchain as a digital asset. These things can be a picture, a movie, or a GIF, and they each indicate ownership, vouch for authenticity, and are distinctive. This means that while some digital fashion is an NFT, not all of it, a fashion NFT, is a component of digital fashion.

Distribution

Unlike NFT fashion, which can only be traded on blockchains, digital clothing can be sold online through any channel. For instance, the digital fashion brand DRESSX produces items that can be worn online, although not every piece of clothing is produced as an NFT.

Rarity

There are no limits for duplicating or reproducing digital fashion attire. In contrast, NFT fashion pieces are limited edition because each is created in a unique manner that cannot be imitated. A limited edition run of 20,000 NFT sneakers with unique ownership was released by Nike and RTFKT.

Although the fashion business is being transformed by both digital and NFT fashion, each has characteristics that pose problems for the ownership, accessibility, and distribution of digital clothing.

What do NFTs imply for the apparel sector?

Changing the way clothing is purchased and sold

Fashion designers and brands can create digital ensembles and coin them into NFTs for use in marketplaces powered by blockchain technology. NFTs are rare and constrained, which increases the cost of commodities and opens up a wide range of monetization opportunities. Dolce & Gabbana received a record-breaking $6 million for their nine-piece NFT collection. NFT fashion items are also more valuable in the long run than conventional clothing since designers might get paid a commission each time one of their creations is sold on the open market.

addressing concerns about authenticity

NFTs are stored and sold on blockchains, which maintain a secure record of ownership. As a result, once minted as an NFT, digital fashion items can be certified as genuine and exclusive. For instance, each digital collectible used by Louis Vuitton to promote its video game was recognized as authentic and original. The NFT artifacts were created in partnership with the renowned artist Beeple.

Possibilities for increasing engagement

Utilizing NFTs in the fashion industry creates chances for creativity and audience involvement through limited-edition drops. For instance, the streetwear company The Hundreds produced an exclusive digital collectible drop for NFT holders called “Adam Bomb Squad NFT” that was only available for a short time. This approach is a terrific method to thank devoted clients and maintain their interest.

Getting rid of the middleman

By eliminating the need for conventional gatekeepers like fashion houses or merchants to sell a product and requiring little capital to create a fashion line, NFTs are democratizing the fashion business. Independent designers can quickly upload their works to the blockchain and offer them for sale as NFTs to customers directly.

How are NFTs used by fashion brands?

limited-edition memorabilia

By selling their creations as an NFT in order to generate buzz, designers can control the uniqueness and scarcity of their designs. In their flagship game, Blankos Block Party, Burberry, and Mythical Games collaborated to develop an NFT line, which sold out more quickly than any other collection on the platform.

experiences that are immersive and interactive

Using NFT fashion collectibles, shoppers may interact with things and virtually try them on or utilize them in virtual fashion shows. The Dematerialized, a fashion NFT marketplace, and the upscale brand Rebecca Minkoff, for instance, collaborated to develop NFT wearables that buyers could use to engage with using a smartphone.

Utilize partnerships with designers and artists

By collaborating with other creators in the industry, distinct and cutting-edge NFT fashion collections can be developed. An excellent example is the partnership between Balmain and Barbie to debut an exclusive NFT clothing collection that viewers could bid to possess.

Community development

An excellent strategy to grow a fanbase is to introduce an NFT clothing line. A streetwear company called Mishka NYC released more than 6500 NFTs as a way to enter their online community, the MISHKAVERSE. When new members join, they will get access to special deals, NFTs, and goods.

What advantages do NFT clothes have?

Increase brand awareness

NFTs for fashion products can be made by independent designers or brands aiming to increase brand recognition with little investment and a large audience.

Make online shops

Brands can create their own virtual store in the metaverse for customers to browse, engage with products, and shop while designing NFT fashion lines.

Increase consumer loyalty

Brands and designers may create effective loyalty programs with NFTs. These NFTs can be used as tokens to get entry to private gatherings, discounts, and neighborhood organizations.

Possibility to develop a physical strategy

With NFTs, brands and designers do not need to limit sales to the virtual realm. It is possible to package fashion items offered as NFTs with tangible goods to increase offline sales.

Conclusion

The way clothes are worn and traded is being revolutionized by digital fashion, which gives designers and brands the chance to develop new revenue sources, maximize sustainability, experiment with styles, and remove geographical restrictions. Digital renderings of clothing on real people, virtual clothing for avatars, and clothing produced as NFTs are all examples of digital fashion.

The creation of virtual clothing for the metaverse that can be purchased by virtual avatars and used to personalize their appearance can open up new revenue streams. Creating fashion NFTs, whereby digital outfits may be minted into NFTs, sold, and traded on blockchain-based marketplaces, offering distinct, defined ownership and certification of authenticity, is another profitable digital fashion idea. There are benefits to be gained from each type of digital fashion for certain use cases. Brands and designers who determine the best marketing plan for their fashion products will be able to take a sizable market share in this quickly changing sector.