DIGITISATION : A THREAT IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY OR NOT?
Srusti Srujanika
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Power of Fashion
069606 Rachana Singh 2020 - 2021 PG - LBMM Power Of Fashion
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CONTENTS
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5
INTRODUCTION
ABOUT CGI
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10
EXAMPLES
BAFTA
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17
EFFECT ON THE LUXURY FASHION INDUSTRY
REFERENCES
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While cracking boundaries with AR and CGI, the fashion industry sure is walking towards the path of sustainability, but meanwhile, its traditions and heritage are at stake. Who will not want a perfectly rendered model of their imagination? But what about the real life models who struggled their lives just to be where they are? The first ever digital clothing was a 19- piece genderless collection launched by Carlings called Neo-Ex in 2018, and the first digital supermodel Shudu was created by Cameron James Wilson in 2017 (May, 2019). While all this is very much sustainable and convenient especially in the pandemic, people are starting to question the ethics, tradition or values especially when it takes years to get into the fashion industry as a model but being replaced by something which doesn’t exist? Well, this is absolutely an argument to be raised.No doubt the fashion industry has a need to adapt new ways to walk the path of sustainability, but the power of fashion is so strong that the industry should not forget about its models, values and that its consumers still want Virtual dress created by Dapper Labs, designed by Fabricant and bought by Richard Ma for the connection that $9,500 for wife Mary Ma. they have with their favourite models or idols.
I N T R O D U C T I O N
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F
ascination has no limit, especially in the world of Fashion. The time where CGI was only used for movies is over. The introduction of digital into fashion world was a revolutionary step. A world where you could bring your imagination to life using mathematical algorithms and Carlings Digital Clothing 3D softwares is quite intriguing. On the other hand, there were garments created by designers and digital artists that didn’t actually existed. Do people want to buy these virtual clothes? Yes! Richard Ma spent nearly $10,000 on a virtual dress for his wife. Carlings released a whole collection of virtual clothing with 19 genderless pieces (May, 2019) and all of it were sold out! And all proceeds went to WaterAid(Pitcher, 2020).
Carlings Digital Clothing Srusti Srujanika
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Grabbing this opportunity, Cameron, a 28y.o. fashion photographer decides to create a virtual woman inspired from south-african Barbie named Shudu in 2017. Shudu has the most beautiful features like the glossy skin, the cheekbones, the jawline..Basically “perfect". The accomplishments achieved by Shudu are remarkable such as 209k followers on Instagram, collaboration with Ellesse, Balmain, Fenty Beauty, WWD, etc. Galaxia, Brenn, Dagny, Koffi, Margot, and Zhi are some of the other digital models created by Cameron. “Rendering one image takes a total 3days time, excluding the research and brainstorming”, said Cameron. (Trepany, 2019 ; Style, 2018 ; Travers, 2020) .This could be the ultimate step towards sustainability. But these adaptation of digitisation raises many questions for the long followed traditions of making a garment, finding a perfect model for the garment.And a bigger question raised here is how much of a danger is this for real life models? It takes years for models to reach the kind of Diigital X Balmain success these virtual models have gained especially when the first one was a black model. Many black models raised this question “why use someone who doesn’t exist when we, who exist, are struggling to be models”.
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"I was just following what I loved,I wasn't thinking of the impact it would have.” Cameron told Insider. Now according to Jessica Markowski, The Diigitals pose a threat to this generation. "I think within the modelling industry, we have come a long way in accepting women and men in all colours, shapes, and sizes," she said. "As a society, we have been more accepting of body image and so CGI models are going to have everything go in a different and negative direction." While the whole world was finally starting to accept people for who they are, introducing plus size models, But these “Perfect"digital models were introduced who were the opposite of what people were trying to accept! "I do think CGI models will make it that much worse for future generations to come," she said. "I think computer generated models are too perfect and unrealistic, which will as a result go against the body positivity movement and what viewers want in fashion.” Markowski told Insider. (Dodgson, 2019)
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The first Transgender on BNTM, Talulah Eve told Insider she didn’t know who CGI influencers were while looking them up on Instagram. Over email, Eve told Insider that she was shocked after realising these Ïnfluencers had millions of followers along with verified accounts! She told "It's almost like the favourite cartoons are coming to life for the younger generation” (Dodgson, 2019) To counter that, the Diigitals introduced Bren, a curvier, Natural looking with visible stretch marks was created. Cameron answered all these controversies when he created a digital double of Ajuro, a model from Australia and made her pose next to Shudu. As explained by Cameron in an article, 3D can be so diverse in shapes and sizes and colours.(Dodgson, 2019) Although it is the authentic way, there are tons of resources wasted in making one garment.
Brenn Gram
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Shudu X Ajuro 9 Srusti Srujanika
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Cameron even took it further when he walked Shudu on to Red Carpet on BAFTA 2019 where Shudu wore a custom Swarovski yellow gown made of tens of thousands of doublepointed Chaton Crystals.
Partnered with U.K. mobile network operator EE, Shudu doubled as a stylist via Instagram stories, helping viewers shop affordable versions of the red-carpet by one swipe because 33% of the fans wanted those looks and using the Google Pixel 3 and chatbot technology over 100,000 fans shopped over a period of 111 days of chat and generated around 400,000 pounds which gained massive media coverage which bought Shudu to life. (Tietjen, 2019) 10 Srusti Srujanika
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Dagny X AfterForm
Dagny X S Moda 12 Srusti Srujanika
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Shudu X Samsung 13 Srusti Srujanika
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<Left> Koffi, Boyce, Shudu, Dagny, Aspen, Brenn <Right>
Diigital X Lavie by CK
Brenn X Smart Car 14 Srusti Srujanika
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What should the luxury fashion industry do to preserve the authenticity while adapting digitisation?
The smell of freshly ironed fabric or cutting the fabric may sound normal but as a fashion design graduate myself, I know the satisfaction it provides. Fashion has the power of changing the world. And fashion is nothing without the Luxury, authenticity, craftsmanship, the human touch! But being a $106 billion industry, it is also the 2nd most polluting industry.The world faced a shockwave when Burberry burnt $37m worth of unsold stock! (Brown, 2019). All they have to do is not forget about our planet while preserving their heritage. And for their rescue, there is Digitalisation. Carlings Digital Clothing
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CGI influencers are no wonder a great achievement. But using CGI in a way which helps practice sustainability as well as preserve heritage will cover the gap. If you have experience in the fashion industry you should know how much resources go to waste just while sampling! Instead of making new nonexisting models, we should try to involve the existing supermodels who have worked their lives to be where they are and for the respect that they have earned in peoples hearts as humans. Making Virtual garments and collaborating with influencers will definitely save tons of resources as well as time.It will not only help our Earth from destroying but also not hurt the people who actually live among us! the Idols of millions of people, the nostalgia attached or the feeling of adoring someone. If this digitisation takes over the industry it will definitely impose a threat to our hardworking models and workers. If brands could use digitisation for sampling purpose and include their human ambassadors in digital form or just digital clothing to promote it which will then be made physically according to the orders received, this would include the workers as well as the real life models and it will have a sentimental value for its consumers. It’s worth a try!
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REFERENCES WEBPAGES: Unknown (2020). THE WORLD'S FIRST DIGITAL SUPERMODEL HAS ARRIVED, HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW (Online) available at <www.highsnobiety.com/p/shudu-digital-supermodel/> (Accessed Oct 5th, 2020) Naomi May(Nov 14, 2019). These clothes aren’t real, they’re all digital: is this the future of fashion? (Online) available at <www.standard.co.uk/fashion/digital-fashion-the-fabricant-carlings-a4286496.html> (Accessed Oct 6th, 2020) Charles Trepany (2019). The robot invasion has begun: Meet the computer-generated influencers taking over Instagram (Online) available at <www.usatoday.com/story/life/2019/10/16/cgi-influencers-blur-line-betweenreality-and-fantasy-instagram-advertising/3790471002/> (Accessed Oct 6th, 2020) Lindsey Dodgson (Sep 13, 2019). Models are worried that digitally-created influencers 'pose a threat' to the industry, but CGI could be the future of fashion (Online) available at <www.insider.com/cgi-models-look-realwhat-that-means-fashion-industry-2019-9> (Accessed Oct 7th, 2020) Christopher Travers (May 4, 2020). The Latest From Cameron-James Wilson, Shudu Gram's Creator (Online) available at <www.virtualhumans.org/article/the-latest-from-cameron-james-wilson-shudu-grams-creator> (Accessed Oct 7th, 2020) Charlotte Brown (January 21, 2019). How Widespread is Waste in Luxury Fashion? (Online) available at <https:// goodonyou.eco/waste-luxury-fashion/> (Accessed Oct 15th, 2020) Alice Newbold (May 1, 2018). How Artificial Intelligence Will Impact The Future Of Fashion (Online) available at <www.vogue.co.uk/article/future-of-fashion-artificial-intelligence-post-material-world> (Accessed Oct 15th, 2020) Alice Newbold (August 18, 2018). The Numerous Questions Around The Rise Of CGI Models And Influencers (Online) available at <www.vogue.co.uk/article/cgi-virtual-reality-model-debate> (Accessed Oct 15th, 2020) Alexa Tietjen (February 5, 2019). Shudu Prepares for the first Red Carpet (Online) available at <www.thediigitals.com/bafta> (Accessed Oct 28th, 2020) Laura Pitcher (March 5, 2020). Meet the Brands Making Digital-Only Clothing As an Alternative to Fast Fashion (Online) available at <www.teenvogue.com/story/digital-only-clothing-alternative-to-fast-fashion> (Accessed Oct 15th, 2020)
IMAGES: The Diigitals, <https://www.thediigitals.com/models> Carlings, <https://thehustle.co/11252019-digital-clothes-carlings/>
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