Is this the future of fashion? Behind the scenes at The Fabric of Reality, 18-20 May
Fashion shows used to mean scrambling for a ticket, and peering over a sea of heads to glimpse the creations whisking past.
But like every creative industry, lockdown has encouraged fashion to get even more - well, creative. With travel still uncertain and crowded events a no-no, it's time for technology to step in - and this time, it goes way beyond Zoom.
This week (18 to 20 May) sees the online conference Pow-Wow Fashion week, which offers an exciting insight into the fashion shows of the future.
The clever minds at Verizon's in-house creative studio, RYOT have partnered with the The London College of Fashion’s Fashion Innovation Agency (FIA), and Kaleidoscope.
The team will be showcasing their digital forward-thinking at Pow-Wow Fashion week, the first Italian event dedicated to innovation and technology in the world of fashion, beauty and lifestyle.
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After decades of relying on catwalk shows and presentations to debut their upcoming ranges to press, buyers and the world, fashion houses have been utilising the very latest technology and going digital.
London Fashion Week saw its first digital showcase last June, quickly followed by Couture Fashion Week in July.
RYOT first created The Fabric of Reality, last year in a bid to unite young, innovative designers with leading virtual reality artists and provide a completely virtual fashion experience.
This year, on May 20th, Sam Field, Head of Creative Technology at RYOT, will talk with the designers Damara Inglês and Sutu about how we can experience Fashion through AR (Augmented Reality) and the creative process behind her work for the Fabric of Reality.
In addition, Damara has created a limited-edition AR Couture filter which allows attendees to experience this unique piece of digital fashion history.
Like every creative industry, Fashion is looking to the future.
The two days will be packed with speeches, workshops and panels, looking at how fashion can - and does - make the most of Apps, robotics, wearable artificial intelligence, blockchain, and product innovations.
There will also be a focus on sustainability within the digital fashion world, and a look at the latest buzz issues, from 'circular fashion' to consumer expectations amongst the digital natives of Generation Y and Generation Z.
And it's those upcoming generations that are the focus of an entire day during the three-day event, which will feature the youthful talents of the Defhouse - the first Italian 'Concept House.'
Based in Milan, it hosts eight new talents under 20, and aims to promote engagement through the creation of quality fashion-related content. It's clearly working, as so far, the Defhouse has racked up over 15M views on TikTok.
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The event will be broadcast via streaming and best of all, it's free. Organisers hope this will allow more people to join in and interact live with the designers and contributors taking part.
Through their own avatars, participants will be able to walk around the spaces, visit networking rooms, tour the expo area with stands and booths, and sit on (virtual) chairs to listen to talks, interviews, masterclasses and roundtables.
On Wednesday things take a turn for the legendary, when punk veterans Paul Cook, drummer of the Sex Pistols and Marky Ramone, iconic band member, will be recounting some of their (no doubt, colourful) stories to participants.
In fact, it's set to be such an engaging and immersive experience, it's already being dubbed
"The Fortnite of events".
After a period of enforced separation between fashion-lovers and designers, at last, this is a chance to fall back in love with fashion – and take an in-depth look at its future.
For more information about the event visit: www.fashiontechweek.it
Watch: The Fabric of Reality livestream.
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