Fygital shows, NFT access passes and AR: The tech trends to watch for this fashion month
That doesn’t just mean live streaming of videos. Returning to New York on September 11, Tommy Hilfiger promises a total phygital experience, replete with a live stream simulcast in the world of Roblox, called Tommy Play. “[New York] is where fashion, art, music and entertainment came together when I started in the industry, says Hilfiger in a release. “Today, it’s still this approach that inspires me to engage with cutting-edge communities building new creative experiences.”
Tommy Hilfiger’s see-now-buy-now offer extends to the metaverse. Roblox avatars will be wearing Fall/Winter 2022 pieces, which can be purchased in real-time from both the physical runway and on Roblox. Super plastic virtual celebrities Janky, Guggimon and Dayzee will walk the Roblox runway, wearing outfits from a recent Tommy Hilfiger collaboration with Richard Quinn.
It’s a new approach to the ongoing democratization of access to fashion shows – a theme that has found its strongest support in New York among the big four fashion weeks. “New York Fashion Week has the most iconic events and most people would love to go, but given the situation in the world and people who can’t travel, it enables them to be a part of this,” says Kaspar Tiri, co- founder of avatar creation technology provider Ready Player Me, with whom Tommy Hilfiger has just partnered on a “parallel Tommy Hilfiger” project to dress avatars in digital parts.
Ready Player Me is currently used by more than 4,000 games and apps and recently raised $56 million in funding, reflecting how the avatar industry is maturing. “Brands are an important part when we think about avatars, and they define how we identify ourselves,” says Tiri. “Billions of people spend time in virtual environments every day, and many brands are trying to figure out how to combine physical and digital.”
Puma also returns to New York Fashion Week with an evening event on September 13 that promises “interactive” components for a global audience, further establishing Puma in the Web3 space.
Amplifies live moments
AR could show signs of momentum this season. The technology typically uses a smartphone or screen to add digital elements to a physical appearance. That has improved rapidly in recent years, but metaverse conversations still tend to focus on virtual, immersive worlds.
Experts claim that AR is ready for a closer look. It’s starting to happen. Nike, for example, is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a physical event on September 8 in New York that is expected to include AR. In-store QR codes will unlock AR “artifacts” from Nike’s archives, made from 3D scans of special parts. Also in New York, a pop-up store from AR fashion platform Zero10 and design studio Crosby Studios is enabling customers to try on five digital designs via AR through September 18.
