Virtual Inclusion: the Future of Digital Fashion

As Meta becomes the new norm and Zuckerburg leads us all into the metaverse, are we going to bring our real-world biases and hierarchies with us?

I always think of fashion as one of the most obvious examples of humanity’s nasty little biases — I mean, think about garment worker exploitation, appropriation, tokenism, exclusivity, and beauty standards…  our industry loves that shit. In reality, however, fashion is finally starting to open its doors to those of us who have previously been considered ‘outsiders,’ and the digital fashion of the metaverse seems like the most perfect gateway to a world where everyone can be included; where real-world differences and difficulties can be addressed — nay, overcome, right from the very beginning. 

But will that be the case?

To be honest. when I first started seeing influencers and magazines sharing pics in digital gowns, I thought, “cool, but it’ll die off” and sometimes I thought, “god, how edgy [insert eyeroll].” But now that we’re all about to pack up and move into the metaverse with the British Fashion Awards featuring an award for Metaverse Design (the inaugural award went to Roblox designer cSapphire, which VAGUE THREADS are proud to have been able to witness on the ground at Royal Albert Hall), it’s pretty obvious how un-progressively I was dragging my heels into the wonderful world of cyber style.

Fashion has always been at the forefront of technology, self-expression and culture (well, almost always; it did take a pandemic for retail to kick its technological capabilities into high gear); it’s one of the reasons I still hold such an unrequited love for it despite all its shadowy destructive practices. With this new fashion award (the first of its kind, by the way) Roblox players were able to role-play as high-profile guests and wear some of the latest digital designs, the likes of which they might not be able to access IRL. For technology to bring fashion lovers the world over to an event so aspirational and glamorous; one normally reserved for those within the inner circle of celebrity — that’s pretty magical. Not to mention, pretty inclusive. 

But with the cynical eye of someone who’s been inside the fashion industry for too long already, I can’t help but wonder whether the idea of a truly accessible digital fashion world is too good to be true. 

What’s the sitch?

Recently, more and more virtual boutiques and fashion brands have been popping up, which means pixelated clothing you can throw on over your outfit in a flash has already become accessible. A substantial percentage of the global population does already have access to Instagram (1.3 billion monthly active users as of March 2022, according to Statista), smartphones or something with a camera (Statista also reports 6.6 billion people own a smartphone in 2022), and an internet connection (with 4.6 billion active users reported on Statista in 2021), unlike the exclusive runway events and magazine editorials where every garment has at least a triple-figure price tag excluding low-income fashion consumers by design.

With digital designs as low as £10 a look, the metaverse appears to be a far cry from fashion’s historic air of ‘above thou and not in thoust reach’ so tick one to the inclusivity side, at least for now (side note: there are some designs going for hundreds but it’s certainly not all of them).

So what better way to start unpacking these virtual shenanigans than a big juicy rundown of some of the current key players sitting atop my list of personal favourites, selected from a surprisingly large community of digital designers and virtual fashion houses already, despite there not being very many accessible meta-verses for us to actually wear their wares in yet.

1)    Placebo (@placebo_dfh) 

This is a virtual fashion house offering cohesive, on-trend outfits with a high-fashion appeal; definitely not something you could wear every day… or in every photo? Think voluminous shapes, long-draped sleeves, sexy harnessing and lo-and-behold, a few plus-sized body shapes amongst their swarm of faceless, male, female and seemingly agender/non-binary models. Now, this is a smart feed. 

2)    Republiqe (@republiqe_clothing)  

A digital fashion shop prioritizing wearability: cute patchwork denim trousers and tops, puffas and cargo trousers, some cute cocktail dresses with the odd statement piece — with prices starting at £2.50, they’re a great place to get started. 

3)    Sensergy (@sensergy_) 

This isn’t a brand but a space where digital fashion is merged with reality; one where we can really see how digital fashion has inched its way into the mainstream right under our noses. 3D scans, digital renders of IRL collections, 3D digital artists who create alien characters blinged out in digitally designed jewellery and fits… Remember when MISBHV launched their new collection via GTA online, or ARG Knit’s digital avatars showing off their new collection, and all the ‘digital’ showcases during lockdown? Sensergy kept the same energy.

4)    Auroboros (@auro.boros)

This well-known fashion house is currently showing a real-time growing couture gown at the V&A. Creating both ready-to-wear and couture which visitors can try using AR, their digital designs are modelled by Ai-Da — the very first artist robot.

“... the metaverse appears to be a far cry from fashion’s historic air of ‘above thou and not in thoust reach’...”

Enter another element of the digital fashion world that’s both exciting, but also potentially very problematic: virtual models.

It was only a few years ago when Lil Miquela broke out on the virtual scene, appearing on the pages of brands like Prada, ‘attending’ shows, and posting highlights on her own Instagram feed. Soon enough, more virtual models began to occupy our screens and the Diigitals became the world's first virtual modelling agency, with internet sensation Shudu on board as their first talent. Shudu is a digital render in the image of a beautiful Black woman, shot to stardom by a repost on the Fenty Beauty page with many not even realising she wasn’t real. As apprehension dawned, the question inevitably arose: why not actually hire and pay a Black model? A real one. Would we really rather create a Black woman digitally to use as we wish for free, instead of just hiring a living breathing person? With real career aspirations and bills to pay? When you consider that all three Black models signed to the Diigitals — @shudu.gram, @brenn.gram & @koffi.gram — were created by the agency’s founder, Cameron-James Wilson who is himself a white man, it becomes clear just how pervasive digital fashion’s ability to intensify existing racial prejudices within the fashion industry can be if we aren’t careful but we’ll get into that shortly.

5)    Kateri London (@katerilondon) 

Kateri London calls itself a “screen wear” brand, providing streetwear-inspired pieces readily available as AR filters. For this brand, virtual fashion has one clear purpose — to reduce the ridiculous amount of clothing that we produce and consume. And it makes a lot of sense, we want the waviest garms for our social media accounts — why not just throw on a different filter each time and save ourselves the trouble of ordering brand new, single-use, fast fashion pieces? It’s not in the metaverse, but it’s a decidedly more accessible version of digital fashion that anyone can try on and play with.

6)    Institute of Digital fashion (@institute_digital_fashion)

This digital fashion house seemingly rises above the rest for its research into the impacts of its designs, whilst also working with creatives to make inclusive items for the metaverse. They’ve commented on the importance of true representation in the new digital era, and have created some designs specifically for Saudi Arabian representation that were really simple and beautiful digital versions of traditional garments worn in the Middle East — something definitely missing from the digital fashion world so far. 

7)    Maison Taskin (@maisontaskin) 

A Berlin-based digital fashion brand showcasing digital models on Instagram in sheer, structured & draped clothes too good for this realm. There’s something about the idea of donning a really impractical, ethereal out-of-this world look you’d probably never actually wear IRL (for practical reasons) and taking phenomenal pics without having to leave the house…

Mainstream adoption

In addition to these newcomers, many existing fashion brands and fashion industry giants are hopping on the digital clothing bandwagon with the likes of Balenciaga and Gucci already investing in their digital footprints, creating immersive experiences and digital collectibles: a digital Gucci bag sold for $4,115 dollars in their Roblox Gucci Garden event, proving the commercial value of digital assets, but also the continued exclusivity in luxury pricing strategies.

Digital fashion house, the Fabricant has also created digital collaborations with the likes of Puma already, and online digital fashion retailer DRESSX recently launched a Matrix-inspired collection just in time for the latest instalment in the franchise. Activewear giant Nike has reportedly bought metaverse fashion house RTFKT, but it’s tempting to wonder when we, the majority, will actually be able to wear these cyber garms within the metaverse, instead of just donning the AR versions for Instagram photos, or more importantly, why we should.

Virtually sustainable 

In their sustainability report for 2020, DRESSX claimed that their garments of the future eliminate waste — citing the production of one of their digital garments as producing 97% less CO2 and saving 3300 litres of water per item, with their vision statement stating, “don’t shop less, shop digital fashion.” I see where they’re coming from, but in my own view, we do need to shop less. Our insatiable desire to consume clothing doesn’t just create physical waste in the real world, but it also contributes to poor design, exploitation, and designer burnout, not to mention pushing the narrative that there’s always a new image we should be aspiring to. In my mind, a slower, more considered fashion industry would almost automatically become one with more time and space to consider its diversity and inclusion, to listen to people, and become kinder.

Another niggling thought in my brain — isn’t data actually, kind of bad for the planet in excess? I’m no scientist — so bear with me, but according to the International Energy Agency, data centres consume about 1% of our global energy and contribute to 0.3% of all global emissions. So whilst digital fashion would solve some issues, couldn’t the massive rise of all that data use potentially create some more? 

Mo’ verses, mo’ problems

In theory, the metaverse gives us unlimited options of expression and identification, from appearance to gender identity our avatars are our own, and they are a blank canvas. But in theory, Instagram and TikTok were also supposed to be far less limiting spaces for diversity to shine through, and yet who does the algorithm send to stardom? White, young, able-bodied, well-off, and slim women — or their muscular male counterparts. New territory raises new questions, always. A tutor once told me over the course of a project about AI, that new technology always brought with it new accidents; electricity and the electric shock; the car, the car crash; the internet, cyberbullies, and catfishing; the list goes on. So I do consider it unwise to dive into the metaverse with idyllic dreams of a digital utopia, without raising some important questions. 

“Another niggling thought in my brain — isn’t data actually, kind of bad for the planet in excess?”

If you don’t want your avatar to look like you — how much can you change before you get close to cultural appropriation? If you can customise your appearance online, won’t we all just end up looking the same way as a new, albeit digital, ‘body goal’ rises to the top? Will transphobia and bi-erasure vanish in this new space just because you can present yourself the way you want to, or will avatars become a new mouthpiece for discrimination and bigotry? It’s a whole new world and we won’t be able to see its flaws until we are experiencing it, so I think it best to advance with caution. I’ve seen the term ‘digital blackface’ pop up in my research as a concern (quite rightly) and after a few years of seeing blackfishing and queerbaiting exposé on my timeline, I’m over it. A digital space should be all about expression, sure, but where, and more importantly how, do we draw the line between exploration and identity tourism?

And beyond individual participation, what does this mean for brands and their work towards true diversity? I can’t help but wonder if brands will roll out inclusive avatars in the verse but just keep their IRL teams and directors as the same stiff, old whitewash we know so well — you know, how they roll out tokenism on digital platforms now but lack any attempts to change structural racism within their organisations and the real world? Yeah, that.

We would be foolish to make the same mistakes again: looking back at diversity as an afterthought. I truly hope the metaverse will be founded on pillars of these values and meet its potential. But ever the pessimist, I have my doubts.

Building inclusivity

Circling back to the wonderful research from the Institute of Digital Fashion I mentioned before, they have done some digging into the way people want their avatars to look. 87% of those questioned said that their digital personalities coordinate with their IRL selves, and 68% said they felt minority-groups were underrepresented in virtual spaces. They also brought up the fact that disabled people need to be consulted here so that their ideal avatar customisation can be taken into account, whilst also quite rightly raising questions about how representing traits like skin colour, size, pronouns, religion or disability in an avatar could just lead us straight back into cyberbullying and discrimination.

So, is it all so bad?

No! It’s not. The metaverse still has massive potential. 

The basic technology being used was set up for gaming, so as more investment pours in for it to be used for fashion, we’re getting the chance to literally start from scratch. It’s giving young designers an amazing opportunity to do something totally new and game-changing. As there are multiple ‘metaverses’ owned by different companies, so should there be space for loads of new digital fashion houses, and that means (potentially) loads of young designers of colour — because if the fashion industry won’t let you in, why not just build your own fashion universe?

“I think technology has so much potential to address inequalities and create safe spaces — but tends to fall short and take the form of our pre-existing biases”

It’s a chance to wear things that reality simply wouldn’t allow to express yourself, craft new and exciting ways others to be perceived, and enhance the way you feel about yourself. With the metaverse, we hold the controllers for creating a whole new world for ourselves; we can’t afford to let it become a pixelated replica of the world we’re currently living in. 

credits

words — daisy riley

commissioning, editing — karina so.

design — sâde popoola