The evolving fashion industry’s response to new media: an exploration into the short and long-term effects of its integration, including its potential for new forms of entertainment. New media’s ability to further blur the distinction between art and fashion with its application will also be investigated.
1.0 Creativity in the fashion industry and the application of new media
The fashion industry itself is a creative field, where the use of new media encourages the fruition of novel ideas. Originality, particularly within art and fashion, is a highly contentious issue. It is debated whether or not the product of remixing a past concept with another is a merely a reproduction, or a unique, albeit transformed, idea. Irrespective of an individual’s standpoint regarding this matter, media in fashion has had a significant impact. New media has affected the fashion house’s mode of business and inspired the creation of software aiding apparel manufacture. The increased connectivity promotes creativity by generating another platform for exploration.
1.1 Fashion houses and social media
Fashion houses were slow to adopt social media. This may have stemmed from a fear of appearing impersonal to customers, or an apprehension of this new communication genre. Regardless, the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) was a key motivator behind the houses incorporating new media to increase their accessibility to customers.[1] The GFC compelled them to act before they became obsolete.
At present, the industry is experimenting with the different media forms: - Digital media is incorporated into runway shows[2] - Electronic invites to shows are emailed to guests[3] - Shows are streamed/uploaded onto YouTube- Tweets and Facebook statuses are posted- Collections are shown via iPhone apps- Blogging stations are set up at shows[4] -Exclusive social networks have been created[5] Social media enables brands to communicate directly with consumers, simultaneously providing the customer with a voice, unlike in the past where it has just been a one-sided view from the designer.[6][7][8]
1.2 Future considerations
With the increase in accessibility comes a decrease in exclusivity. This could cause a demographic shift in the clientele of the brand, potentially marking the decline of the brand’s perceived status.The increasing application of new media in fashion, a typically tactile and visual industry, removes the experience of viewing the clothes firsthand, diminishing the overall spectacle of the runway show. The brand is depersonalised in turn, which is undesirable as fashion is extremely personal[8]. To remove this essential component completely is deleterious to the brand, thus fashion houses need to be wary of this.
2.0 Innovation in design from the combination of fashion, art, and new media
Over recent years, a growing argument within the industry has been that art and fashion are becoming increasingly indistinguishable.[9] New media has contributed to the blurring of the line that separates art from fashion. This is because both digital art and fashion possess a duplicability, and the pieces created by artists/designers act as vehicles for their viewpoint or statement[3]. The application of new media has also hazed the distinction between reality and virtuality. The advent of apparel manufacture technologies, like OptiTex, Browzwear and Tyvek®, has innovated fashion design, making virtual prototypes appear more realistic.
2.1 The digital age - fusion of art and fashion through new media
The medium of video installation is increasingly utilised by designers to showcase their collections. This form of “augmented reality” is created by the fusion of digital art and fashion[9]. Fashion technologies are an example of this, generating more accurate and life-like depictions of prototypes.[10][11]One creative limit that will have to be considered in the future is that fashion requires a “wearability” criterion to be fulfilled. Art does not have that limitation, thus can be explored further, however key themes can still be incorporated into garments. Nevertheless, technology’s influence on artists/designers is evident in their works, where new media will continue to feature in the future[3].
2.2 Fashion technologies
2.2.1 OptiTex
- 3D Runway Designer: used to design and showcase collections on life-like models.[12]
3.0 Playing with fashion: current and emerging forms of entertainment
The use of new media in fashion has capabilities outside of business; it has also been used for entertainment purposes. Fashion blogs, Second Life and iPhone apps are all forms of fashion entertainment that are becoming increasingly popular, not to mention significant in terms of the fashion house’s profit. [13][14][15]
3.1 Fashion blogs
Fashion blogs are an invention of the 2000s and cover a broad range of topics within fashion. The topics range from style icons, trends, street fashion, accessories and following specific fashion houses. Fashion designers are utilising the power of fashion bloggers as a means of advertising to promote their lines to readers.[16] "These days, to have one finger on the fashion pulse, you need to have the other one on your computer mouse, reading (or writing) the latest blogs.” – Karen Kay, Daily Mail Online, 2007
3.2 Mobile apps
Mobile apps are not only being employed as powerful marketing devices by companies, but they are also a means of entertainment.[17]Non-designers can create individual lines, users can virtually try on clothes, or they can receive feedback on their outfit selection from others using the app[15].The following are links to popular iPhone fashion apps:- 20 Fashion Apps for the iPhone - The Next Web
Second Life is another avenue through which the fashion industry operates. It is a virtual world in which users create their own avatars, the users’ virtual representations of themselves, and have a “second life”. The runway shows, magazines, advertisements and avatars’ ability to purchase garments may be virtual, but real money is exchanged in the process. Amateur designers are using the site to penetrate into the real fashion industry, highlighting the potential for other business operations. Second Life runway show Source: http://scan.net.au/scan/journal/display.php?journal_id=149
If the fashion industry is including virtual outlets like Second Life into genuine business dealings, it raises the issue of a set of ethical guidelines pertaining to business conduct. It is believed that a committee should be established to monitor the virtual landscape as business in the virtual world is a new, uncharted concept.
^ Solis, B 2009, ‘Putting the public in public relations: how social media is reinventing the ageing business of PR’, in Making use of New Media: High Fashion Stoops to e-commerce (Finally!), 19 November 2010, TheStyleSpot.com, viewed 24 August 2011, <http://www.thestylespots.com/2010/11/making-use-of-new-media-high-fashion.html>.
Betts, K 2009, ‘Will Fashion’s Biggest Names Kiss the Runway Goodbye?’, in Johnson, P 2010,’Media, Machinima and the Virtual Runway: The Rise of Fashionista in Second Life’, Journal of Media Arts Culture, vol. 7, no. 2, viewed 25 August 2011, <//http://scan.net.au/scan/journal/display.php?journal_id=149//>.
}} Weston Thomas, P 2008, Tyvek®, Fashion Technology – Fashion History, viewed 25 August 2011, <http://www.fashion-era.com/fashiontechnology.htm>. investigate the economy around new media and how business models with New Media could look like in the future {{[19]
Creativity, Innovation, and Play
Table of Contents
1.0 Creativity in the fashion industry and the application of new media
The fashion industry itself is a creative field, where the use of new media encourages the fruition of novel ideas. Originality, particularly within art and fashion, is a highly contentious issue. It is debated whether or not the product of remixing a past concept with another is a merely a reproduction, or a unique, albeit transformed, idea. Irrespective of an individual’s standpoint regarding this matter, media in fashion has had a significant impact. New media has affected the fashion house’s mode of business and inspired the creation of software aiding apparel manufacture. The increased connectivity promotes creativity by generating another platform for exploration.
1.1 Fashion houses and social media
Fashion houses were slow to adopt social media. This may have stemmed from a fear of appearing impersonal to customers, or an apprehension of this new communication genre. Regardless, the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) was a key motivator behind the houses incorporating new media to increase their accessibility to customers.[1] The GFC compelled them to act before they became obsolete.
At present, the industry is experimenting with the different media forms:
- Digital media is incorporated into runway shows[2] - Electronic invites to shows are emailed to guests[3] - Shows are streamed/uploaded onto YouTube- Tweets and Facebook statuses are posted- Collections are shown via iPhone apps- Blogging stations are set up at shows[4] -Exclusive social networks have been created[5] Social media enables brands to communicate directly with consumers, simultaneously providing the customer with a voice, unlike in the past where it has just been a one-sided view from the designer.[6] [7] [8]
1.2 Future considerations
With the increase in accessibility comes a decrease in exclusivity. This could cause a demographic shift in the clientele of the brand, potentially marking the decline of the brand’s perceived status.The increasing application of new media in fashion, a typically tactile and visual industry, removes the experience of viewing the clothes firsthand, diminishing the overall spectacle of the runway show. The brand is depersonalised in turn, which is undesirable as fashion is extremely personal[8]. To remove this essential component completely is deleterious to the brand, thus fashion houses need to be wary of this.2.0 Innovation in design from the combination of fashion, art, and new media
Over recent years, a growing argument within the industry has been that art and fashion are becoming increasingly indistinguishable.[9] New media has contributed to the blurring of the line that separates art from fashion. This is because both digital art and fashion possess a duplicability, and the pieces created by artists/designers act as vehicles for their viewpoint or statement[3]. The application of new media has also hazed the distinction between reality and virtuality. The advent of apparel manufacture technologies, like OptiTex, Browzwear and Tyvek®, has innovated fashion design, making virtual prototypes appear more realistic.
2.1 The digital age - fusion of art and fashion through new media
The medium of video installation is increasingly utilised by designers to showcase their collections. This form of “augmented reality” is created by the fusion of digital art and fashion[9]. Fashion technologies are an example of this, generating more accurate and life-like depictions of prototypes.[10] [11] One creative limit that will have to be considered in the future is that fashion requires a “wearability” criterion to be fulfilled. Art does not have that limitation, thus can be explored further, however key themes can still be incorporated into garments. Nevertheless, technology’s influence on artists/designers is evident in their works, where new media will continue to feature in the future[3].2.2 Fashion technologies
2.2.1 OptiTex
- 3D Runway Designer: used to design and showcase collections on life-like models.[12]OptiTex 3D Runway Designer suite
Source: http://www.optitex.com/en/products/3DRunway_Tools/3d_Runway_Designer
- Multidimensional application: used for 3D handbag development.
Handbag developed by OptiTex
Source: http://fashiontech.wordpress.com/2011/07/11/optitex-for-handbag-product-development/
2.2.2 Browzwear
A 3D apparel design software programme.Browzwear and the History of Fashion from oded z on Vimeo.
2.2.3 Tyvek®
A synthetic material that is malleable and can be combined with other material to create new fabrics, thus opportunity for unique designs[11].3.0 Playing with fashion: current and emerging forms of entertainment
The use of new media in fashion has capabilities outside of business; it has also been used for entertainment purposes. Fashion blogs, Second Life and iPhone apps are all forms of fashion entertainment that are becoming increasingly popular, not to mention significant in terms of the fashion house’s profit. [13] [14] [15]
3.1 Fashion blogs
Fashion blogs are an invention of the 2000s and cover a broad range of topics within fashion. The topics range from style icons, trends, street fashion, accessories and following specific fashion houses. Fashion designers are utilising the power of fashion bloggers as a means of advertising to promote their lines to readers.[16]"These days, to have one finger on the fashion pulse, you need to have the other one on your computer mouse, reading (or writing) the latest blogs.”
– Karen Kay, Daily Mail Online, 2007
3.2 Mobile apps
Mobile apps are not only being employed as powerful marketing devices by companies, but they are also a means of entertainment.[17] Non-designers can create individual lines, users can virtually try on clothes, or they can receive feedback on their outfit selection from others using the app[15].The following are links to popular iPhone fashion apps:- 20 Fashion Apps for the iPhone - The Next Web- 250 best iPad apps: fashion – The Telegraph[18]
- 25 iPhone Apps for the Mobile Fashionista – Mashable.com[17]
3.3 Second Life
Second Life is another avenue through which the fashion industry operates. It is a virtual world in which users create their own avatars, the users’ virtual representations of themselves, and have a “second life”. The runway shows, magazines, advertisements and avatars’ ability to purchase garments may be virtual, but real money is exchanged in the process. Amateur designers are using the site to penetrate into the real fashion industry, highlighting the potential for other business operations.Second Life runway show
Source: http://scan.net.au/scan/journal/display.php?journal_id=149
Second Life magazine
Source: http://ifitshipitshere.blogspot.com/2008/03/avatars-dress-better-than-we-do-paying.html
3.4 Future considerations
If the fashion industry is including virtual outlets like Second Life into genuine business dealings, it raises the issue of a set of ethical guidelines pertaining to business conduct. It is believed that a committee should be established to monitor the virtual landscape as business in the virtual world is a new, uncharted concept.4.0 References
Adams, S 2009, ‘Karl Lagerfeld: Bling is dead due to global economic crisis’, The Telegraph, 16 January, viewed 27 August 2011, <http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/news-features/TMG4268330/Karl-Lagerfeld-Bling-is-dead-due-to-global-economic-crisis.html>.
Chun, J-H 2011, ‘A review of the characteristics of digital art expressed in contemporary fashion’, International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education, vol. 4, no. 3, viewed 25 August 2011, <http://www.tandfonline.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/doi/full/10.1080/17543266.2011.585475>.
Smith, RA 2010, ‘Sequins, Fur and Bar Codes: New York Fashion Week Tries to Ditch Clipboard Culture for Electronic Efficiency’, The Wall Street Journal, 19 August, viewed 25 August 2011, <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704554104575436021510998424.html>.
Stephenson, LB & Strugatz, R 2010, ‘Social Media: The New Front Row of Fashion’, Women’s Wear Daily (WWD), 15 February, viewed 24 August 2011, <http://www.wwd.com/media-news/digital/social-media-the-new-front-row-of-fashion-2472526?full=true>.
Lee, MW 2009, ‘5 Ways Social Media Changed Fashion in 2009’, Mashable.com, 21 December, viewed 24 August 2011, <http://mashable.com/2009/12/21/social-media-fashion/>.
Hay, P 2011, ‘Hussein Chalayan: leading fashion’s digital future’, A smidge of what I fancy, 19 May, viewed 24 August 2011, <http://pgthay.wordpress.com/2011/05/19/hussein-chalayan-fashions-digital-future/>.
OptiTex Software for the Apparel Industry 2010, OptiTex, viewed 25 August 2011,<http://www.optitex.com/en/industries/fashion>.
3D Runway Designer 2010, OptiTex, viewed 25 August 2011, <http://www.optitex.com/en/products/3DRunway_Tools/3d_Runway_Designer>.
Betts, K 2009, ‘Will Fashion’s Biggest Names Kiss the Runway Goodbye?’, in Johnson, P 2010,’Media, Machinima and the Virtual Runway: The Rise of Fashionista in Second Life’, Journal of Media Arts Culture, vol. 7, no. 2, viewed 25 August 2011, <//http://scan.net.au/scan/journal/display.php?journal_id=149//>.
Kay, K 2007, ‘The fashion blog stars’, Daily Mail Online, 15 January, viewed 24 August 2011, <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-428821/The-fashion-blog-stars.html>.
Walton, R 2010, '20 Fashion Apps for the iPhone', The Next Web, 16 January, viewed 28 August 2011,<http://thenextweb.com/2010/01/16/20-cool-fashion-apps-iphone/>.
Walton, R 2010, '20 Fashion Apps for the iPhone', The Next Web, 16 January, viewed 28 August 2011,<http://thenextweb.com/2010/01/16/20-cool-fashion-apps-iphone/>.
Indvik, L 2010, ‘25 iPhone Apps for the Mobile Fashionista’, Mashable.com, 14 September, viewed 28 August 2011, <http://mashable.com/2010/09/14/best-fashion-apps-iphone/>.
250 best iPad apps: fashion, The Telegraph, 23 May, viewed 28 August 2011, <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/mobile-app-reviews/8502954/250-best-iPad-apps-fashion.html>.
Weston Thomas, P 2008, Tyvek®, Fashion Technology – Fashion History, viewed 25 August 2011, <http://www.fashion-era.com/fashiontechnology.htm>.
investigate the economy around new media and how business models with New Media could look like in the future
{{ [19]