Virtual Runways are the future of the fashion calendar

Disruptions by COVID-19 have created some fundamental shifts in how businesses and industries will operate in the coming years. More reliance on digital platforms is one of these shifts. The prevalence of a contactless environment and mandatory social distancing has pushed revisit traditional platforms and replaced them with a tech savvy and digital approach. 

The global virtual event market size is expected to take a boost. It is anticipated that digital events will fuel market growth at a rate of 23.2% from 2020 to 2027. One such industry that heavily relied on physical and social engagement is fashion. Since COVID-19, the fashion events calendar has sort of become bleak, as gatherings turn limited and safety risks continue to be high. But this did not stop the industry and the designer community to innovate and showcase their collections and ideas. Digital Runways have become mainstream, replacing the traditional production catwalks for the ongoing season!

These digital runways are like the newest fashion in the fashion space offering a wide variety of benefits for clients, which is in turn contributing to their popularity. They have a wider reach, better interactivity, and visibility with a premium immersive experience. While the fashion shows earlier were open to a limited gathering, digital medium gives the designer the expanded audience reach, and allows larger sections to view and enjoy the collection. Fashion houses are widely exploring and taking full benefit of what is called a digital fashion house intersects technology and fashion. Using advanced tech and digital tools, one can create intriguing and appealing fashion narratives and displays, beyond the physical realms. 

Tech such as 3D designing for collections, AR and VR, will soon lead to a thriving digital clothing industry, fuelled by social media and the internet generation. Fashion walks have also turned virtual, where the ramp and the walks can be arranged digitally, using AR and 3D modelling. Integrating VR and other immersive technologies have helped create an evolved fashion experience, where visitors can see an outfit in the virtual realm and their digital avatar can try it.  Designers are interacting with attendees after shows and offering digitizing fitting rooms to enable more online shopping post the showcase.

In the post-pandemic era, the fashion industry will see a blend of digital and physical, innovative show formats, as digital is not going away. The idea will be to cultivate making fashion become a more connected and experiential space, where technology will play a massive role. The runaway experience, so to say, will be a holistic combination of a physical show, live streaming, and CG technology and VR for a larger and expansive outcome for retailers and fashion brands. Further, with easy access and swift digitalization, smaller brands will have an opportunity to be recognized. They will find equal exposure as larger houses and be able to build a following for themselves. 

Technology has reduced our dependence on physical events. As innovations in virtual space increase, there will be many exciting opportunities for fashion houses along with layouts for experimentation. With the right technique and application, virtual runways and fashion appearances will be a key aspect of offering immersive experiences, from design to showcasing and even retail, whether it's online, or in actual stores.