The first round of ‘digital fashion weeks’ are upon us, and it’s possibly also the first time that shows have started on time, thanks to the wonders of streaming pre-created content. London and Paris have already taken their end of show bow, and Milan is currently in the hot seat.

By now we all know the script. The show calendars are published on a website, the public at large is invited to watch, and we get to see a filmed showreel of a new collection; sometimes factual, sometimes dreamy, sometimes quirky. Production crews rallied, models distanced, and directors actioned. So far so very familiar.

The only digital component for the majority of labels that have shown so far seems to be that the films are aired online. From The Fabricant’s perspective, though the presentations are well executed, this represents a collective failure of imagination when there was a pivotal opportunity for the industry to entirely reinvent the seasonal showcase. The extraordinary creative potential of 3D and the digital environment has been disappointingly left aside.

In our tentative post-lockdown landscapes, where inspiration-hungry fashion lovers express themselves digitally as a daily ritual, is a facsimile of a physical event, created using old world technology, really the best they can offer?

As a piece in the industry bible Business of Fashion advised in April prior to any digital shows taking place: “Brands shouldn’t approach digital events and livestreams as stand-ins for physical engagement, but as an opportunity to experiment with new formats and reach a wider audience in unexpected ways.” They took the words right out of our mouth.

Aside from Ralph and Russo, which created the digital muse ‘Hauli’ to wear its couture, and Sunnei, whose joyful avatar-driven show was backed by the creation of its own 3D platform, the vast capabilities of digital fashion remain unexploited by luxury brands.

Gravity-defying digital landscapes open up extraordinary staging possibilities.

3D garments have the superpowers to walk, or fly, themselves down the runway to show off their elegance and complexity.

Fully immersive digital universes allow prolonged participation with collections.

In-show digital networking functions enable deeper engagement with concepts.
Innovative digital experiences can set the fashion community alight with trailblazing collaborations.

Though the fashion industry is as stacked with creativity as an Alexander McQueen heel, there’s a perpetual unwillingness to let its talent run free in environments that don’t feel utterly familiar. Yes, the world of 3D digital fashion is new territory, but its creative potential has the ability to electrify and elevate the industry so it can thrive in these rapidly evolving times. And notably, it’s a transition that fashion’s audience has no problem embracing.

As the show seasons progress, there are still opportunities to build digital experiences worthy of the garments that have taken so much effort to create. But for that to happen in an impactful way, fashion must be willing to unlearn and move on from what it knows about staging runway shows - a 200-year old tradition that has become the industry equivalent of wearing comfortable house slippers.

This may be the first outing in a new era for seasonal shows, but the fashion world still has work to do to align with the digital-first spirit of the 21st century.

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The Fabricant