The Virtualization of the Fashion Product

Abstract

It was since the introduction of digital technology, at the end of XX century, that the social and cultural panorama begun to change exponentially. The ways used to communicate, to produce and to design shifted drastically, driven by a technology that doubles its processing power each eighteen months and that becomes increasingly monetarily accessible. With the dawn of the XXI century, this technology becomes ubiquitous and start transform behaviours, shaping the society in ways never seen before. With the rise of smartphones, often with as much computing power as a PC (Personal Computer), it became accessible to everyone to explore the internet—the global network of things—, in an easy, affordable and uninterrupted way. This integration of technology in the daily life, generated a duality in existence, splitting the individual into two kinds of simultaneous existence: the actual existence and the virtual existence.

Individuals could now explore a new kind of existence—the digital self—which gradually became natural and integrated with sociocultural behaviours. This virtualization of the individual generates shifts in the ways of life, that globally impacts the cultural and economic structure. New needs of expression emerge and with them, new products arise.

This digital culture that is solidified during the XXI century, not only virtualizes the individual but also all the images and products surrounding him. New ways of consuming emerge, and the acquisition of goods is increasingly made with the use of screens that portrait a virtualized product. The virtualization of products is a natural evolution of our society that is silently changing the way we create and consume. The study of these subjects is essential to understand the present and the future of design practices. The process of creation gradually evolves, with technology becoming intrinsic in it. The way we create and produce products and information becomes deeply connected with digital technology, and AI (Artificial Intelligence) becomes a major mediator of our daily lives. With the rise of an informational society, flooded by information coming from everyone from everywhere, things became constantly curated and sorted in our image, generating specific views of the world.

This paper is part of a PhD research on the influence of the digital tools and virtual environments in human creativity and concept development, in the specific case of fashion design products. The virtual environments induce a drastic change in the way research, concept development and project communication are made, changing forever the practice of design. The full understanding of the creative potential of digital languages is a real necessity to those who want to be prepared to the uncertain future of fashion design. With this paper we intend to comprehend how the fashion product has been virtualized, and what is the impact of this virtualization, in society, in fashion design and in the individual.