by helene.goedl -

IMPULSE #8 | Two YouTube Videos – Critical Voices on Digital Fashion 

Critical voices on the topic of “Digital Fashion” are numerous online. I recently watched two YouTube videos of creators voicing their skepticism on certain aspects of digital fashion.

YouTuber “Izzzyzz” offers a critical examination of the digital fashion industry, particularly focusing on the company DressX. Through a blend of humor, skepticism, and detailed analysis, she dissects the lofty promises of this burgeoning field, shedding light on its technological flaws, cultural implications, and environmental contradictions.

In recent years, the tech world has made bold forays into the fashion industry, promising a future where digital clothing would redefine how we dress, consume, and express ourselves. One company at the forefront of this movement, DressX, claims to revolutionize fashion through augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and artificial intelligence (AI). However, as explored by Izzzyzz, this vision may be more fanciful than feasible, marred by technological shortcomings, questionable environmental benefits, and cultural insensitivity.

Founded in 2020 by Ukrainian entrepreneurs Natalia Modenova and Daria Shapovalova, DressX markets itself as a digital fashion retailer, offering garments designed to be worn virtually—whether in metaverse environments like Roblox and Snapchat or through photos and videos using their Meta Closet app. This app allows users to map 3D-rendered clothing onto their images, ostensibly blending sustainability goals with tech innovation. On paper, the initiative sounds groundbreaking, yet in practice, its execution raises serious concerns.

One of DressX’s primary pitches is sustainability. By replacing physical garments with digital ones, the company aims to address overconsumption and waste in the fashion industry. Influencers, notorious for purchasing fast fashion in bulk to maintain fresh content, are a key target audience. However, the practical limitations of digital fashion—such as poorly rendered designs and awkward interactions with physical bodies—render it a hard sell. Furthermore, the company’s involvement in NFTs contradicts its sustainability ethos, as blockchain technologies are widely criticized for their substantial environmental impact.

Technological flaws also plague DressX’s offerings. The app’s functionality is often compared to basic Snapchat filters, with clothing options frequently clipping, shifting awkwardly, or looking amateurish. These failings are especially jarring considering the high cost of these virtual garments, which range from tens to hundreds of dollars. Even their flagship marketing content, aimed at showcasing the technology’s capabilities, features glaring imperfections that undermine their promise of a high-tech revolution.

Beyond technical inefficiencies, DressX’s broader implications raise cultural and ethical concerns. The app’s clothing frequently appears to favor slim, conventionally attractive bodies, reinforcing harmful beauty standards. Moreover, some of its marketing materials evoke problematic themes, such as the ability to change race or body type through virtual avatars, which risk trivializing significant social and cultural identities.

Despite these challenges, DressX has garnered attention from major brands and media outlets. Publications like Vogue and The New York Times have praised the company’s vision, while luxury labels like Fendi and Diesel have partnered with them to create digital garments. This acclaim has translated into financial success, with the company securing $15 million in funding in 2023. Yet, outside of the tech and fashion elite, consumer reception remains tepid at best. Online forums and social media comments often ridicule the product for its aesthetic shortcomings and inflated promises.

Izzzyzz’s critique highlights a recurring pattern in the tech industry: the promise of innovation often outpaces its practical application. Digital fashion might someday redefine how we engage with clothing, but DressX’s current iteration seems more like a tech gimmick than a revolutionary solution. While the concept of virtual clothing opens intriguing possibilities for creativity and sustainability, its realization requires far greater refinement and cultural sensitivity to truly resonate with the broader public.

Digital fashion remains a nascent field filled with potential and pitfalls. Companies like DressX are navigating uncharted waters, but the road to meaningful impact will require a commitment to addressing technological, environmental, and ethical shortcomings. Until then, the dream of replacing physical wardrobes with digital ones seems more like a speculative fantasy than a viable reality.

Another creator, fashion journalist Bliss Foster highlights in his somewhat critical video “The Problem with Digital Fashion” that he does not have a problem with digital fashion per se, but rather with how it is treated and talked about, as a part of a trend cycle and a technical fad. He acknowledges the value of digital fashion design itself, but also makes the argument that it should rather be treated as a separate discipline altogether. He exemplifies this by discussing a physical shirt that he owns and how all the material qualities and aspects of it are such integral parts of the design that it is impossible to reduce them away from fashion design. 

Sources

Bliss Foster. “The Problem With Digital Fashion,” April 4, 2022. Accessed January 5, 2025. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=who1-kptZzo.

Izzzyzzz. “‘Digital Clothing’ Is the Newest Tech Scam,” November 15, 2024. Accessed January 5, 2025. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWKrK91fk2U.

by helene.goedl -

IMPULSE #7 | Business of Fashion Masterclass: “The Opportunity in Digital Fashion and Avatars” 

The digital transformation is no longer a distant concept for the fashion industry; it is an immediate reality that is reshaping consumer behavior, brand strategies, and the very nature of creative expression. This was the focus of an online session hosted by the Business of Fashion (BoF) on 18.11.2021, which explored the rapidly expanding opportunities in digital fashion and avatars. Industry leaders from Burberry and Jimmy Choo joined the discussion, sharing insights on how their brands are navigating this evolving landscape and embracing new possibilities offered by digital assets.

The event revolved around the rise of digital assets and their implications for the fashion industry. These assets encompass a range of categories, including virtual garments, customizable avatars, gaming-related digital items, and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Research conducted by BoF underscored the growing consumer interest in these areas, revealing that half of the U.S. population is considering purchasing digital assets within the next twelve months. This trend is being driven by advancements in blockchain technology, the meteoric rise of gaming platforms, and the societal shifts catalyzed by the pandemic, which blurred the boundaries between the physical and virtual worlds.

Representatives from Burberry and Jimmy Choo offered vivid examples of how luxury brands are engaging with digital assets. Burberry’s collaboration with Mythical Games, for instance, led to the creation of „Sharky B,“ a digital NFT character featured in the game Blankos Block Party. The brand emphasized the importance of authenticity and creativity in its approach, going so far as to involve its physical design teams in the crafting of this virtual product. This ensured that Sharky B retained the exclusivity and attention to detail associated with Burberry’s legacy, while also allowing the brand to connect with gaming communities in a meaningful way.

Jimmy Choo, on the other hand, took a different route, partnering with artist Eric Haze to release a series of NFTs tied to a capsule collection. Their project included a charity auction of a unique digital-physical hybrid sneaker and a set of collectible “mystery boxes” featuring virtual designs. This initiative allowed Jimmy Choo to test the waters of digital engagement, attracting new, digitally savvy audiences while exploring how its brand identity could translate into the virtual space.

The session also examined the opportunities and challenges that digital assets present to the fashion industry. Gaming emerged as a particularly promising avenue for brands to engage with consumers. With billions of players worldwide, games provide an immersive environment where fashion brands can integrate their offerings, whether through skins, exclusive collaborations, or virtual runways. Additionally, NFTs and digital fashion enable brands to create and nurture communities, redefining the traditional notions of loyalty and membership. For instance, NFTs offer the potential to establish exclusive clubs or communities where membership confers both digital and real-world benefits. This blending of virtual and physical experiences is becoming increasingly significant as consumers spend more time in online spaces.

However, the journey is not without challenges. The rapid evolution of technologies like blockchain creates complexity in platform selection and strategy development. Brands must balance the allure of short-term experimentation with the need to build sustainable, long-term consumer relationships. As panelists noted, the volatility of NFTs and the speculative nature of the market require brands to be strategic in their approach, ensuring that their digital initiatives are grounded in their core values and resonate authentically with their audiences.

A recurring theme in the discussion was the importance of partnerships. Both Burberry and Jimmy Choo emphasized the value of collaborating with the right partners to navigate the complexities of the digital ecosystem. Burberry worked closely with Mythical Games to ensure its NFT character integrated seamlessly into the gaming environment, while Jimmy Choo partnered with a platform specializing in blockchain and digital collectibles to launch its NFTs. Such collaborations allow brands to tap into specialized expertise, ensuring they show up authentically and effectively in these new spaces.

Looking ahead, panelists shared their predictions for the future of digital assets in fashion. Gaming was identified as a particularly fertile ground for innovation and consumer engagement. The integration of play-to-earn models, where players can own and trade in-game assets as NFTs, offers a new layer of interactivity and value creation. At the same time, the panelists cautioned against rigid thinking and emphasized the need for brands to remain adaptable. The digital space is evolving rapidly, and those who can think creatively and redefine traditional notions of luxury behavior will be best positioned to succeed.

Another area of optimism was the potential for NFTs to build lasting connections between brands and consumers. NFTs offer an unparalleled opportunity to create a sense of exclusivity and authenticity, fostering deeper engagement and loyalty. For instance, owning a brand’s NFT could grant access to exclusive events, limited-edition products, or even virtual worlds where consumers can further engage with the brand’s story.

The fashion industry is uniquely positioned to thrive in the digital realm. With its emphasis on storytelling, creativity, and identity, the industry can leverage digital assets to craft compelling narratives and help consumers curate their digital identities. As consumers increasingly value self-expression in virtual environments, brands that invest in innovation, authenticity, and meaningful partnerships will lead the way into this exciting new frontier.

Sources

The Business of Fashion. “The Opportunity in Digital Fashion and Avatars | #BoFMasterclass,” November 18, 2021. Accessed January 5, 2025. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IpRFzcYqkU.


BoF INSIGHTS. “The Opportunity in Digital Fashion and Avatars.” Accessed January 5, 2025. https://insights.businessoffashion.com/products/the-opportunity-in-digital-fashion-and-avatars.

by helene.goedl -

IMPULSE #6 | Film: “Padmavaat” 

Recently, I watched the Indian movie „Padmavaat“. The film, which released in 2018 stirred up multiple controversies among some communities of the Indian public. Directed by acclaimed Indian director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, „Padmavaat“ is set in medieval Rajasthan. It revolves around the story of Queen Padmavati, who marries a noble king and lives a prosperous live. Soon, an ambitious Sultan hears of Padmavati’s beauty and forms an obsessive love for the Queen, sparking a plan to steal her away for himself.1 

Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who is known for his elaborate period dramas, had faced multiple instances of backlash from the Rajput community since the production of the film started. The controversy hinged mostly on grievances about the portrayal of Rani Padmavati, which were seen as insulting and misrepresenting. Protests even turned violent, with protesters vandalising sets and even attacking the director himself. After a rescheduling, the movie was finally released on 25 January 2018. 

One of the details of the movie which spurred backlash was the performance and costuming featured in the song. “Ghoomar”. Diegetic songs and choreographed dance numbers are a prominent aspect of Indian films and are featured in a large majority of films of all genres. On Twitter, critics argued that the song misrepresented the Rajput queen Padmavati, leading to claims of disrespect. Protests erupted in November 2017, with some asserting that Rajput queens never danced publicly. Women from the Rajput community joined the protests, voicing concerns that the depiction of the queen in revealing attire was inappropriate. They stated that a Rajput queen would neither perform before an audience nor expose her midriff.

The controversy also drew the attention of the Central Board of Film Certification. On 30 December 2017, the board requested edits to scenes showing Padukone’s midriff to present a more modest portrayal of Queen Padmavati. Instead of reshooting, director Sanjay Leela Bhansali used computer-generated imagery to implement the changes. A revised version of „Ghoomar“ was released on 20 January 2018, featuring Padukone’s midriff digitally covered.2 

The achievement of this digital clothing insertion is quite remarkable, since the dance number features complicated movements that not only pose an immense challenge for rendering a realistic movement and lighting of the fabric but are further complicated by the tracking the body of the actress Deepika Padukone. The original shot was not captured with tracking in mind, which must have made it extremely challenging for the CGI artists. Unfortunately, I was not able to find details on the process of how the digital clothes where inserted. It would have been a fascinating case study.

Why is this Topic Relevant for my Thesis?

The insertion of digital clothing to meet standards of modesty in different film industries around the world is quite a common practice. A different and more recent example apart from “Padmavaat” is the 2023 Hollywood film “Oppenheimer”, in which a nude scene featuring actress Florence Pugh was altered for some distribution markets by inserting a digital black dress.3

This censorship through digital clothes is one application of “digital fashion” that presents a very concrete real world use case. The implications of using these digital clothing insertions are worth discussing as a separate topic. Several aspects can be discussed, such as the validity of these modesty standards in the first place (which of course is a much larger and much more intricate topic). Alterations that are performed to the original vision of the costume designer by inserting these digital garments for censorship reasons are also an interesting discussion to have. I have not been able to find sources discussing whether the digital clothing designs were discussed with the costume designers of the respective movies. But the issue of whether or not they align with the original vision of the costume designer is questionable to say the least.

Images

Screenshot from the original music video version of the song „Ghoomar“ before digital clothing insertion.
Screenshot from the song „Ghoomar“ after digital clothing insertion. A piece of embroidered cloth was inserted on the midriff.

1 “Padmaavat (2018).”

2 “Padmaavat Before and After: Look How They Secretly Covered up Deepika Padukone’s Midriff in Ghoomar.”

3 Rubin, “Florence Pugh’s Nude Scene in ‘Oppenheimer’ Covered Up by CGI Black Dress in India and Middle East.”

Sources

IMDb. “Padmaavat (2018)” January 25, 2018. Accessed January 5, 2025. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5935704/.

Hindustan Times. “Padmaavat Before and After: Look How They Secretly Covered up Deepika Padukone’s Midriff in Ghoomar,” January 20, 2018. https://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/ghoomar-before-and-after-look-how-they-secretly-covered-up-deepika-padukone-s-midriff-in-padmaavat-song/story-6wceiAO2DAu3u0GgmJhdAM.html.

Rubin, Rebecca. “Florence Pugh’s Nude Scene in ‘Oppenheimer’ Covered Up by CGI Black Dress in India and Middle East.” Variety, July 24, 2023. https://variety.com/2023/film/news/oppenheimer-florence-pugh-nudity-india-cgi-black-dress-1235678665/.

by helene.goedl -

IMPULSE #5 | Exhibition Visit: “Touch & Feel”

From the 10th to the 27th of October 2024, the re:pair festival took place at the MQ Vienna. During the festival, many activities and events took place, all revolving around the topic of repairing and fixing anything from appliances to bicycles, from musical instruments to furniture and, most importantly for me – clothes.

   “The third edition of the re:pair FESTIVAL will take place from October 10 to 27, 2024, with the festival headquarters located in the MuseumsQuartier.

This year’s re:pair FESTIVAL program offers an exciting mix of practice and theory with over 120 events. A variety of workshops will teach creative skills and the joy of repairing. Knowledge will be shared through lectures, ambulances, walks and two exhibitions.

To make the festival accessible to everyone, admission to most events is free.

Repair is an important tool in the fight against the climate crisis. Repair allows for more efficient use of products and more careful use of our resources. And it is easy to integrate into everyday life. Repair is cheap, fun, creative, and empowering.”1

Although I unfortunately missed most of the festival due to sickness and schedule conflicts, I managed to visit one of the exhibitions which was part of the program. The exhibition – curated by Tina Zickler – dealt with the quality of materials in fashion and emphasised the touch aspect of traditional natural materials versus modern materials. The title of the exhibition “Touch & Feel – Quality in Fashion” reflects this.

About the Exhibition “Touch & Feel”

“If you compare the quality of today’s fabrics, buttons and other sewing accessories as well as their workmanship with the standards of 100 years ago, you have to admit a blatant loss of quality. This is why many young people and adults are only familiar with low-quality clothing made from synthetic fibers, especially polyester. The outstanding properties of renewable natural materials – sustainability, durability and comfort – are unknown to many people today. The “Touch & Feel” exhibition shows the quality of fabrics, buttons and other sewing accessories in the past. Linen, silk, wool, rabbit fur, mother-of-pearl, glass and horn buttons versus polyester, polyamide and plastic ->>> Touch & Feel!”2

The exhibition was installed in the “Schauraum der Angewandten im MQ” in the Museum Quarter in Vienna. While the space is quite small, resulting in the exhibition having to be on a reduced scale, it still managed to incorporate several aspects material questions in the fashion system. Natural materials where exhibited in different states of fabrication. Linnen was displayed from the raw material to the first fibre processing to a finished piece of clothing. Visitors were allowed to touch all the exhibits which added considerably to the experience and gave the material component another dimension through which fibre quality could be comprehended.
The natural materials were juxtaposed with textiles made from synthetic fibre. In some cases, it is astonishing how similar the first impression of synthetic materials can be to natural materials. It is only once you touch and feel the materials on the skin that you can really perceive the difference as a wearer. 

Why is this Topic Relevant for my Thesis?

One of the aspects of digital fashion that is interesting to me is that the material quality of clothing, which is such an important aspect of fashion design gets completely lost. An interesting corresponding development in “traditional” fashion design of today – which was also covered in the exhibition – is that the material seems to become less important as well. Particularly in fast fashion, the tactile quality of the textiles seems to not be a priority any more, but the selection of material is much more dominated by considerations of price and outer appearance of the fabric. This has lead to a decline in overall fibre and textile quality across the board in the textile market because buyers are demanding low prices and quickly produced materials rather than sustainably produced and comfortable to wear fabrics. It will be interesting to delve further into the topic of materiality in my further research and writing. 

Images

1MuseumsQuartier Wien. “Re:Pair FESTIVAL.” Accessed November 12, 2024. https://www.mqw.at/en/program/repair-festival.
2re:pair Festival 13.10.–5.11.2023, Programm – Re:Pair Festival 10.-27.10.2024. (Translated by DeepL)

Sources

“Re:Pair FESTIVAL,” MuseumsQuartier Wien, accessed November 12, 2024, https://www.mqw.at/en/program/repair-festival.

re:pair Festival 13.10.–5.11.2023, Programm – Re:Pair Festival 10.-27.10.2024, October 11, 2024, Re:Pair Festival 10.-27.10.2024, October 11, 2024, https://repair-festival.wien/programm/?date=2024-10-11.

All Images © Helene Goedl 2024

by helene.goedl -

IMPULSE #4 | Lecture Performance: “REPAIR!_Fashion” by Evelyn Roth

On the 27th of October, a lecture performance by designer Evelyn Roth took place as part of the program of the Vienna based “re:pair festival” 2024. The lecture performance dealt with the role of the repair process in the current fashion system. Under the title “REPAIR!_Fashion – The Relevance of Repair as an Act of Creativity in Circular Processes”, Roth engaged in an act of repairing a garment live on stage before elaborating on the role and the status of the act of visibly repairing and mending garments. Using the example of a blouse, Roth illustrated the repair process as a socio-political statement and creative act. Within the design context, the lecture discussed the possible future of design processes in circular workflows.

The focus of the talk was on the emerging hierarchical change in the structure of fashion: REPAIR!_Fashion aimed to be understood in the context of a systemic and structural change in fashion. Repairing fashion provokes an expanding aesthetic perception and a political positioning that the act of repairing as a design process entails.  In the words of Orsola de Castro, upcyclist, fashion designer, author and co-founder of Fashion Revolution: “Repairing your clothes can be a revolutionary act. “1

About Evelyn Roth

“Evelyne Roth is a designer and a lecturer on the BA in Fashion Design, the MA Master’s Studio ICDP and the cross-institute CoCreate programme of the FHNW Academy of Art and Design. She has held posts at a number of institutions as an expert in Design Thinking and Forecasting. Questioning common processes in the fashion industry, attempting to break with them and launching products that make a contemporary statement are all part of her holistic brief as a designer. Her practice and teaching in design focus on circular design, research, conception and materiality.”2

Key Takeaways

The main issue concerning the visible repair and resale of clothes Roth illustrated in her lecture is the uncertain legal status of reselling a visibly mended garment as a new or updated design under the name of the repairing designer. Roth highlights that for a long time, the goal of repairing was to make the repair process as invisible as possible. She mentioned brands like the luxury fashion house Hermès, who have a dedicated repair program for their bags. The goal of their repair strategy is to “reset” the products to their original state as well as possible, without leaving visible traces of the repair process. Roth postulates that the act of repair should be reconsidered as a creative act of its own which is allowed to leave traces. Through her example of a blouse however, she illustrates what the challenges for such a recontextualization can bring. In her performance, Roth visibly mended a blouse which was originally designed by Dries van Noten. If she wanted to resell the blouse as her own design, there would be a legal argument for copyright infringement because of the protections on the original design. The entire discussion went into more detail, illustrating that within fashion, copyright is a complicated question in general. Some aspects of fashion designs are protectable by copyright, like pattern designs. Certain other aspects however, cannot be protected by copyright, such as silhouettes for example. The copyright question does not come up when a garment is sold without visible mending manipulations as a second hand item attributed to the original designer, which begs the question – when does a repair become visible enough to be relevant and what are the rights of the visible mender in this process.

My impression of the talk was that this issue is certainly interesting and seems to be quite complicated. I personally do not quite see the visible repair of garments and the resale of them on a large scale as an issue that reach dimensions where it will really disrupt the fashion system. However, I of course have not done extensive research on this and can therefore only state my first impression and general opinion in this case. 
As for the relevance to my research topic – I believe digital fashion faces a similar issue of copyright and especially ownership. These topics will be discussed further in a future regular blog post.  

1Programm – Re:Pair Festival 10.-27.10.2024. October 27, 2024. Re:Pair Festival. https://repair-festival.wien/programm/?date=2024-10-27.
2FHNW. “Evelyne Roth.” Accessed November 11, 2024. https://www.fhnw.ch/en/people/evelyne-roth.

Sources

“Evelyne Roth,” FHNW, accessed November 11, 2024, https://www.fhnw.ch/en/people/evelyne-roth.

Programm – Re:Pair Festival 10.-27.10.2024, October 27, 2024, Re:Pair Festival, October 27, 2024, https://repair-festival.wien/programm/?date=2024-10-27.

All Images © Helene Goedl 2024

by helene.goedl -

IMPULSE #3 | Open House: Die Angewandte – Fashion Department and University Library

At their yearly Open House, the Angewandte (University of Applied Arts Vienna) opens its doors to everyone who wants to get to know the courses on offer at the university or is just interested in taking a look behind the scenes. At the Open House, the studios, workshops and departments of the University of Applied Arts are open to visitors. Students and teachers share insights into everyday university life. Information stands on site and online provide the opportunity for further exchange about the study programmes.1 This year, I seized the opportunity to visit the fashion department at the Angewandte Open House.  

Why was the Open House relevant for my Thesis?

Fashion study programs, fashion design education and their curricula are excellent indicators of where the fashion scene is headed at a given time. Sometimes, these study programs are on the pulse of current developments, sometimes they lag behind for one reason or another. My main objective in visiting the open house was to explore where the fashion department at the Angewandte stands on the role of digital fashion design, whether this development is incorporated into the education and if there are projects already on display that might show the status on this question. Additionally, I made use of the opportunity to take a tour of the Angewandte university library to explore the possibility of using it for my Master’s thesis research.

The Fashion Department

The fashion department at the Angewandte is one of the most successful fashion design education programs in Europe. The admission is highly selective, only taking on between 5 and 10 students each year. The program is currently headed by fashion designer Craig Green.

“London-born designer Craig Green MBE established his namesake label in 2012 shortly after graduating the Fashion Masters course at Central Saint Martins. He has since carved out a unique position amongst the industry’s most innovative talents and continues to earn both critical and commercial success globally.”2

The head of department position is re-staffed in short intervals in order to provide the students with exposure to different approaches during their 5 year study period. The degree program is a diploma, which means it is not divided into a bachelor’s and a master’s degree.

The Fashion Design programme highly values the development of a distinctive creative style and artistic vision in their students.  In close guidance from the professors, “students explore the critical potential of fashion between materiality, corporeality, and concept.The curriculum comprises traditional pattern cutting and construction skills alongside digital skills and techniques. Students benefit from a state-of-the-art, industry-standard sewing atelier, knitting atelier and a spacious studio with a personal work space for each student. Students are given the possibility to work in professionally equipped studio spaces and workshops both within the Fashion Department and other departments of the University of Applied Arts.”3

The department has seen many highly acclaimed professionals in the lead position, such as l Karl Lagerfeld, Helmut Lang, Jil Sander, Raf Simons, Vivienne Westwood, Viktor & Rolf, Bernhard Willhelm, Hussein Chalayan, Lucie and Luke Meier and  Grace Wales Bonner to name a few.3

“Graduates of the Fashion Department have founded their own labels, such as Bless, house of the very island’s, Wendy Jim, Petar Petrov, Femme Maison, Sagan Vienna, Kenneth Ize, and others. Others occupy leading positions in the fashion industry, working for brands such as Balenciaga, Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen, Lanvin, OAMC, Prada, Comme des Garçons or Maison Margiela.”3

With regard to digital fashion, I was able to find out that CLO3D is taught in the curriculum as an industry standard program. In terms of digital fashion collections or digital garment developments, I was not able to find any significant presence, suggesting that while the aspect of digital fashion has a place in the curriculum, it is not a focus of the program. The focus is still very much on physical tailoring and traditional skills in the fashion design process, which I believe is a good and solid approach and the successes of the graduating designers prove this. 

The Library

Since the Angewandte has a fashion department, their library catalog naturally is much more extensive than the one at FH Joanneum with regard to this design discipline. I took a guided library tool and created a library account for external students and will be making use of the resources for my thesis. 

Images

1“Angewandte Open House 2024.”
2Craig Green. “About.” Accessed November 11, 2024. https://craig-green.com/pages/about.
3“Fashion – dieAngewandte.”

Sources

“About,” Craig Green, accessed November 11, 2024, https://craig-green.com/pages/about.

“Angewandte Open House 2024,” Angewandte Open House 2024, October 14, 2024, accessed November 11, 2024, https://openhouse.uni-ak.ac.at/en/.

“Fashion – dieAngewandte,” accessed November 11, 2024, https://www.dieangewandte.at/fashion.

All Images © Helene Goedl 2024

by helene.goedl -

IMPULSE #2 | Event: “ORF Lange Nacht der Museen” – Mode Wien Pop Up Museum

On Saturday, October 5, 2024, this year’s “ORF Lange Nacht der Museen” (“night of museums”) took place throughout Austria. For the 24th time, the event allowed visitors to explore a large number of museums with just one ticket. Once again this year, numerous museums and galleries participated in the event and opened their doors from 6.00 pm to midnight.

In addition to varied exhibitions, many exciting special events were part of the evening. Visitors could choose their personal highlights from the wide range on offer and visit all participating museums and events with just one ticket. The participating museums offered a wide range of experiences, from small, curious and eccentric locations to large, renowned cultural institutions.1

I decided to explore the “long night” in Vienna this year, and one of the participating institutions I selected for one of my visits was of special interest to my thesis topic and my research into digital fashion.
The PopUp Museum of Mode Wien in the Guild House of Viennese Fashion Makers was located in the historic center of Vienna. The site used to serve as an accommodation for itinerant garment makers. The exhibition “Symbiosis”, which was on display during the “long night” pays tribute to the creative energy and craftsmanship of the Viennese fashion scene.2

Why was this Exhibition relevant for my Thesis?

In my research into fashion design, one component of interest for my research is the way fashion is displayed in museum exhibitions. Fashion has a long history of “fighting” to be viewed as an art form, often times being perceived as lesser than classic artistic disciplines such as painting, sculpture or even literature and music. The idea that fashion is more trivial as an artistic discipline certainly has many underlying causes, not least of which is the aspect that fashion was and is to this day perceived as a female domain as well as a part of pop culture, which lowers its merit in the eyes of certain fractions of the art scene. Interest in fashion is not often equated to other interests in the arts, often being dismissed as something mundane and trivial. In recent years however, the perception of fashion has shifted and the artistic merit of the craft as a discipline of art is finally gaining more traction. Along with this tension of fighting for its place in the art cannon, exhibiting fashion can be a challenge because fashion usually depends to a certain extent on the incorporation of movement, body and the context of being worn. This makes it a challenge to exhibit in an engaging way.

Exhibition Review

The space in the guild house was divided into sections. In one of the rooms, the exhibition “Symbiosis” was displayed. This exhibition featured designs from Viennese fashion designers in correspondence with artworks by local artists, all elaborating on the same topic. The correspondence between the garments and the art pieces created an interesting dialogue and extended and re-contextualized the designs on display. The overall exhibition design however, was unfortunately not quite as successful as it could have been. Since the “long night” always attracts a large number of visitors, the exhibition was quite crowded and the space did not provide good opportunities for easy crowd guidance, resulting in a rather hurried exhibition experience. 

The other section of the space was dedicated to a pop up shop where some local designers had the opportunity to sell some of their designs and give insights into their design process. The designers were present and this provided an opportunity to ask further questions about their creations which was a nice component. Overall however, I would have preferred if they could have dedicated the whole space to the exhibition concept in favour of a better visitor flow and a more pleasant overall visiting experience. It became quite clear that the exhibition was likely more of an afterthought and the pop up shop spatially took priority over it, which was a pity. Although I understand the overall concept and I appreciate the approach with the correspondence to other art disciplines, I must say that I have seen fashion exhibited in more engaging ways in other museums, such as the exhibition “Dressing the Body” at the Disseny Hub Barcelona. 

Images

1ORF Lange Nacht Der Museen. “Info,” 2024. https://langenacht.orf.at/info.
2ORF Marketing & Creation GmbH & Co KG. “ORF Lange Nacht der Museen Booklet.” Press release, 2024.

Sources

“Dressing the Body. Silhouettes and Fashion (1550-2015),” Disseny Hub Barcelona, December 12, 2023, https://www.dissenyhub.barcelona/en/exhibition/dressing-body-silhouettes-and-fashion-1550-2015.

“Info,” ORF Lange Nacht Der Museen, 2024, https://langenacht.orf.at/info.

ORF Marketing & Creation GmbH & Co KG, “ORF Lange Nacht der Museen Booklet,” Press release, 2024, accessed November 11, 2024.

All Images © Helene Goedl 2024

by helene.goedl -

IMPULSE #1 | Film: “Notebook on Cities and Clothes”

About the Film

In his 1989 film “Notebook on Cities and Clothes”, Wim Wenders documents Japanese fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto’s journey through developing a collection for a fashion show in Paris. Although Wenders previously expressed a disinterest in fashion, he accepted the commission to create a film on Yamamoto when he was approached by the Centre Pompidou in Paris for the production.
In the film, Wenders intercuts interviews with Yamamoto with documentary scenes shot in his atelier while he develops a collection with his team. In the process, Wenders finds appreciation and understanding for the process of fashion design by finding parallels to his own creative practice. Wenders labels this project as a “diary film”, shooting primarily without a team and filming most of the material himself.1 

About his approach to fashion before making the project, Wenders says in his voiceover in the film: “The world of fashion… I am interested in the world, not in fashion. But maybe my judgement was premature. Why shouldn’t I try to approach the topic without prejudices. Why not look at fashion like any other industry, the film industry for example?”

“Filmmaking…should sometimes just be a way of life. Like going for a walk, reading a newspaper, writing something down, driving a car, or making this film. From day to day it writes itself, driven by the curiosity for the topic.2

About Yohji Yamamoto

Yohji Yamamoto was born on the 3rd of October 1943. He is among the most notable modern Japanese fashion designers. Yamamoto is based in Tokyo and Paris. Noted as a masterful tailor, his brand identity is marked by his avant-garde tailoring which also incorporates Japanese design aesthetics.3

Why is this Film an Impulse for my Thesis?

In the course of my research, it is becoming more and more clear that my thesis will deal at least in part with an exploration of the material component of fashion and clothing, the role materiality plays in our relationship to clothing and the challenges this poses for extending the fashion design discipline into the digital world. 

In the film, director Wim Wenders mentions his starting point for his exploration into the world of fashion design – a jacked he owned that gave him a special feeling when he wore it. The piece was by Yohji Yamamoto.2 This is an example for the importance of materiality in fashion design, especially in how the wearer builds a relationship to garments. 

Wenders and Yamamoto connect over the famous August Sander photo documentary work “People of the 20th Century” in which Sander “documented” everyday people in their environments through portraits (The word “documented” is in quotations because we know today that some of the images were staged by Sander and are not truthful to the real circumstances of the portrayed people). While Wenders admires it as an iconic work of photography, Yamamoto is fascinated by the clothes and demeanour of the portrayed people. Yamamoto appreciates how clothes back in that time reflected and communicated a lot more about a persons circumstances in life.2
This can be seen as positive or negative. Clothing as a tool of social stigmatisation is also a common occurrence throughout history. 


Personal Key Moments from the Film: 

  • Digital craftsmanship – Wim Wenders interjects the elaborations of Yamamoto on Sander’s work by questioning the value of digital craftsmanship in comparison to classical craftsmanship. Especially connected to the people depicted in Sander’s portraits. Wenders essentially questions whether digital processes will ever be able to compare to the value of physical craftsmanship.
From: Notebook on Cities and Clothes (1989).
  • Craftsmen’s morals – “[…] in short, to find the essence of a thing through the process of fabricating it”.2 – Another instance of an argument in favour of the importance of physical process. 
From: Notebook on Cities and Clothes (1989).
  • Designing time – Yamamoto postulates that if he could design anything, it would be time. He says some materials are alive, they age and the true finished garment is a product of time.2 Here, we see another component of the analog fashion’s life cycle that cannot be translated into digital space. Or does digital fashion have the ability to age? What would digital aging look like? Will digital fashion age through outdated formats, low resolution, outdated shading and 3D modelling conventions?
From: Notebook on Cities and Clothes (1989).
  • Importance of collaboration – fashion as a collaborative art form is brought up in the final scenes of the film. Yamamoto and his team come together to review the collection shown at Paris fashion week and celebrate. Wenders acknowledges the importance of each of their contributions – does this collaboration get lost in the digital fashion design process?

1“Notebook on Cities and Clothes | Wim Wenders Stiftung.”
2 Notebook on Cities and Clothes.
3 Wikipedia contributors, “Yohji Yamamoto.”

Bibliography:

“Notebook on Cities and Clothes | Wim Wenders Stiftung,” n.d., https://wimwendersstiftung.de/en/film/notebook-on-cities-and-clothes/.

Notebook on Cities and Clothes. 35mm Color, 1989. https://www.primevideo.com/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.52af787f-a727-4c08-92cd-19e1ac0a8357.

Wikipedia contributors. “Yohji Yamamoto.” Wikipedia, November 5, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yohji_Yamamoto.

by helene.goedl -

21 | Proseminar Master Thesis | Task III – Evaluation of a Master Thesis

For this evaluation task, I have selected the master thesis “Digital fashion for sustainable change a strategy for digital fashion at Tommy Hilfiger” by Charlotte Joliijn Hoekstra. The thesis was submitted in March 2021 at Delft University of Technology for the completion of the masters degree in Strategic Product Design. The evaluation considers the following criteria:

  1. Level of Design The thesis is well designed and comprehensive owing to its employment of color coded layout and clearly structured chapter marking. The reading flow is easy and the overall appearance of the thesis is appealing. Graphics and statistics are also designed in a uniform way, which contributes to the cohesive appearance of the work.
  2. Degree of Innovation
    The topic of the thesis is quite innovative and new, especially for the time of publication. There research topic of digital fashion is not yet extensively researched in academic context at time of writing. Additionally, the concrete and precisely narrowed down scope of the thesis makes it a useful case study and an important reference basis for further research in this area of study.
  3. Independence
    The thesis demonstrates a high degree of independence and effort on the part of the researcher. The outcomes are tangible and underline the amount of independent research that was conducted for the paper.
  4. Outline and Structure
    The structure is extremely reader friendly and clear. The researcher provides a table of contents that includes an executive summary as well as a reading guide in the beginning of the text. The thesis is then divided into five main areas, titled “Discover”, “Why”, “How”, “What” and “Conclude” which each of the sections being color coded and further divided into subchapters. This is extremely helpful for readers in guiding their reading experience of the paper.
  5. Degree of Communication
    The degree of communication high, the manner of communication is effective and the research topic, though extensive, is well communicated. The author manages to relate the basis of the topic and the background information needed to understand the most important aspects of the research in a clear and understandable manner, enabling even readers who are unfamiliar with the research area to understand the thesis. 
  6. Scope of the Work
    The scope of this work appears to be quite extensive and becomes evident primarily in the discussion of the research objectives, the scope of the deliverables and the research methodology. The researcher employs various methodological tools, such as the Vision in Product design method on the design side and scientific research methods current state of the art evaluations and focus group research. The paper consists of 85 pages including the bibliography and title page, and I would evaluate this as a quite extensive scope for a paper at this level.
  7. Orthography and Accuracy
    Orthography and accuracy are on an appropriate level. No obvious mistakes in orthography, grammar or mistakes of any kind in the writing could be detected while reading the thesis. 
  8. Literature
    The author cites 44 sources, which I would classify as a number on the lower end of the scale especially in relation to the extensiveness of the work. However, the novelty of the topic and the limitations in existing research justify this quite low number of referenced works. The cited references are varied and diverse and draw from different categories of sources. Overall, the literature is satisfactory but could be slightly more extensive. 

Overall Evaluation
Overall, this thesis is very well written, has a clear and appealing layout, an excellent reading flow and demonstrates a high degree of innovation. The slightly low number of literature sources is compensated well by the extent of independent research conducted by the author. In the Austrian grading system, I would grade this thesis as a 1 (very good).

Source:
Hoekstra, Charlotte. „Digital fashion for sustainable change: A strategy for digital fashion at Tommy Hilfiger.“ (2021).

by helene.goedl -

20 | Designing A Digital Fashion Garment – The Final Project

For my final project, I decided to draft a pattern for pants in CLO3D. I am following a tutorial for the basic shape and will modify the garment according to my design preferences.

Preparing the Avatar

To begin the process, I decided to modify one of the default avatars from the CLO library to my own measurements. This was relatively easy and it’s a quick method to get a fairly accurate representation of your body in the digital space. However, the problem with this method is that body proportions vary greatly from person to person and the distribution of certain measurements creates a very different base shape of the body. Even though CLO allows you to input a lot of specific measurements, such as knee, leg and calf circumference, it does still calculate the spaces between the input custom measurements automatically, resulting in certain idiosyncratic body shapes to be lost in the process. For example, the difference between my high and low hip measurement is quite substantial and creates a dip at the hip area but there is no way (that I could find) to represent the shape between those two measurements inside the avatar editor. So to get a very accurate representation of your own body, you would have to make a custom model from scratch and load it into the program. For this project, I decided to go with the approximately correct model achieved by modifying the default avatar.

Drafting the Pattern

After the Avatar was prepared, I started developing the pants pattern according to this tutorial. 

First, I had to calculate some measurements as listed below.

Pants measurements

Avatar:
Hip: 97 cm  (31.2in)
Half hip: 48,5 cm (19in)
Waist: 65 cm (25.6in)
Outseam: 95cm (37.4in)
Inseam: 75cm (29.5in)
Knees: 18in
Ankles: 13.75in

Measurement Percentages (of half hip in inches):
21% 3.99in
55% 10.45in
47% 8.93in
10% 1.9in
20% 3.8in

Math:
Front Waist: 25.6 / 4 + .375 = 6.775
Back Waist: 25.6 / 4 – .375 = 6.025
Front Knee: 18 / 2 +.75 = 9.75
Front Ankle: 13.75 / 2 – .375 = 6.5
Back Ankle: 13.75 / 2 + .375 = 7.25 

The pattern drafting process was very similar to the analog process on paper and gave me lots of flashbacks to pattern drafting class. Especially when following an instruction with different measurements, there can be some confusing moments in the process and my lack of practice over the last years definitely showed while I was developing the pattern. 

Following the tutorial was a very helpful way of getting familiar with all the tools in the 2D Pattern drafting window. Some of them I found to be less intuitive than I originally thought while going though them in the overview tutorial series. For example, the curving tools don’t respond in the way that I would expect and the way I know these types of tools from other programs, so they were challenging to use in the drafting process. 

At the end, I did manage to construct the pattern and I could move on to arranging the pieces on the avatar and sew and simulate the garment.

Fit Issues, Modifications and Fabric Choices 

I tried to correct this issue by re-measuring the inseam of my avatar, going back to the pattern in the 2D window and comparing the measurement to the inseam on the pattern. By gradually editing the curvature and approximating it to the inseam measurements, I managed to somewhat resolve the issue, although the result was still not perfect. 

After sewing, I noticed some significant bunching  issues around the crotch area, a typical issue in pant patterns.

After I was mostly happy with the base pattern, I started modifying it by changing the leg shape, adding a waistband and a zipper. I also experimented with the fabric options from the CLO library and settled on a black woven cotton fabric for the final pant model. 

Sewing Issues and Draping

After I made my modifications, I simulated the sewing again and ran into some issues, especially resulting from new pattern pieces on the waistband and zipper fly that where supposed to be sewn over top of each other. As you can see in the screen capture below, the program was confused as to how to arrange the overlapping seam lines and unfortunately, I was not yet able to find a solution for this issue. Another problem I had was with the developing of the waistband, which was not included in the pattern pieces from my original pattern so I had to develop it myself and as mentioned before, my lack of practice showed once again. The waistband could be improved, especially in the curvature on the side seams.

After the sewing, I draped the garment on the avatar, which was fun but also confusing sometimes, because the mesh of the avatar sometimes interacts strangely with the mesh of the garment model.

When I was happy with the draping, I took the garment model into the final processing step in CLO.

Animation, Render and Import into Blender

As a final step in CLO I took the model into the animation workspace. This workspace is quite easy to use and intuitive for anyone who has used a similar 3D program before.

I chose a preset walk cycle from the CLO library, which worked very well and smooth. For the final render, I went with the invisible avatar render. I exported the model, including the walk cycle animation as an alembic (.abc) file. I then loaded the model into Blender, where I had some issues with the fabric of the model not translating well from CLO. Because I wasn’t able to find the cause of the issue, I decided to use a similar cotton fabric material from Blenderkit for the pants model. Finally, I created a little scene, animated some camera movement and rendered the model with Cycles.

Final Product

Final Thoughts

I really enjoyed the process of getting familiar with CLO3D. During the initial phase of learning the basic functions of the program, I had the impression that it would be quite easy to work out the final project. However, while working on my final piece, I realized which functions of the program are still not as clear to me as I thought and which features I need more practice with. Additionally, I learned that there are other methods of developing pattern in CLO, as I have seen some tutorials where users cut out and drape on the 3D model in a more free-form approach. This is something I would like to try out in future projects, because I realized while developing the pattern in the „traditional“ way, that my knowledge on pattern development is quite rusty and I need to either brush up on it or find other methods for reaching a good end product. Another aspect I would like to work more on in the future is the fabric export and modification options because I had some issues with this in my final project.

Overall, I will definitely keep learning more about CLO and hopefully get better and figure out solutions to probelms I was not able to fix this time around.