When The World Stops, How Do You Keep Going?

It’s disconcerting when the whole world suddenly arrives in the non-physical space that you’ve occupied since you began.

The near global lockdown, and the necessary reduction of physical interactions, has collided with our mission in an entirely unexpected way. There’s no satisfaction in these circumstances. As digital advocates we are not immune to the difficulties that surround us. But we feel a renewed urgency to communicate what we do.

For The Fabricant the world of digital fashion has always been about driving innovation, creating opportunities, sparking creativity, and enhancing human connection in the non-physical environment. Now more than ever it feels essential to foster and strengthen a sense of digital community. We’d like to share our knowledge and insight, enable brands to continue to operate, and highlight ways of thinking that help to evolve what fashion is and can become. We hope it proves useful for both industry and individuals.

As ever, we’ll let our work illustrate why we passionately believe in the power of digital fashion. In a recent project Puma asked us to digitally showcase a new collection in a setting relevant to the theme of sustainability. It highlights what can be achieved with an entirely 3D narrative.

Storytelling in the digital environment gives you superpowers. Not only can you build a universe and create its landscapes, you can control its sun. Shifts in lighting, mood, and emotion are yours to play with until the final deadline. You are the creator and curator of all that you survey.

No airplane was boarded to scout a location for the shoot. No fragile environment was compromised in the name of a marketing plan. No catering truck was marshalled, no sample garments delivered, and no styling team was kept on hand ‘just in case’.

In a digitally created world, the need to manage physical interactions is an absolute non-topic.

When your entire supply chain exists on a hard drive decision-making is given room to breathe. You don’t just ‘cut out the middle man’, he ceases to exist in the first place. Fabrics and colourways can be switched and switched again in a hyper-real testing ground. With 3D design in place, production can wait for demand.

In this period of uncertainty we still have the ability to manage some of our outcomes. Whether you’re currently implementing plan B, C or D, proactively working with the technology and ideas of 3D digital fashion stacks the odds for success in your favour.

*Piece originally posted on The Fabricant’s blog: March 26, 2020.