ABSTRACT
Digital Clothes and the ‘Future of Fashion’
Fashion items are perishable goods. Styles and designs go out of date once a season is over, rendering the garments obsolete. Large proportions of unsold stock are classified as and disposed of as rubbish, rather than put to an alternative use. This phenomenon was amplified during the Covid-19 crisis. This is one of the reasons the traditional garment industry becomes the target for criticism of campaigners. Some hope is, however, attached to advances especially through digital technology for innovative production and materials as ‘the future of fashion’ – as a promise to make the fashion industry sustainable. This chapter focuses on digital garments, explores potentials and reflects on the meaning of this construct as a feasible way towards a positive contribution. This type of fashion item allows to transcend conventional material and production restrictions and thereby offers opportunities for design innovation. To answer the question whether digital clothing can make a difference, this chapter raises the question: Which effects is this phenomenon likely to have on the dynamics of consumption, production and aesthetics and the affordance of the consumption experience as compared to material vestimentary objects?
