Technology and Fashion?

I hope to use this series of articles to inform readers about the all-encompassing nature of fashion which spreads into a wide range of fields. One of the more obvious and relevant fields of fashion is technology. Technology is constantly shaping 21st century society and its filtration into fashion is fascinating. Various aspects of technology can be used to better customer experiences and even improve the ethics of fashion; read on.

The use of AI (Artificial Intelligence) is helping to further the experience of customers; both online and in-store. More and more luxury brands (such as Louis Vuitton) are including iPads in their stores to make browsing and shopping an easier and perhaps more pleasant experience as a whole. AI can be used for trend forecasting potentially using statistics in a more reliable way than humans. AI can also easily personalise choices for customers, making the all-consuming choice of clothes more easy. On the whole, AI is hugely helpful for improving shopping experiences, but will it alleviate the pain of shopping for some or damage the experience for others?

Iris van Herpen, a cutting-edge Dutch fashion designer, is making big steps in the field of sustainable fashion as well as the relationship between technology and fashion. Her clothes manage to create a fusion between past and present, and her use of 3D printing to produce her garments is truly pioneering. This 3D printing saves labour and cost, therefore lessening the need for the truly unethical sweat shops and producing more ethical and sustainable fashion. Her collections continue to push boundaries and the true essence of futuristic fashion.

Iris van Herpen Haute Couture SS18

Finally, another façade of the technological surge in fashion is - of course - smartphone usage. Everyone has a smartphone. This allows for companies to buy into this popular usage of technology. Facial recognition (already used by the likes of Huawei and Apple) can be used to personalise shopping, purchase items with ease, and allow companies to understand their consumers. But, in this age of oversharing and data protection, would you want such personal information to be shared about you to corporations?

This likely pairing of fashion and technology seemingly contains many unanswered questions, mainly regarding privacy and human ethics. However, it is undeniable that using AI and technology as a whole more frequently in fashion is beneficial and potentially reliable. The future seems more tangible than ever before and technology may be the key to many problems within the fashion industry.

thanks for reading ;)