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Business model portfolio project, 3D renders of models wearing clothes and simulated stress map.

What’s it like pursuing MA Digital Fashion Innovation after studying BA (Hons) Fashion?

Words by Alexander Matheson

I knew that the intersection between physical and digital fashion design was a key point of interest to me, and that I wanted to further my knowledge in this.

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During my BA (Hons) Fashion studies, I specialised in digital fashion, working in CLO3D, Lectra Modaris, and other software, using technology to realise my vision. For most of my degree, I felt like I had not pushed my digital skills as far as they could go. It was only right at the end of my degree where I worked with my peer – the talented Emma Andrews – on a digital showroom experience, where I felt I had created something that really utilised and pushed my skills in this area.

I felt that I would benefit from an extra year in the university safety net while I look for freelance jobs, taking unpaid experience and connect with others. During the Christmas break of my third year of my BA, I came up with a proposal for Master's study that I started looking into, researching and questioning lecturers at the University about. Using this proposal, I entered a few competitions and received useful feedback from industry professionals that fuelled my passion for realising this project and furthering my digital fashion skills.

My process has become more technical and problem-solving oriented now that I am on MA Digital Fashion Innovation (MADFI). My BA focused on creative design a lot and different ways for me to design and produce, whereas on the MADFI course, I am focusing on solving industry problems, creating innovative products and researching and experimenting with new workflows. I still have a passion for design and physical production, so I would be interested to incorporate this into my project.

I have been a problem-solver by nature for a while; in my BA I was designing clothes that were functional for purpose, expressed with fictional world-building and an exciting futuristic story. Now, I am looking into future technologies like virtual try-on experiences, considering why they are not the standard yet, pushing boundaries of technology, understanding the psychology behind customer adoption of product, and figuring out what can be done to push these products into the mainstream and make them more engaging for the average customer.

What excites me the most is being in such close proximity to other students and industry professionals who are innovating and working on incredible projects. I’ve taken a lot of time to collaborate as much as possible so far, and it has pushed my project along so much. Having the time to work on new workflows and processes that I was interested in during my BA and using them to help fellow colleagues has been really exciting – it has pushed me to the limit of my skills and forced me to go beyond.

I’ve been looking into body scanning technology to assist my virtual try-on experience, researching and experimenting with different pieces of equipment and getting first-hand experience of which is best for the given situation. In the next couple weeks, I’ll be putting a product out for users to test and get feedback on, and knuckling down and working on such a practical product really excites me.

I think ‘doing’ is a really key part of my work; producing and experimenting with products and seeing the final outcome seems to be the thing that pushes me the most, and is what makes me feel as though I’m making the most of my time.

Inspired to act by the high return rates in the online shopping industry and the negative environmental impact they have, it is my belief that one of the main reasons there are so many returns with online shopping is because there are misconceptions about how we think the clothes will fit us. I am looking at creating a virtual try-on experience where you can try your clothes on in 3D, replicating a traditional changing room experience from a brick-and-mortar store.

Since this is a topic already being researched and produced by larger companies with more manpower and money than myself, my task is to consider why it isn’t in the mainstream yet, and why we still use size guides and purchase clothes that don’t fit us.

What are the issues? Does it need to be incentivised to the customer? Does it need to be easier to use, or do we need to further our technology? My aim for this project is to experiment with a VTO, get first-hand experience from users and propose solutions.

Currently, I’m also considering the gamification of a virtual try-on experience, looking into incentivising its use and catering to a niche community, but this is just a small idea. I’m also researching how I can get feedback and answers from people without sending a survey out, so I’m looking at creating an experience that will allow users to engage and express their thoughts more authentically. I’m not yet sure what I will end up with or produce by the end of my MA, but I know I will have a greater understanding of the area and am looking to make myself employable and knowledgeable in this sector.

I think digital fashion is a very fast-growing industry; there will be countless opportunities for products, jobs, experiences. But the landscape can change quickly, and just like traditional fashion, there are always trends and things that the general public will hyper-fixate on at any given moment. For students considering specialising in digital fashion, it is important to know that in a couple of years, the industry may not look like it does right now. Gain skills, be confident in yourself, don’t shut any doors that are open to you.

Be really proactive about constantly learning new things and understanding how all your skills interact with each other and how you can sell yourself to a brand or company. Know when to stay and ride out a storm with a product or workflow and know when to move on and let a new process pull you into great things. Be a jack of all trades but learn to a high degree, aim to be an expert in a select few. Most of all, just keep learning and doing and you can’t go wrong.

Something to think about

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