Five Ways You Can Apply Technology to Fashion
Who said computer scientists weren’t fashionable?
My third year of college, I was a computer science major feeling quite lost in what to do and in where my degree would take me. I liked coding and building things, but I also really, really liked Alexander McQueen.
Because I already stuck out in coding science classes for what I wore (summer dresses and tote bags are not a part of the “tech bro” wardrobe, unfortunately), I didn’t think my passion for fashion was an asset in computer science. If anything, I thought it was a detriment.
That all changed in the sweet summer of 2019. I was an intern at Google, and started learning about image recognition. What? I can train a computer to detect items in pictures? I figured, if I’m going to be looking at pictures all day, they might as well be of runway shows.
Since then, I’ve been dedicating a majority of my time and work to applying technology and data analytics to fashion. Here are five ideas for how you can apply technology to fashion, too. I hope these teach you that sometimes, the ways in which you might stick out in a field are what will eventually make you really, really good at it.
Tech-embedded clothing
Perhaps the most obvious way technology can be applied to fashion is via integrating tech into the very clothing itself. Tech, then, can introduce new elements to an outfit which fabric alone cannot create. For instance, see Claire Danes’ Zac Posen “Cinderella” gown which literally lit up with lights on the red carpet.
Additionally, Google demonstrated how you can create tech-embedded clothing through developing their Jacquard product. Jacquard is a collaboration with Levi’s to create a jacket that’s also a piece of tech: answer calls, respond to messages, and play music directly from the fabric on your sleeve.
Data analytics of trends
My personal favorite way to apply technology to fashion is via analyzing trends. With the rise of social media platforms and eCommerce sites, there’s an abundance of data available to analyze what consumers are wearing, buying, or hoping to buy.
For example, analyzing the most popular items on an eCommerce website; assessing trends in the top 100 posts tagged with “#ootd” on Instagram; looking at Google Search data to understand what fashion consumers are searching for.
In my personal projects, I’ve taken a data-based approach at understanding trends from runway collections. I do this by looking at images of runway shows from VogueRunway.com, and using image recognition to identify what trends are in each outfit.
For instance, Ralph Lauren’s latest collection show had denim in 5% of looks; stripes in 13% of looks; camouflage in 3% of looks. Analyzing trends is an interesting way to make fashion—which is generally a very subjective topic—a bit more objective.
Authenticating luxury goods with Blockchain
Blockchain is a challenging tech beast to conquer. It’s a relatively new, fast-paced field (one of the first Blockchain for Dummies was already outdated by the time it went to press), and very few people understand it well enough to implement.
However, when it comes to fashion, understanding and using Blockchain is invaluable. Particularly, regarding product authentiation.
The sale of counterfeit products is a huge problem for fashion companies. Today, it’s estimated that as many as 10% of luxury products sold are counterfeit. Because maintaining a high price point is fully dependent on the exclusivity and authenticity of a luxury product, product traceability should be a priority for any brand.
Blockchain can solve this problem. De Beer’s diamond company was an early adopter in traceability-tech, using Blockchain technologies to ensure their diamonds’ authenticity. This let consumers know exactly where their De Beer’s products were coming from, with full transparency.
With the rise of luxury re-sell platforms and their associated scandals (see: Chanel suing TheRealReal for selling counterfeit items), luxury brands should implement similar, traceable-tech.
After all, why would you spend thousands on a handbag if you weren’t absolutely, 100% certain it’s real?
Scaling brands with eCommerce
The rise of eCommerce—or, of selling fashion online versus in-stores—has helped democratize the fashion game. Centuries-old, high-fashion brands who have struggled to adopt online channels have fallen behind new, tech-native brands selling entirely online.
In a span of two years, strong brick-and-mortar players including J. Crew, Macy’s, and Barney’s New York filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Simultaneously, digital-native brands such as Revolve, Alo Yoga, and Parade grew their sales.
Why? Well, consumers are simply changing the way they shop. Today’s consumer expects shopping to be quicker, less disruptive, and right at the tip of their fingers. They’re demonstrating that it doesn’t necessarily matter how long your brand has been around—if you’re not adopting eCommerce, you’ll fall behind.
Fashion in the Metaverse
Recently, the “Metaverse” has become a bit of a buzzword in the fashion sphere. However, Metaverse fashion has already been around for quite some time.
Perhaps video games are the most intuitive way to explain fashion in the Metaverse. For example, online games like Sims require you to have a digital avatar which, of course, needs to wear clothing. So, fashion brands have penetrated this space via creating their own, branded versions of digital clothing. Now, your Sims can rock Moschino.
This very scenario happened — Moschino created a line of clothing for Sims in 2019. That same year, Louis Vuitton launched a similar collaboration with League of Legends. With gaming being a $220 billion industry and growing, high-fashion in the Metaverse is an intelligent avenue to pursue.
I’m a NYC-based software engineer researching all the ways fashion intersects with technology. Read more of my stuff here, or check out my pride & joy, “The Little Book of Big Fashion Data”.
