Technology has always played an interesting role at New York Fashion Week, but this September it seems the headlines were dominated by news of augmented reality filters, NFT drops, and collaborations with gaming platforms.
Technology continues to play a role in breaking down the walled garden of the transitional industry, allowing more people to feel like they’re a fashion insider, whether that looks like streaming a runway show in Roblox or enabling audiences to explore a collection via a virtual showroom. Here’s what caught our attention this season:
Snap Teams up with Vogue
Snap teamed up with Vogue on several custom AR experiences related to the Vogue World event in celebration of the publication’s 130th year in circulation. Attendees who used the lens could access a Vogue World Filter available on the publication’s Snapchat profile.
Earlier this summer, Snap and Vogue collaborated on an exhibition at Cannes, which took place online as well as in person at Centre d’art La Malmaison in France.
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Tommy Hilfiger’s “Tommy Factory”
American brand Tommy Hilfiger streamed its runway show on Roblox. Select virtual items were available for sale in Roblox. An in-person event, called “Tommy Factory” was inspired by Andy Warhol’s studio. Guests were invited to claim free NFTs by tapping their phones to NFC stickers placed throughout the venue.
Zero-10 X Crosby Studios Digital-Only Pop-up
Augmented reality platform Zero10 partnered with Crosby Studios to create a digital-only retail pop-up in New York’s Soho neighbourhood. The interactive space invited visitors to explore digital fashion through their mobile phones. Digital items could be tried on and purchased in an effort to expose the public to digital fashion.
Bloomingdale’s Virtual World
Bloomingdale’s partnered with Emperia to design a virtual showroom in celebration of the retailer’s 150th anniversary.
Puma’s Web 3 Portal
Puma unveiled a Web3 portal called Black Station. The experience is accessible online and invites visitors to experience the world of Puma via a first-person POV game, not unlike Balenciaga’s Afterworld.
Carolina Herrera X Roblox
Karlie Kloss closed Carolina Herrera’s show wearing a yellow floral dress from the collection, which was available as a limited-edition avatar outfit available for purchase inside the gaming platform Roblox.
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Rebecca Minkoff NFT Announcement
Rebecca Minkoff showed a made-for-social media presentation featuring her new handbag designs, including a fresh and feminine take on the Banker Bag. She also announced she’ll be releasing 3,000 NFT artworks in October. Minkoff has been advocating for women to get involved in Web3 and has been building community online by hosting educational Zoom calls on how to create crypto wallets.
What were your highlights from NYFW? Let us know in the comments.
