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https://www2.hm.com/en_ca/customer-service/hm-multi-year-accessibility.html

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H&M Hennes & Mauritz Inc. (“H&M Canada”) is committed to equity and inclusion and providing a workplace that is accessible for people with disabilities. In so doing, H&M is committed to ensuring respect for the dignity and independence of people with disabilities.

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https://hmgroup.com/sustainability/circularity-and-climate/materials/

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The fashion industry depends heavily on natural resources. While the environmental impacts associated with fabric and textile processing can be harmful to nature, there are fabrics that leave a lighter footprint. We make every effort to source sustainably, guided by our Material Ethics.

Our material ethics

H&M Group is committed to sourcing raw materials in a sustainable way, taking into account both social and environmental impacts.

Raw material production and sourcing must be in line with both local laws, as well as international standards and must not lead to degradation or destruction of ecosystems and biodiversity. Securing our supply of raw materials from an ethical perspective is an extremely important part of H&M Group's business model. We are committed to ensuring that the natural raw materials used in our products are produced in a way that contributes to sustainable development, respects human rights, preserves natural resources, and helps maintain biodiversity. No vulnerable or endangered species must be used.

Some highlights from our Responsible Raw Material Sourcing and Animal Welfare policies:

Suppliers of natural raw material must comply with all applicable environmental, health & safety, labour and social laws and regulations (including applicable land tenure and use rights).

We do not allow any wood or other forest-derived materials, including man-made cellulosic fibre, to originate from ancient and endangered forests, or forests operations damaging high conservation values.

No endangered and/or vulnerable species* may be used in the production of our products.

As of 2020, all cotton sourced for H&M Group comes from more sustainable sources**.

By the end of 2025, 100% of all wood used in our products, including man-made cellulosic materials, will be sourced from well-managed and FSC™ -certified forests.

You can find the full Responsible Raw Material Sourcing Policy and Animal Welfare Policy here.

How we evaluate and categorise materials

Our material categorisation framework is designed to guide product teams at H&M Group to take better sourcing decisions. It's a key tool that will help us reach our goals around materials.

The material categorisation is guided by our Animal Welfare and Responsible Raw Material Sourcing policies as well as Textile Exchange's Preferred Fiber & Materials Matrix methodology. We evaluate the environmental impact of each material using third-party lifecycle assessment (LCA) data. This includes LCAs for individual materials as well as external material benchmarks based on LCA data, such as the Material Sustainability Index (MSI) by Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC). Using these third-party assessments helps to create industry alignment and makes it easy for customers and stakeholders to compare and understand how we are doing.

Download the H&M Group Material Categorisation 2021 .

Ensuring integrity

Our preferred materials that fall into the higher categories need to be certified by credible third-parties. For materials where no third-party certifications exist, we establish alternative schemes to ensure responsible sourcing.

For recycled materials, we have two different approaches - the fully certified supply chain and GRS certified manufacturers using chemical tracers to verify the recycled content.

Standards we use to certify our materials include: Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), Organic Content Standard (OCS), Global Recycled Standard (GRS), Recycled Claim Standard (RCS), Responsible Wool Standard (RWS), Responsible Down Standard (RDS) and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

The materials we source

Our materials basket shows the share of materials we source for our products. We prioritise work on the materials we source the most or that have the biggest environmental or social impact.

Our materials goals

All materials have an impact on our planet, from their production, use and, ultimately, end of life and disposal. To reduce our environmental impact, we aim for 100% of our materials to be either recycled or sourced in a more sustainable way by 2030, and 30% recycled materials by 2025.

Last year we tripled the share of recycled materials to 17.9% and increased the share of more sustainably sourced materials to 62.1%, making good progress towards our goals.

% of recycled or other more sustainably sourced materials

Commonly sourced materials

Cotton

Cotton is the raw material we source the most. It has many benefits but it is also a challenging commodity. In 2020, we reached our goal of sourcing all our cotton from more sustainable sources. Despite achieving this milestone, we will keep exploring other cotton types and innovations to bring sustainable change. Read more about cotton.

Lyocell

Lyocell is a fibre made from the cellulose from wood. This is a renewable material made from natural resources requiring little or no irrigation or pesticides, making it a more sustainable option than cotton. We mainly use TENCEL™ branded lyocell fibres which are derived from sustainable wood sources. It is produced in an environmental responsible closed loop production process, which transforms wood pulp into cellulosic fibres.

FSC™ certified wood

FSC™ certified wood comes from FSC™ certified forests that have been audited by a third-party accredited certification body.

FSC™ natural rubber

The Forest Stewardship Council™ (FSC) is a global, independent, non-profit organisation that develops sustainable forestry certification standards. Our FSC™ natural rubber comes from well-managed rubber trees. Natural rubber is a renewable and recyclable material that requires little energy and few chemicals to produce.

FSC™ recycled paper

Paper products can contain any balance of pre-consumer and post-consumer reclaimed material if all applicable parts of the product are verified as reclaimed. The FSC™ Recycled label is not, however, a guarantee that the wood originally comes from an FSC™ certified forest.

FSC™ recycled wood

Wood products carrying the FSC™ Recycled label have been verified by a third-party certification body as being made from at least 70% post-consumer reclaimed materials, i.e. wood and or wood fibres that have been reclaimed from a product after that product has been used for its intended purpose.

Leather

We only accept leather originating from cows, buffalo, sheep, goats or pigs that have been bred for meat production. The leather supply chain is currently not very transparent and we are collaborating with other organisations to improve the traceability. Because of the risk of indirectly contributing to the deforestation of the Amazon, we have had a ban on leather from Brazil since 2019.

Organic jute

Jute is a fibre extracted from the bark of the white jute plant. It requires little water, no chemical pesticides or fertilizers and contains no GMOs.

Organic linen

Linen is a beautiful and durable material made from flax plants. Our organic linen derives from plants grown without chemical pesticides or fertilisers - better for farmers' health and the environment. The fabric is of the same high quality as conventional linen but without any genetically modified fibres.

Organic silk

Conventional silk comes from silkworms living in mulberry trees. Organic silk guarantees that the trees are grown in an environmentally friendly way, using natural and sustainable farming techniques. Organic silk has the same high quality as conventional silk.

Recycled cashmere

Recycled cashmere comes from post-consumer and post-industrial waste or cut-offs from production. By recycling cashmere, we save raw materials, use fewer chemicals, water and land but also reduce what ends up in landfills.

Recycled down and feathers

Recycled down comes from feathers recovered from, for example, old blankets, pillows or cushions. By recycling down we save raw materials, use fewer chemicals, water and land but also reduce what ends up in landfills. Recycled down can be used in the same applications as virgin down.

Recycled glass

Glass is easy to recycle without any loss in quality. Beads made of recycled glass can be used for embellishments for clothes, accessories and home decor. Recycling glass means we save natural resources such as sand or limestone.

Recycled plastic

We get our recycled plastic from PET plastic drinks bottles, plastic bags, shampoo bottles and other plastic containers. We then use this plastic to make, for example, some of our popular accessories. Being able to repurpose plastic waste and incorporate it into new fashion pieces is a great way of avoiding harm to our planet.

Recycled polyamide

Polyamide is another popular oil-based fibre, often used to make underwear and tights, but also outerwear. We get our recycled polyamide from materials like old fishing nets and carpets. We also utilise leftover waste from production, a way of saving natural resources and reducing what ends up in landfills.

Recycled polyester

Polyester is an artificial fibre made from oil, which is used widely around the world, especially common in sportswear. Recycled polyester is a more sustainable option made from oil-based waste, such as PET drinks bottles - a way of preventing plastic waste from ending up in landfills.

Recycled silver

Recycled and refined silver is obtained from all above-ground sources which could be industrial scrap and old silver products such as candle holders, flatware, coins and scrap jewellery. By recycling metals, all the negative impacts of mining are avoided and a lot of energy is saved.

Recycled wool

Recycled wool is ideal for heavier, outdoor garments. It comes from the waste or cut-offs created during production, or from clothes gathered via our garment collecting initiative. By recycling wool, we save raw materials and reduce what ends up in landfills. We also use recycled wool in knitted sweaters, hats, gloves and scarves.

* As defined by CITES - Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species - and the IUCN red list of Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable listed species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list.

** Currently, this means certified organic cotton, recycled cotton, or from Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) sources.

Discover more

Track our progress across materials, climate and circularity

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The fashion industry depends heavily on natural resources. While the environmental impacts associated with fabric and textile processing can be harmful to nature, there are fabrics that leave a lighter footprint. We make every effort to source sustainably, guided by our Material Ethics.

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https://www.ledgerinsights.com/hm-metaverse-fashion-digital-wearables/

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Ledger Insights - blockchain for enterprise

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In November, the multinational fashion company launched a new collection, "The Metaverse Design Story". Codesigned by the Institute of Digital Fashion (IoDF), the clothing is inspired by the metaverse and contains both physical ready-to-wear garments and digital wearables, including 3D filters. The designs also consider circularity and incorporate recycled fibers from discarded textiles and recycled sequins made from plastic bottle waste. This particular initiative doesn't use NFTs or web3.

"We wanted to present our customers with an explosive collection that captured the excitement we all feel at the dawning of the metaverse, but also the fascination we have with the natural world," said Ella Soccorsi, concept designer at H&M. "The resulting collection is extraordinarily tactile, with hand-beaded and intricately constructed garments, but it also explores the endless possibilities of the digital sphere and H&M's circular mindset."

As a design agency, IoDF promoted the connection between web3 and sustainability last year at the London Fashion Week. It sees digital fashion as a way to harness creativity while reducing waste. The company's website lists a host of apparel companies amongst its clients, including Marks & Spencer, Adidas, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Prada. It is planning its own NFT drop and has partnered to create alongside fashion companies and digital avatars in collaboration with . IoDF is one of a slew of new digital fashion houses, including The Fabricant.

H&M has also engaged in other digital ventures. In , it was focused on blockchain traceability of textiles. In April 2022, the company announced a virtual showroom with 3D rendered materials and garments. This followed on its first virtual world experience in Jan 2022, where it collaborated with Maisie Williams and DressX with curated virtual looks styled by 3D graphic designers.

In November 2022, the company created an immersive experience "Loooptopia" on Roblox for fans to discover their digital fashion identities. The experience allows users to collect different fabrics and elements to create clothing combinations. Other retail clothing companies have also been active in their Roblox presence - including Nike, Forever 21, Claire's and Gap. While Roblox graphics do not lend themselves to appreciating the details of fashionable apparel, with 46 million daily users, companies consider it as an opportunity to sell digital clothing to engaged Gen Z audiences.

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H&M's metaverse collection embraces physical, digital wearables - Ledger Insights - blockchain for enterprise

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In November, the multinational fashion company launched a new collection, "The Metaverse Design Story ". Codesigned by the Institute of Digital Fashion (IoDF), the clothing is inspired by the metaverse and contains both physical ready-to-wear garments and digital wearables, including 3D filters.

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https://www.diffzy.com/article/difference-between-nike-and-adidas-245?utm_content=cmp-true

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Nike and Adidas are in a never-ending war for supremacy in the sportswear sector throughout the contemporary age. Nike is a far bigger company than Adidas in revenue, although Adidas has performed better in recent years.

Nike vs. Adidas

Adidas' products are ranked in second place. Nike items are ranked first in the world. Adidas sneakers are more concerned with making comfortable designs than creating fabulous designs. Nike sneakers place a high value on design, offering various colours and designs. Tennis and soccer players are the most common Adidas customers. Basketball and running players are the most common Nike customers.

Difference Between Nike And Adidas in Tabular Form

What is NIKE?

Acquisitions
Vaughan Mills Has A Nike Factory Store.
Nike has bought and sold several garment and footwear companies throughout its history. Cole Haan's upmarket footwear business was its first acquisition in 1988, followed by Bauer Hockey in 1994. Hurley International, the surf clothing brand founded by Bob Hurley, was purchased by Nike in 2002. Nike paid US$309 million in 2003 to buy Converse, a footwear brand. In 2004, the business bought Starter, and in 2007, it bought soccer jersey maker Umbro.

Finance

Apparel

Nike is a sportswear and equipment company that makes various products. Track running shoes were their first offering. Nike Air Max was introduced in 1987 by Nike, Inc. As a range of sneakers. Later product lines, such as the Air Huarache, which debuted in 1992, were added. The Nike 6.0, Nike NYX, and Nike SB shoes created for skateboarding are the most recent additions. Nike just released the Air Zoom Yorker cricket shoes, which are supposed to be 30% lighter than the competition. The Air Jordan XX3, a high-performance basketball sneaker developed with the environment in mind, was debuted by Nike in 2008.

Nike created SPARQ Training Program/Division in 2004. Flywire and Lunarlite Foam reduce weight in some of Nike's latest sneakers. The Air Zoom Vomero running shoe, first released in 2006 and in its 11th version, included:

A full-length air-cushioned sole.

An external heel counter.

A shock-absorbing crashpad in the heel.

Fit Frame technology for a secure fit.

What is Adidas?

Adidas 1949 is a German multinational firm that designs and manufactures different shoes, clothes, and accessories. It was founded in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria. It is Europe's largest sportswear producer and the world's second-largest after Nike. The parent company for the Adidas Group owns an 8.33 per cent ownership in Bayern München football club and Runtastic, an Austrian fitness technology business. Adidas has reported €21.915 billion in revenue in the year 2018.

Adolf Dassler founded the company in his home in 1924, and his older brother Rudolf joined him with the name Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik. Dassler played a role in inventing spiked running shoes (spikes) for various sports. He switched from a type of heavy metal spikes to canvas and rubber spikes to improve the quality of spiked sporting footwear. At the 1936 Summer Olympics, Dassler persuaded American sprinter Jesse Owens to use his handcrafted spikes. Adolf founded Adidas in 1949 after the brothers' relationship fell apart, while Rudolf founded Puma, which became Adidas' financial adversary.

Adidas' identification symbol is the three stripes, which have been utilized as a marketing tool on the company's clothing and shoe designs. Dassler dubbed Adidas "The three stripes firm" after purchasing the branding from Finnish sports company Karhu Sports in 1952 for the equivalent of €1,600 and two bottles of whiskey.
Puma Has A Rivalry With Puma, Which Has Resulted In A Split.
After their relationship broke down in 1947, Rudolf formed a new company called Ruda - from Rudolf Dassler, later rebranded Puma, while Adolf formed a corporation formally registered as Adidas AG from Adi Dassler on August 18, 1949.

AFTER THE SPLIT, Puma SE and Adidas had an intense and violent business rivalry. Indeed, the municipality of Herzogenaurach was split on the subject, earning the moniker "the town of bent necks" since residents glanced down to check what shoes outsiders were wearing.

Even the town's two football clubs were split: ASV Herzogenaurach was sponsored by Adidas, while Rudolf sponsored 1 FC Herzogenaurach. When handypersons were called to Rudolf's house, they would wear Adidas shoes. Although they are now buried in the same cemetery, the two brothers never reconciled, and their graves are as far apart as possible.

Several West German national football team players, including Herbert Burdenski, who scored West Germany's first postwar goal, wore Puma boots in the first football match ever after World War II in 1948.

Key Differences Between Nike And Adidas in Points

1. The Adidas brand was established in 1948, while the Nike brand was established in 1964. By its inception, Adidas is an older brand than Nike.

2. Nike has traditionally produced sports equipment in addition to apparel, but Adidas has only recently begun to do so.

3. Adidas is a German firm, whereas Nike is headquartered in the United States.

4. Adidas items are ranked second globally; Conversely, Nike products are ranked #1.

5. Adidas' headquarters are in Germany, whereas Nike's headquarters are in Beaverton, Oregon.

6. Adidas' emblem consists of three stripes, whereas Nike's logo consists of a swoosh.

7. Adidas' tagline is "Impossible is Nothing," while Nike's is "Just Do It."

8. Tennis and soccer players are the critical market consumers of Adidas, whilst basketball and running players are the primary market shoppers of Nike.

9. The soles of Adidas shoes are made with Boost technology. The soles of Nike's shoes, on the other hand, are primarily made of rubber.

10. Adidas is less expensive; Nike, on the other hand, is slightly more expensive.

Similarities Between Nike And Adidas in Points

When comparing its founding dates, Adidas is a more established brand than Nike.

Nike is a sportswear brand established in the United States, while Adidas is based in Germany.

Nike's critical market consumers are basketball and running athletes, whereas Adidas' primary market buyers are tennis and soccer.

Along with clothing, Nike has been making sports equipment for a long time, while Adidas has only recently started offering sports equipment.

Adidas outsources its manufacturing to a few Asian countries while keeping its design and development in Germany. Nike items are designed, manufactured, and distributed in the United States, but production is reallocated to Asian countries like Taiwan, Korea, China, and Indonesia.

Conclusion

Adidas and Nike are the most well-known globally sportswear, sporting goods, and other accessory brands. Because both brands compete, this article provides a comparison of the two and an in-depth analysis of each.

References

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Nike vs. Adidas - What's The Difference (With Table) | Diffzy

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Nike and Adidas are in a never-ending war for supremacy in the sportswear sector throughout the contemporary age. Nike is a far bigger company than Adidas in revenue, although Adidas has performed better in recent years. Adidas' products are ranked in second place. Nike items are ranked first in the world.

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https://report.adidas-group.com/2020/en/group-management-report-our-company/our-people/diversity-and-inclusion.html

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Activating our purpose

'Through sport, we have the power to change lives' is our company's purpose. Together with our employees, partners, communities, and consumers, we act on that purpose by fostering a culture of inclusion, impact, and shared opportunity on and off the field of play. We focus our activation efforts on four areas: 'She Breaks Barriers', which is aimed at getting girls to join and stay in sport, 'One Starting Line', which is aimed at increasing inclusivity for all in sport and sports culture, 'End Plastic Waste, which is aimed at protecting the world's oceans for future generations, and 'Diversity and Inclusion'. To maximize impact, we leverage brand moments to raise awareness of these topics and create opportunities to engage and get involved, such as by providing volunteering opportunities for our employees. All of our initiatives and activities in this area are centrally managed by a dedicated 'Global Purpose' team, reporting into the Executive Board Member responsible for Global Human Resources. Since 2020 was a year of unprecedented adversity around the world, many of our actions were in response to these events.

In the wake of the global covid-19 pandemic, we took several actions to help communities worldwide weather the crisis - from fundraising and donations to mask production and employee engagement. In addition, there were numerous activities and measures taken at the local level around the world.

Fundraising and donations: We donated to the World Health Organization's 'Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund' and to the 'China Youth Development Foundation', and, together with our consumers and employees, raised and donated funds through e-commerce giveback programs and the #hometeamhero challenge - a digital challenge that encouraged physical activity through the 'adidas Running' and 'adidas Training' apps as well as partner apps, with a donation made by the company per every hour of activity.

Mask production and donation: In April 2020, we partnered with Carbon, a 3D-printing technology company, and produced face shields that were donated to hospitals, healthcare organizations, and various medically focused non-profit organizations. In total, 75,000 face shields were made and donated.

Employee volunteering: Using the community impact platform DEED, which we have rolled out to employees in several markets around the world in 2020, we created a country-specific covid-19 fundraiser for the US and Canada, Germany, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Panama, Turkey, Israel, India, and South Africa. In addition, we coordinated volunteering opportunities for our employees across North America, Latin America, and Germany.

In addition to our efforts to help cope with the covid-19 crisis, we supported other disaster-relief actions in 2020. For example, together with contributions from our employees, we donated funds to support wildfire relief in Australia and North America, as well as to help the people of Beirut following the port explosion in August 2020.

Diversity and inclusion

We strongly believe that diversity, inclusion, and equality are key to the success of our company. To be the best sports brand in the world, we need the best diverse talent that reflects the diversity of our customers and consumers. We celebrate this diversity as it helps us better serve the communities we work in, while also providing a competitive business advantage.

United against racism - our commitments

We have always been and will always be against discrimination in all forms and stand united against racism. To emphasize this principle, we shared a list of global commitments in June 2020. They describe how we aim to contribute to creating lasting change. The commitments include, among others, investing $ 120 million in the US toward ending racism and supporting Black communities through to 2025, and funding 50 university scholarships in the US each year for Black and LatinX students. We also set new targets for increased representation of Black and LatinX people within our US workforce. Our aim is to fill at least 30% of all new positions in the US with Black and LatinX people. The commitments further encompass establishing a global committee to accelerate inclusion and equality, strengthening our global anti-discrimination and non-retaliation policy, reforming our hiring and career development processes, signing the Juneteenth Pledge, and increasing support for communities.

We already took action on several of these commitments in the latter half of 2020:

We funded scholarship programs for Black and LatinX students and made an initial contribution to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) as part of singer and adidas partner Beyoncé's 'BeyGOOD' fund to support Black-owned small businesses.

The 'Committee to Accelerate Inclusion & Equality' has been put in operation. Sponsored by adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted, it focuses on the advancement of underrepresented groups and drives companywide change. The committee includes company decision makers as well as representatives from all adidas regions and people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Our talent acquisition and key talent management processes are currently under review to validate opportunities to further strengthen our inclusive talent processes for hiring, talent management and succession decisions.

We updated our 'Global Policy on Anti-Harassment and Anti-Discrimination' in September. The framework details how adidas prevents, detects, and responds to all forms of discrimination and harassment with very clear messaging on our zero-tolerance approach. ADIDAS.COM/US/LASTING_CHANGE

Furthermore, we provided our employees with a platform on our intranet to support and promote dialogue around our anti-racism and anti-discrimination work. Throughout the company, we continue to support and grow our 'Employee Resource Groups' - these are specific networks that give employees from various walks of life a voice and serves members by fostering a diverse inclusive workplace. We now have more than 40 of these groups around the globe with different focuses on diversity dimensions such as People of Color, Women, LGBTQ+, Experienced Generation, Faith, and Disability and Mental Health. Participation in the groups is voluntary and open to all employees.

Diversity & Inclusion framework

In 2020, we redefined our framework for diversity and inclusion with a clear definition of what diversity and inclusion mean to us as a company: They mean championing individual uniqueness, and cultivating a culture of belonging so that everyone can create at their best. The framework highlights our approach both internally and externally which is why we defined three strategic focus areas:

Workplace: We want to create a work environment where all employees feel like they belong, are valued and are engaged to produce exceptional results.

Workforce: We want to attract, recruit, promote, and retain the best talent and maintain a diverse workforce at all levels and areas of the business.

Marketplace: We want to represent the diverse communities we serve through our communications, products, partnerships, and investments.

As part of the three focus areas, we have made global internal commitments to promote inclusion and equality at adidas. These commitments are supported by specific actions with clear timelines, and progress is communicated internally. This action plan underpins our stance against discrimination and microaggressions.

One of the commitments we made was the introduction of a global anti-racism and unconscious-bias training - the 'Creating a Culture of Inclusion (CCI) Team Workout'. The training, which was mandatory for all employees, was rolled out globally in the third quarter of 2020 and completed in early 2021. The program consisted of six modules which focused on topics such as diversity dimensions, privilege, and inclusive team behaviors. The content was aimed at educating teams on diversity and inclusion topics that may impact performance and the sense of belonging, both individually and as a team.

In addition, we held a virtual 'Global Day of Inclusion' in September 2020, which offered employees an opportunity to reflect, learn, and celebrate inclusion. The day was about taking the time to embrace the various backgrounds, experiences and perspectives of all our communities by exploring different stories through a business panel, an athlete panel, and more.

Female leadership

We are convinced that mixed leadership teams have a competitive advantage and are drivers of business success. adidas is committed to ensuring equitable representation across all diversity dimensions in leadership positions, which includes enhancing our current focus on gender equality. A prerequisite for increasing the number of women at the highest levels of management is the general promotion of women within the company worldwide at all levels. We have various initiatives in place to guarantee that our succession pipeline is balanced, including mentoring of female talent as well as an equal gender split in our Global and Local High Potential programs.

By the end of 2020, the company had recorded a total of 35% of women globally in management positions (2019: 34%), exceeding the 2020 target of 32%. Our ambition is to further increase the share of women in leadership positions globally from 2021 onward. Pursuant to the German Law on Equal Participation of Women and Men in Leadership Positions in the Private and Public Sector, the adidas AG Supervisory Board determined target figures for the percentage of female representation on the Executive Board, including corresponding deadlines for their achievement.The Executive Board determined such target figures for the first two management levels below the Executive Board, including deadlines for their achievement, for adidas AG. See Declaration on Corporate Governance

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Diversity and Inclusion - adidas Annual Report 2020

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'Through sport, we have the power to change lives' is our company's purpose. Together with our employees, partners, communities, and consumers, we act on that purpose by fostering a culture of inclusion, impact, and shared opportunity on and off the field of play.

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https://www.forbes.com/sites/stephaniehirschmiller/2022/11/16/adidas-launches-first-nft-wearables-collection/?sh=4963c3d037fe

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adidas Originals is launching its first collection of NFT digital wearables. The 16-piece limited edition collection marks the launch of a new adidas Originals product category the brand is dubbing "Virtual Gear"

"We're laying down a marker in this new age of originality - one that unquestionably serves the community, heroes the purveyors and collectors of emerging style and culture, benefits the value creators, and supports the diversity of expression and utility that blurring virtual worlds has allowed us all to explore," VP of the adidas /// studio (Three Stripes Studio', Erika Wykes-Sneyd said in a statement.

The release follows a teaser campaign with the adidas Discord community and it's also community that is central to the adidas strategy.

WHO CAN WEAR THIS FIRST ADIDAS VIRTUAL GEAR COLLECTION?

Next week adidas will release a PFP dressing tool enabling this first edition of the adidas Virtual Gear collection to be worn by PFP avatars from compatible partner collections - first up Bored Ape Yacht Club, Mutant Ape Yacht Club and Inhabitants.

However although it's previously been possible to 'burn' virtual clothing onto a PFP as a permanent addition, the real gamechanger here is that the new PFP dressing tool will allow users to change their PFP's outfits just as they can with regular avatars like Ready Player Me versions.

Going forward expect further PFP and avatar communities to be integrated into the interoperable system.

"With our community and creator ecosystem at the core, adidas will explore every viable utility, platform, and experience within Web3 to unlock new possibilities for our wearables, with a focus on tangible value and immutable utility for our community members," Wykes-Sneyd added.

Community has been integral to adidas' Web3 strategy from the get-go - in January it created a community generated NFT with Prada and artist Zach Liberman who tiled entries from 3000 participants into one giant NFT artwork. While this was auctioned for charity, a percentage also reverted to those 3000 creators.

HOW TO OWN A PIECE FROM THE VIRTUAL GEAR CAPSULE

Owners of the adidas Originals: Capsule NFT Collection (24,280 in total), which was launched in May 2022, will each be allocated a randomized piece from the new Virtual Gear collection for free. However, they won't know which one unless they choose to 'burn' their Capsule NFT - essentially switching it for a piece from the Virtual Gear collection of digital wearables. FYI they can also hold onto their capsule without burning it and wait for Phase 3...

For those who don't own the original adidas Originals: Capsule NFT, pieces from the Virtual Gear collection will be available to buy at secondary market on on Opensea.

THE COLLECTION IN DETAIL

All creative takes on the adidas DNA, the pieces in the Virtual Gear capsule comprise jackets or hoodies of some description with WALLRUNNER quilted jackets made of 3D layered trefoils made of toweling, inflatable style PFD (That's Personal Flotation Device) puffers and the NEOBONE tops inspired by the rubberized sole pattern of the adidas Superstar sneaker.

"As a brand, adidas has always been about exploring the edges of creativity and pushing the boundaries to find what's beyond," said Nic Galway, Senior VP of Creative Direction for adidas Originals. "But Web3 offers our designers and collaborators a new outlet to imagine, and reimagine, how our brand can be represented in augmented and virtual worlds.

It should also be mentioned that the detail on the 3D wearables' is highly impressive. While accessories are generally easier to render, any 3D designer will tell you that materials -such as toweling or anything more textured for that matter - are notoriously difficult to make realistic.

SUPER RARE

Three out of the 16 piece limited edition NFT wearables collection are nods to adidas' earliest Web3 partners Bored Ape Yacht Club, GMoney and Punks Comics - highlighting their ongoing collaboration. The BAYC trait pieces are fluffy red balaclava hoodies and the Punks Comic leather biker jackets. The GMoney pieces are black puffer jackets. Each is cobranded with the insignia of both the parters.

While Adidas hasn't released the numbers, these three partner trait NTFs are the rarest of all with the Bored Ape Yacht Club red hoodie set to be the Web3 equivalent of the mythological Golden Fleece.
adidas.com/metaverse
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Adidas First Wearable NFT Collection Marks The First Time You Can Dress AND Undress Your Bored Ape

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adidas Originals is launching its first collection of NFT digital wearables.

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https://www.uniqlo.com/us/en/news/topics/2017090701/

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Did you know that 74% of people in the fashion industry wear UNIQLO?

With stores in 18 countries and regions all over the world, UNIQLO pursues the best in fit and fabric to meet our customers' special needs and lifestyles. This mantra is understood not only by everyday consumers, but by those on the pulse of fashion's newest trends. Based on a survey taken in Paris during one of the world's biggest fashion events., 353 of 480 respondents- that's 74% - had worn UNIQLO clothing. 15% of those surveyed were even wearing UNIQLO when asked about their clothing!

Fashion weeks around the world - especially in Paris - attract fashion and business professionals many different nationalities, ages, and sexes. As a result of our survey, we found that 74% of respondents enjoyed wearing UNIQLO clothing - higher than we had expected! Why do fashion stars love UNIQLO? Responses ranged from "It is functional," "It is high quality," and "It is affordable," to "It offers basic items," "It is good in design," and "Everyone can enjoy wearing it," which suggests that the wearers aligned with the strengths of our brand our values. Some fashion enthusiasts answered, "UNIQLO's clothes are so simple that they can be coordinated with the designer brands we usually wear."

HEATTECH (for men and women) is particularly popular, as it keeps the wearer warm but doesn't impede the style of whatever else they're wearing. Users also enjoyed Ultra Light Down (shop men and women here) that could be used for layering when temperatures drop. Others loved cashmere sweaters and cardigans (for men and women), enjoyed for their affordable price and also their soft, luxurious feel.

T-shirts (including UT) came in fourth, by jeans (shop men and women here!) in fifth and cardigans in sixth, demonstrating that wearers love UNIQLO's quality, design, and range of colors. Collaboration collections with Christophe Lemaire and Carine Roitfeld came in seventh, which suggests that the fashion industry loves highly fashionable collaboration lineups.

All in all, our survey shows that fashion enthusiasts recognize UNIQLO as a global brand because they gave us high marks in areas where we have yet to expand such as the Czech Republic, Denmark, Ukraine, and Senegal. Japanese people know that UNIQLO is both accessible and popular, but our recent survey revealed that fashion professionals and foreigners feel the same way.

Survey care of Japan's INFAS Publications

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See Why The Fashion Elite Loves UNIQLO | UNIQLO TODAY | UNIQLO US

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Did you know that 74% of people in the fashion industry wear UNIQLO? With stores in 18 countries and regions all over the world, UNIQLO pursues the best in fit and fabric to meet our customers' special needs and lifestyles. This mantra is understood not only by everyday consumers, but by those on the pulse of fashion's newest trends.

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https://holition.com/work/uniqlo-world-s-first-magic-mirror

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03. Insight - It All Kicked Off From There
Our magic mirror for Uniqlo led to thousands of photos being shared and a giant queue to test out the world's first magic mirror; and still to this day, this has been, consistently, our most viewed projects on the site.

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03. Insight - It All Kicked Off From There Our magic mirror for Uniqlo led to thousands of photos being shared and a giant queue to test out the world's first magic mirror; and still to this day, this has been, consistently, our most viewed projects on the site.

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https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/226587424995077226/

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Nike 6.0 iD Nation Teaser by Instrument. To show off our newly-developed iDNation site for Nike… | Interactive web design, Interactive design, User interface design

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Aug 14, 2012 - To show off our newly-developed iDNation site for Nike, we created this short trailer to introduce the site and inspire fans to start creating.  The project was…

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https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/64176363429882128/

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Fitnect - Interactive Virtual Fitting / Dressing Room application | Futuristic technology, Virtual reality technology, Fun workouts

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Apr 11, 2014 - Fitnect is an interactive virtual fitting room application built on the most advanced technologies:  augmented reality, cloth physics and full body motion ca...

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https://marvelapp.com/blog/getting-started-vr-interface-design/

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The virtual realm is uncharted territory for many designers. In the last few years, we've witnessed an explosion in virtual reality (VR) hardware and applications. VR experiences range from the mundane to the wondrous, their complexity and utility varying greatly.

Taking your first steps into VR as a UX or UI designer can be daunting. We know because we've been there. But fear not! In this article, we'll share a process for designing VR apps that we hope you'll use to start designing for VR yourself. You don't need to be an expert in VR; you just need to be willing to apply your skills to a new domain. Ultimately, as a community working together, we can accelerate VR to reach its full potential faster.

Generally speaking from a designer's perspective, VR applications are made up of two types of components: environments and interfaces.

You can think of an environment as the world that you enter when you put on a VR headset - the virtual planet you find yourself on, or the view from the rollercoaster that you're riding.

An interface is the set of elements that users interact with to navigate an environment and control their experience. All VR apps can be positioned along two axes according to the complexity of these two components.

In the top-left quadrant are things like simulators, such as the rollercoaster experience linked to above. These have a fully formed environment but no interface at all. You're simply locked in for the ride.

In the opposite quadrant are apps that have a developed interface but little or no environment. Samsung's Gear VR home screen is a good example.

Designing virtual environments such as places and landscapes requires proficiency with 3D modelling tools, putting these elements out of reach for many designers. However, there's a huge opportunity for UX and UI designers to apply their skills to designing user interfaces for virtual reality (or VR UIs, for short).

The first full VR UI design we did was an app for The Economist, created in collaboration with VR production studio Visualise. We did the design, while Visualise created the content and developed the app.

We'll use this as a working example throughout the next section, in which we'll lay out an approach to designing VR apps, before getting into the nitty-gritty of designing interfaces for VR. You can download the Economist app for Gear VR from the Oculus website.

Whereas most designers have figured out their workflow for designing mobile apps, processes for designing VR interfaces are yet to be defined. When the first VR app design project came through our door, the logical first step was for us to devise a process.

Traditional Workflows, New Territory

When we first played with Gear VR by Samsung, we noticed similarities to traditional mobile apps. Interface-based VR apps work according to the same basic dynamic as traditional apps: Users interact with an interface that helps them navigate pages. We're simplifying here, but just keep this in mind for now.

Given the similarity to traditional apps, the tried-and-tested mobile app workflows that designers have spent years refining won't go to waste and can be used to craft VR UIs. You're closer to designing VR apps than you think!

Before describing how to design VR interfaces, let's step back and run through the process for designing a traditional mobile app.

1. Wireframes

First, we'll go through rapid iterations, defining the interactions and general layout.

2. Visual Design

At this stage, the features and interactions have been approved. Brand guidelines are now applied to the wireframes, and a beautiful interface is crafted.

3. Blueprint

Here, we'll organize screens into flows, drawing links between screens and describing the interactions for each screen. We call this the app's blueprint, and it will be used as the main reference for developers working on the project.

Now, how can we apply this workflow to virtual reality?

Canvas Size

The simplest problems can be the most challenging. Faced with a 360-degree canvas, one might find it difficult to know where to begin. It turns out that UX and UI designers only need to focus on a certain portion of the total space.

We spent weeks trying to figure out what canvas size would make sense for VR. When you work on a mobile app, the canvas size is determined by the device's size: 1334 × 750 pixels for the iPhone 6 and roughly 1280 × 720 pixels for Android.

To apply this mobile app workflow to VR UIs, you first have to figure out a canvas size that makes sense.

Below is what a 360-degree environment looks like when flattened. This representation is called an equirectangular projection. In a 3D virtual environment, these projections are wrapped around a sphere to mimic the real world.

The full width of the projection represents 360 degrees horizontally and 180 degrees vertically. We can use this to define the pixel size of the canvas: 3600 × 1800.

Working with such a big size can be a challenge. But because we're primarily interested in the interface aspect of VR apps, we can concentrate on a segment of this canvas.

Building on Mike Alger's early research on comfortable viewing areas, we can isolate a portion where it makes sense to present the interface.

The area of interest represents one ninth of the 360-degree environment. It's positioned right at the centre of the equirectangular image and is 1200 × 600 pixels in size.

Let's sum up:

Testing

The reason for using two canvases for a single screen is testing. The "UI View" canvas helps to keep our focus on the interface we're crafting and makes it easier to design flows.

Meanwhile, the "360 View" is used to preview the interface in a VR environment. To get a real sense of proportions, testing the interface with a VR headset is necessary.

Tools

Before we get started with the walkthrough, here are the tools we'll need:

Sketch
We'll use Sketch to design our interfaces and user flows. If you don't have it, you can download a trial version. Sketch is our preferred interface design software, but if you're more comfortable using Photoshop or anything else, that would work, too.

GoPro VR Player
GoPro VR Player is a 360-degree content viewer. It's provided by GoPro and is free. We'll use it to preview our designs and test them in context.

Oculus Rift
Hooking Oculus Rift into the GoPro VR Player will enable us to test the design in context.

In this section, we'll run through a short tutorial on how to design a VR interface. We'll design a simple one together, which should take five minutes tops.

Download the assets pack, which contains presized UI elements and the background image. If you want to use your own assets, go for it; it won't be a problem.

1. Set Up "360 View"

First things first. Let's create the canvas that will represent the 360-degree view. Open a new document in Sketch, and create an artboard: 3600 × 1800 pixels.

Import the file named background.jpg, and place it in the middle of the canvas. If you're using your own equirectangular background, make sure its proportions are 2:1, and resize it to 3600 × 1800 pixels.

2. Set Up Artboard

As mentioned above, the "UI View" is a cropped version of the "360 View" and focuses on the VR interface only.

Create a new artboard next to the previous one: 1200 × 600 pixels. Then, copy the background that we just added to our "360 View," and place it in the middle of our new artboard. Don't resize it! We want to keep a cropped version of the background here.

3. Design the Interface

We're going to design our interface on the "UI View" canvas. We'll keep things simple for the sake of this exercise and add a row of tiles. If you're feeling lazy, just grab the file named tile.png in the assets pack and drag it into the middle of the UI view.

Duplicate it, and create a row of three tiles.

Grab kickpush-logo.png from the assets pack, and place it above the tiles.

Looking pretty good, eh?

4. Merge Artboards and Export

Now for the fun stuff. Make sure the "UI View" artboard is above the "360 View" artboard in the layers list on the left.

Drag the "UI View" artboard to the middle of the "360 View" artboard. Export the "360 View" artboard as a PNG; the "UI View" will be on top of it.

5. Test It in VR

Open the GoPro VR Player and drag the "360 View" PNG that you just exported into the window. Drag the image with your mouse to preview your 360-degree environment.

We're done! Pretty simple when you know how, right?

If you have an Oculus Rift set up on your machine, then the GoPro VR Player should detect it and allow you to preview the image using your VR device. Depending on your configuration, you might have to mess around with the display settings in MacOS.

Low Resolution

The resolution of the VR headset is pretty bad. Well, that's not entirely true: It's equivalent to your phone's resolution. However, considering the device is 5 centimeters from your eyes, the display doesn't look crisp.

To get a crisp VR experience, we would need an 8K display per eye. That's a 15,360 × 7680-pixel display. We're pretty far off from that, but we'll get there eventually.

Text Readability

Because of the display's resolution, all of your beautifully crisp UI elements will look pixelated. This means, first, that text will be difficult to read and, secondly, that there will be a high level of aliasing on straight lines. Try to avoid using big text blocks and highly detailed UI elements.

Blueprint

Remember the blueprint from our mobile app design process? We've adapted this practice to VR interfaces. Using our UI views, we map and organize our flows into a comprehensible blueprint, ideal for developers to understand the overall architecture of the app we've designed.

Motion Design

Designing a beautiful UI is one thing, but showing how it's supposed to animate is a different story. Once again, we've decided to approach it with a two-dimensional perspective.

Using our Sketch designs, we animate the interface with After Effects and Principle. While the outcome is not a 3D experience, it's used as a guideline for the development team and to help our clients understand our vision at an early stage of the process.

We know what you're thinking, though: "That's cool, but VR apps can get way more complicated." Yes, they can. The question is, to what extent can we apply our current UX and UI practices to this new medium?

Inter-Your-Faces

Some VR experiences rely so heavily on the virtual environment that a traditional interface that sits on top might not be the optimal way for the user to control the app. In this case, you might want users to interact directly with the environment itself.

Imagine that you're making an app for a luxury travel agent. You'd want to transport the user to potential holiday destinations in the most vivid way possible. So, you invite the user to put on the headset and begin the experience in your swanky Chelsea office.

To transition from the office to some far away place, the user needs to choose where they want to go. They could pick up a travel magazine and flick through it until they land on an appealing page. Or there could be a collection of interesting objects on your desk that whisk the user to different locations depending on which one they pick up.

This is definitely cool, but there are some drawbacks. To get the full effect, you'd need a more advanced VR headset with handheld controllers. Plus, an app like this takes quite a bit more effort to develop than a set of well-presented options organized like in a traditional app interface.

Viva la Revolución!

The reality is that these immersive experiences are not commercially viable for most companies. Unless you've got virtually unlimited resources, like Valve and Google, creating an experience like the one described above is probably too costly, too risky and too time-consuming.

This kind of experience is brilliant for showing off that you're at the cutting edge of media and technology, but not so great for taking your product to market through a new medium. Accessibility is important.

Usually, when a new format emerges, it's pushed to the limit by early adopters: the creators and innovators of this world. In time, and with enough learning and investment, it becomes accessible to a wider range of potential users.

As VR headsets become more commonplace, companies will start to spot opportunities to integrate VR into the ways that they engage with customers.

From our perspective, VR apps with intuitive UIs - that is, UIs closer to what people are already accustomed to with their wearables, phones, tablets and computers - are what will make VR an affordable and worthwhile investment for the majority of companies that pursue it.

Time to Board the Rocketship

We hope we've made the VR space a bit less scary with this article and inspired you to start designing for VR yourself.

They say that if you want to travel fast, go alone. But if you want to travel far, travel together. We want to travel far. At Kickpush, we think that every company will have a VR app someday, just like every company now has a mobile website (or should have - it's 2017, dang it!).

So, we're building a rocketship, a joint effort by designers around the globe to boldly go where no designer has gone before. The sooner that producing VR apps make sense for companies, the sooner the whole ecosystem will blow up.

Our next challenges as digital product designers are more complex applications and handling other types of input through controllers. To begin to tackle this we'll need robust prototyping tools that let us create and test designs quickly and easily. We'll be writing a follow up article that looks at some of the early attempts to do this, and at some of the new tools in development.

Stay tuned!

Useful Links

The UX of VR, Max Glenister
"A curated list of resources to help you on your journey into the user experience of virtual reality."

Mike Alger (research vlog), YouTube channel

AR & VR Weekly (newsletter), Josh Anon
"A curated list of AR/VR/MR news and interesting pieces sent about once a week."

Kickpush blog

"Virtual Reality Glossary," Freefly VR

Sam Applebee and Alex Deruette are the Co-founders of London design studio Kickpush. They're on a mission to bridge the gap between traditional UX/UI design and virtual reality.
This article originally appeared on Smashing Magazine.
Further reading:

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Getting Started With VR UI Interface Design

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The virtual realm is uncharted territory for many designers. In the last few years, we've witnessed an explosion in virtual reality (VR) hardware and applications. VR experiences range from the mundane to the wondrous, their complexity and utility varying greatly. 'You don't need to be an expert in VR; you just need to be willing to apply your skills to...

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https://www.tomsguide.com/news/google-maps-vs-apple-maps

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Deciding between Google Maps and Apple Maps is something every iPhone user needs to ask at some point. Google has held the mobile navigation crown for some years, but Apple Maps is no slouch - and it's already installed on every new iPhone. Needless to say Google has some serious competition.

But picking one isn't easy, since Google Maps and Apple Maps both have a lot to offer. And these days very little of it is unique to either service. So to figure out which one is right for you, we're pitting Google Maps vs Apple Maps. Here's how the two compare.

Google Maps vs. Apple Maps: Availability

Like most Apple services, Apple Maps is exclusive to the company's own line of products. They don't call it a walled garden for nothing. That means anyone not using an iPhone, Mac, or some other Apple-made device has zero way of accessing it.

Google Maps is the complete opposite, and is available in some form on just about every device out there. Android, Windows, iPhone, Mac, even Apple's CarPlay. Should you ever find yourself with a new device and in need of directions, your existing familiarity with Google Maps is going to serve you well. Logging in with your Google account also automatically syncs all your data, including journey history and favorite locations.

While Apple does have a lot of devices, all of which have some form of Apple Maps available, it's not enough to beat Google's near-universal availability.

Winner: Google Maps

Google Maps vs. Apple Maps: Interface

After several years of refinement, Apple Maps and Google Maps both offer a very focused interface that's easy to use. That said, the way they present that information is quite different.

Apple Maps takes a very simple approach to this, with an interface that keeps pretty much everything in one place for ease of use. Recent search history, saved locations, and information about businesses and places can be found when you expand the search bar.

Crucially, that search bar stays where it is until you click on a place, and if you want to get rid of it all you have to do is tap the X button in the corner.

Google on the other hand, has buttons and toolbars all over the place. At the top of your phone screen is the search bar, which also houses account information and sits above dedicated buttons for finding local amenities. If you're ever needing to find a restaurant or gas station fast, that's likely to be very useful.

Likewise at the bottom of the screen is a menu giving you access to the Explore and Commute features, saved locations, local news, and the option to contribute to Google's mapping database. All of these things will vanish if you tap the middle of the screen, so you can see a pure uncluttered map, but it's still all a bit much.

Winner: Apple Maps

Google Maps vs. Apple Maps: Map Design

Like its interface, Apple Maps has opted for a more minimalist approach to its map design. While it has a lot of information at its disposal, Apple Maps doesn't actually show you very much unless you zoom all the way in. Similarly, Google shows you more information when you zoom further in, but it does start showing a lot of that information much sooner than Apple Maps does.

That said, both of them always show the essentials no matter how you're viewing the map. Roads, locations, landmarks, it's all there. The only real difference is how much surplus information is on display, including businesses, smaller road names, and so on. Likewise both of them use a dark mode that makes it easier on your eyes during any late-night driving you need to be doing.

Google Maps had also started rolling out more superfluous, but still useful details, like stop signs, crosswalks, and so on. As of iOS 15 Apple has also started adding this information, with turn lanes, bus and taxi lanes, and crosswalks. It also has information for complex highway interchanges, something Google Maps has included for some time.

Both apps have the information you need, but Apple Maps' less-is-more approach makes it much easier on the eyes. Google Maps' excess information can be distracting sometimes, and that's the last thing you need if you're lost and struggling to orient yourself.

Winner: Apple Maps

There's very little difference in how Apple Maps and Google Maps actually gets you places. Both services follow your progress as you travel, including travel time and journey distance, your current ETA, and the most relevant instruction at that point in time. So if you need to stay on the freeway for another ten miles, that's what it'll say. But as soon as you have a turn coming up it'll change and let you know.

Both services are capable of telling you what current conditions are like on your route, including traffic, road closures, and so on. Both apps will also suggest alternate routes if the one you're on is particularly congested, though neither of them are as aggressive as the Google-owned Waze.

It doesn't matter how you intend to travel either, since Apple Maps and Google Maps can generate directions for drivers, walkers, cyclists, and those travelling by public transport.

As far as navigation goes, the differences between Google Maps and Apple Maps can be almost identical, or they can be as different as any route between two points can get.

For instance, driving from my house to our London office generated identical 51 mile routes and an ETA of 1 hour and 13 minutes. Going by train is a little different: Google Maps thought I'd get there in 58 minutes, versus 57 minutes on Apple.

Neither app gave me much option to alter the routes. Apple Maps skipped the toll road, even when I'd set it to allow tolls, and wouldn't give me the option of taking it. Likewise Google didn't have any suggestions that involved leaving the freeway one exit later. Instead the only alternate routes on offer were so wildly different that all three routes diverged almost as soon as I left home.

It's a bit strange that both apps offer primary routes that are similar, but the alternates were so wildly different.

Regardless of which one you have, you can be sure that the optimal route will get you to your destination in roughly the same amount of time.

However, Google Maps has the added advantage of letting you add multiple stops to your route ahead of time. Apple Maps does allow you to add pit stops mid-route, but that's only really to let you get gas, or have something to eat. It's not for, say, setting up a route to your Mom's house to pick her up, and then carrying on to your grandparents without starting a brand new route.

Google Maps is also updating the way it calculates its routes, with the aim of prioritizing safety and optimizing fuel consumption. So it's going to use a number of factors, including real-time traffic data, to find you a route that uses less fuel and is less likely to cause an accident, but without affecting your final ETA too much.

So Google very narrowly clinches the win thanks to the added convenience of journey planning.

Winner: Google Maps

Google Maps vs. Apple Maps: Traffic

Both Google Maps and Apple Maps have access to real-time traffic data, and can let you know if you're going to face any problems along your route. Whether it's road closures, heavy traffic, or something else entirely, it shouldn't come as a huge surprise. Naturally both apps let you report problems on the road, be they accidents, speed cameras, or general hazards that may affect travel times.

Google does have an edge here, thanks to the presence of its "Commute" feature. Once you've set up your work and home locations in the settings, tapping commute shows you what sort of journey you can expect. It'll tell you how long the journey will take, what major roads you'll be taking, and how busy those roads are. If that route isn't to your liking then you can pick one of a number of different options.

Google Maps will also let you adjust your departure or arrival time in the app itself, something Apple Maps does not do. The apple Calendar has a "travel time" feature that can do much the same thing, but that relies on you setting up a calendar event with the Travel Time feature turned on. Convenient in some contexts, sure, but it's also a convoluted process that definitely could do with some streamlining.

Apple Maps lets you save your work and home addresses as well, among other locations. It makes it faster to generate directions for places you go to regularly, but it requires a few extra steps that Google Maps' Commute skips out. Google also has the advantage of all that extra historical and real-time data.

Winner: Google Maps

Google Maps vs. Apple Maps: Public transportation

If travelling by car isn't your thing, both Google Maps and Apple Maps can include public transportation information in their directions. In both apps it's as simple as picking a destination and then hitting the "public transport" option at the top of the screen.

Both services include data from multiple transit authorities, timetables, ride-sharing services, and status updates, but Google still has the advantage. Because it has data on where Google Maps users are, plus a mix of historical and crowdsourced data, Google can estimate just how busy the public transport system is at any given time.

Google Maps is even expanding this feature to show you how crowded particular areas or neighbourhoods are later this year. Like the Commute feature, all of this means you can see exactly what to expect and change your route accordingly.

But Apple Maps has started catching up in iOS 15. Apple Maps now prominently displays station information at the top of the screen and lets you pin your favorite transit route for easy access. The update also prompts users when they're approaching their stop, so they make sure to get off at the right time.

Both services are able to offer real-time transit information, including live departure times, schedules, outages and delays. Apple Maps can also tell you the location of a bus or train that's en-route, so you know just how far away it is.

However Apple Maps still doesn't feature information on how busy a particular service is, which puts it at a disadvantage. While this feature was first hinted at in the beta, nothing has materialized as of the release of iOS 16.

This system seemed to work in a similar fashion to Google, crowd-sourcing the rough location of Apple Maps users to gauge how many of them are in any particular place. But, thanks to Apple's privacy stance, this information would be anonymized and encrypted before it gets sent off to Apple servers. It's un clear why this feature hasn't been publicly released yet, but it's possible the privacy features aren't quite up to scratch.

Winner: Google Maps, for now

Google Maps vs. Apple Maps: Discovery

There's more to navigation apps than finding directions from point A to B. Both Google Maps and Apple Maps have features that lets you see what's around, helping you find restaurants, gas stations, parking lots, and any other businesses or points of interest for those times you don't know where you're going.

Google Maps puts this in plain view, with buttons underneath the search bar and a larger list of categories if you scroll to the end. There's a button for pretty much anything you'd need, while the Explore tab at the bottom of the screen gives you a more generalized overview of the area.

Upcoming changes to this feature will also see Google offer more specific recommendations when you're looking for things. For example searching for restaurants in the morning will be more likely to show up coffee shops and places serving breakfast, rather than locations only open for lunch and dinner.

Apple Maps does something similar, which you'll see if you tap and expand the search bar. "Find Nearby" works in exactly the same way, letting you pick a category that's relevant to the area you're looking at. Sadly there's no full list like Google has, and you'll only see a handful of options which will change depending on which specific area you're looking at. Apple Maps also has something called "Guides" which imports relevant editorial content that should help familiarize you with any given area.

Google Maps' Explore results can capitalize on a wealth of Google's information, which is collected first hand and through crowdsourcing. Contact information, opening hours, whether business is limited thanks to the pandemic, it's all there. Google knowing where people are at any given time also means it can estimate how busy a place is. So if a restaurant or a supermarket is particularly congested, you'll be able to see that ahead of time.

Google also has future plans to expand this feature by letting you see how busy the foot traffic is in certain neighbourhoods or locations. Plus you'll be able to see this from the map itself, rather than a business's page.

Apple Maps has a lot of that information thanks to partnerships with third party services like Yelp, Foursquare, and TripAdvisor, but not as much as Google Maps does. It doesn't offer live updates on how busy a business is, and despite hints in the iOS 14.5 beta this feature is still missing as of the launch of IOS 16.

Apple also offers a 'Curated Guides' option, which arrived as part of iOS 15, offering recommendations on places to go when you're in a specific city. These guides can be saved and update automatically, so you're always up to date. Alternatively you can choose to create your own personal guide to share with friends and family.

Google has something similar in the works in the form of " Vibe Check", a crowd-sourced tool that's designed to help newcomers discover hidden gems in an unfamiliar area. It highlights things you should check out, and showcases information submitted by the locals.

This feature also reveals the "vibe" of an area, so you can figure out what the general feel of the place is. However Google Maps is yet to launch the feature, promising only that it will arriver "in the coming months".

Apple Maps' less-is-more approach does ensure a much cleaner interface, however. Whereas Google's insistence on including as much as possible means things can feel a little cluttered at times. Likewise Apple currently has the edge for quickly finding out what's worth checking out when you visit a new place - though that may change fairly soon.

Despite the potential for information overload, Google still comes out on top in this instance. The app is able to put its data collection to good use by ensuring you know if you're heading somewhere at the wrong time. The fact the app doesn't pick and choose Explore categories for you is also a win, and something Apple Maps definitely needs to copy. But Apple Maps appears to be catching up, and Google's dominance may not be so certain for much longer.

Winner: Google Maps

Google Maps vs. Apple Maps: Hands-free control

Hands-free control is important if you're driving, because you can't be constantly tapping your phone to get things done. Apple Maps and Google Maps both have hands-free control, though they do work differently.

Apple Maps is connected to Siri, which is installed on every iPhone by default. That means you can get everything set up right away, without any unnecessary extra steps.

Siri does work with Google Maps now, but you have to specify where you want to send the command. Otherwise Siri will default to Apple Maps, and there's currently no way to change this. So you'll have to say "Hey Siri, get me directions to work with Google Maps" because simply asking for directions to work will open up Apple Maps instead.

Alternatively you can download and set-up Google Assistant, or turn off Siri in Google Maps' navigation settings. That lets you use "Ok Google" commands while Google Maps is open. Similarly you can toggle voice commands by tapping the microphone button on screen.

Over on Android both Google Maps and Google Assistant are pre-installed, meaning you can set up hands-free commands right away. Obviously Apple Maps isn't available there, though again you do have the choice to skip the assistant and toggle voice commands with an on-screen button.

Tapping the screen every time you want to tell Maps to do something isn't the best scenario, because you're supposed to be concentrating on the road. It doesn't matter which device you're using.

Apple Maps has the edge if you use an iPhone, because everything is interconnected and you don't need to deal with the hassle of downloading a new assistant or specifying which service you want to use every time. Google Maps has the edge on Android, but that's primarily down to the fact Apple Maps isn't available.

Winner: Tie

Google Maps vs. Apple Maps: Street view

If you need a different way of looking at the world, then Street View is a very helpful tool as it shows a location from your own point of view, rather than a map's standard top-down perspective. It's particularly helpful for orienting yourself in a strange location.

Google's Street View has been around since 2007, and over the past 14 years it's expanded across the world. Not everywhere, and you'll find large portions of countries like Germany and South Korea don't have Street View coverage, nor does mainland China. Still it's in a lot of places.

Accessing it is easy, and all you have to do is change the map type to the Street View option, and click an area highlighted in blue. You then have the choice to either navigate in a split-screen mode that relies on you tapping locations on the map to get around, or by tapping and swiping within Street View itself.

There's also the added advantage of Live View directions, which uses AR to overlay directions on what your phone can see - helping you navigate more effectively. Live View is also set to get upgrades in the near future, which should add even more value to this mode. That includes seeing business information and busyness levels, and the ability to search for specific services or locations. All from street level.

Eventually Google's 'Immersive View' will let you view the interior of business or location from your phone. But so far this feature is still officially "coming soon".

The downside to Live View is that relies on there being Street View coverage. Which is fine in a lot of public places, thanks to Street View's extensive coverage. But if you find yourself not covered, AR directions won't be available.

Apple Maps' equivalent is called "Look Around," and since it only launched in late 2019, it's nowhere near as extensive. You'll only find Look Around spots in major cities in the U.S., U.K., Japan, Ireland, and Canada right now. Accessing and navigating this mode used to be a little different, but things have changed.

In the past navigating meant physically selecting a spot on the map and scrolling around to go from place to place. That's no longer the case, and while the method still works you can now explore in much the same way as Google Maps. Tap a spot on screen and Apple Maps will take you there. Nice and easy.

iOS 15 also saw the launch of AR directions, with Apple users able to raise their iPhones to scan nearby buildings to work out exactly where you are - and show you where to go in a real world context. It's pretty much identical to how Google Maps does it, if you're already familiar with Google's equivalent.

With these two changes it means Google Maps and Apple Maps are functionally identical. However Google Maps still wins on account of its head start, and the sheer number of locations it's managed to document. Still, don't expect Apple Maps to stay on the sidelines for too long.

Winner: Google Maps

Google Maps vs. Apple Maps: Privacy

Apple has gone all in with privacy over the past few years, and Apple Maps is no exception. While privacy and live navigation seem pretty incompatible, Apple has developed a process called "fuzzing" that ensures anonymity.

Rather than requesting a route from A to B, Apple Maps sends off multiple requests with multiple identifiers that masks where you're trying to go. The app also converts your precise location to a less-exact one after 24 hours, and Apple itself doesn't store any information about where you've been or what you've been searching for. Plus none of the information that reaches an external server is associated with your Apple ID.

Any personalized data Apple Maps does have is stored on your device, rather than a server where it's out of your control. That means you can go into the settings and delete it at any time, safe in the knowledge that it is gone for good.

Data can still be backed-up and synced across multiple devices, via your personal iCloud storage, but this doesn't happen automatically. Because uploading that data to a server, no matter how secure, is riskier than keeping it on your device, you have to deliberately opt in first.

Google Maps does none of that. Instead pretty much everything you do gets routed through Google's servers, and the information gleaned from your travels and searches can be used to better personalize Google's ads. Because that's how the company makes its money, and the more relevant the ads are to you the more valuable they become.

Measures are taken to ensure advertisers don't learn too much about you as an individual, but it's not entirely anonymized in the same way Apple Maps' navigation requests are.

Google Maps does have an Incognito Mode, just like the Chrome browser, which limits the amount of data that is saved. However that doesn't stop the fact everything has to go through Google servers first, so the only way to actively avoid Google Maps from keeping tabs on you is to stop using it and delete the app.

Winner: Apple Maps

Google Maps vs. Apple Maps: Bottom Line

Google's practice of data collection is key to making Google Maps a superior service to Apple Maps. Or that's one way of looking at it. Since Apple Maps is run with a focus on user privacy, Apple can't utilize data to make improvements. So Google can offer real time updates showing how busy a store or train might be, that's always going to be well out of Apple's reach.

But at the same time using Google Maps means knowing everything you do, and everything you search for, is being collected and analyzed for Google's own benefit. When it comes to GPS and your actual location, that's going to be too much for the more privacy-conscious.

Discovering new places is easy on Google Maps, but only just. Apple just needs to offer a full list of categories, rather than just giving you what it thinks is the most relevant. Similarly Google Street View is more widespread, but it also had a 12-year head start that puts Apple's Look Around at a clear disadvantage. Apple Maps does offer a cleaner design and simpler interface, which is much more appealing than Google Maps' relatively cluttered approach.

Most of these comparisons are arbitrary in the long run. Google Maps may well have won more categories than Apple Maps, but numbers don't tell us everything. The most important thing to consider is the actual navigation, and it turns out there isn't really a wrong answer here.

Google Maps' and Apple Maps' navigation performances were basically identical, and it means whichever one you pick you'll be well served. It's just up to you to decide which is right for you and what sort of journeys you plan to take.

If you value privacy above all else, or are happy with the default Mapping app on your iPhone, go with Apple Maps. However if you prefer a service that offers more information and puts your data to work improving what you see, then go for Google Maps. It's all up to you.

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Google Maps vs. Apple Maps: Which navigation app is best?

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Deciding between Google Maps and Apple Maps is something every iPhone user needs to ask at some point. Google has held the mobile navigation crown for some years, but Apple Maps is no slouch - and it's already installed on every new iPhone. Needless to say Google has some serious competition.

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https://www.trustradius.com/compare-products/google-vr-vs-steamvr#user-testimonials

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Compare Google VR vs SteamVR. 18 verified user reviews and ratings of features, pros, cons, pricing, support and more.

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https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/02/nike-hands-free-shoe-disability-inclusive-clothing/

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Nike has made hands-free shoe for people with disabilities

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Big brands are finding ways to make their clothing and footwear more accessible to the 15% of the world population living with a disability.

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https://www.trustradius.com/reviews/steamvr-2022-08-17-15-31-52

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Access to a large library of VR games from various publishers

Allows for other users to join my game and be social in a "hub" outside of the games

The user interface works well and isn't prone to crashing

It's stability is good but could still use some optimizing

The hub has a variety of tools that look cool but are not explained. A tutorial would be nice

An app that can be accessed from the Oculus would be good, though I realize that is a long shot

SteamVR has more volume of games, a variety of games, and quality of games much more advanced than the oculus store. While the SteamVR headset is better than the Oculus, the software (SteamVR) is the better option. Plus, you can utilize your computer storage to hold games instead of being limited by the Oculus internal storage capacity.

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SteamVR may be a virtual world, but it's the only world for VR | TrustRadius

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User Review of SteamVR: 'Part of my role is to be knowledgeable in current games, including VR. However, I only have the Oculus as a VR headset. Using SteamVR not only allows me to access a larger library of VR games than the Oculus store, but it allows me to use those games on my Oculus headset.

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https://www.self.com/story/dopamine-dressing-tips

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Experts Say ‘Dopamine Dressing’ Can Legitimately Boost Your Mood

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https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/amp/entry/marc-corn-anorexic-man-can-only-eat-chocolate-mousse-and-custard-after-bullying-made-him-fear-solid-food_n_1428039/

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Recovering anorexic Marc Corn only eats chocolate mousse and custard since childhood bullies left him with a fear of solid food.

The 23-year-old suffers panic attacks unless his food is soft and fears he is going to choke.

Marc, from Basildon, Essex, eats ten Tesco value chocolate mousses, four pots of Ambrosia custard and three vitamin shakes each day.

He also drinks around ten cups of tea. But the idea of eating anything different - particularly solid food - leaves him terrified.

Marc, who now weighs just 7st 12lbs (110lbs), spoke out about his eating disorder after NHS figures last week revealed hospital admissions for male sufferers of eating disorders had doubled since last year.

Scroll down for more pictures of Marc Corn

Marc, who also suffers from cerebral palsy, weighed less than 7 stone (98lbs) at his thinnest

He said: "When I was 14 I weighed 17 stone (238lbs) and was tormented by bullies who called me fat.

"I pretty much stopped eating solid food and was surviving on cans of Coke.

"I got incredibly skinny, you could see all my bones jutting out. But I preferred looking like that to feeling fat.

"At my skinniest I weighed less than 7 stone (98lbs). I barely ate anything. But with the help of my family I'm on the road to recovery.

"Now I can't eat solid food and I refuse to eat in front of people. But at least I can eat - and that's something.

"I can't pinpoint exactly what it is, but I really am scared of eating solid food."

It is estimated that 20 per cent of the 1.6million people with eating disorders in the UK are male.

As a child Marc says he used to gorge on sweets and takeaways and was a stone and a half overweight by the time he was nine, weighing six stone.

He said: "I loved food. If somebody left something on their plate I would eat it.

"I loved chips and kebabs. I used to wake up at 5am and eats tons of chocolate bars that were in the cupboards."

But after being targeted by other children at school he shed around 10 stone (140lbs) between the ages of 14 and 19.

He said: "I was teased and called fatty at school. I felt so ashamed that I became obsessed with losing weight.

"I used to eat in my room but was consuming less and less. I used hold my arms under a hot lamp hoping it would make me lose more weight."

His worried parents, Daniel, 59, and Janice, 50, took him to see an eating specialist who diagnosed Marc as suffering from anorexia.

With the support of his family Marc began eating yogurt and scrambled egg in a bid to increase his weight.

Marc, who suffers from cerebral palsy and can't work, said: "My family made me see what I was doing was dangerous and they are helping me to beat my demons.

"I still don't like to eat in front of anyone but at least I am not starving myself.

"I won't eat anything during the day and I sleep at lot because my cerebral palsy causes me pain.

"At 10pm I will eat something in my room, then have more at about 4am."

Mother, Janice, also unemployed due to disability, said: "We still worry about Marc although he says he has it under control.

"I would like to see him put on weight and I like him to eat at the table with the family again.

"He used to eating anything and everything but suddenly stopped after being bullied.

"It's a long road to recovery but we're proud that he had recognised his illness."

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Recovering Anorexic Can Only Eat Chocolate Mousse And Custard After Bullies Left Him Afraid Of Solid Food

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Recovering anorexic Marc Corn only eats chocolate mousse and custard since childhood bullies left him with a fear of solid food. The 23-year-old suffers panic attacks unless his food is soft and fears he is going to choke. Marc, from Basildon, Essex, eats ten Tesco value chocolate mousses, four pots of Ambrosia custard and three vitamin shakes each day.

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https://blog.designcrowd.com/article/1798/the-psychology-of-shapes

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Every single detail is essential when it comes to graphic design. Knowing how to utilize design elements to flesh out your concept is the key to creating better output. This applies to your brand identity design, label design, social media design, and more.

Today, we are talking about one of the most critical parts of any design, and that is shape psychology. It's a design element that lets you set the tone and provide visual prominence. But there's much more to this element than some people might think.

This article will guide you through mastering this topic and applying it to your work. Here's a quick overview of what we're tackling.

What is shape psychology

Understanding the meaning of shapes

What shapes do people prefer?

Let's get started.

What is shape psychology?

Shape psychology is defined as the influence a figure has on the viewer's perception. It's a lot like color psychology . This scientific study guides graphic designers and brands in selecting a figure to incorporate in their work. It helps reveal what shape will best embody the concept they're going for. Think of it as another way to ensure that you're communicating your message the best way possible.

But this doesn't exist in graphic design alone. It's also an essential part of other fields like interior design, photography, and architecture, among other industries.

Learn all about shapes and their meaning below.

Understanding the meaning of shapes

People analyze shapes and assign human traits to them. Being aware of how you can use this to your advantage gives you a valuable opportunity to improve your design and relay your message more effectively. You can use it to showcase your personality as an approachable brand or an edgy brand. It's an excellent basis to use when creating a design for your project.

Here are some of the commonly used shapes and their meaning.

Round shapes are cornerless figures which create a soft look. It's a familiar symbol used for life and unity. It can also stand for eternity in some cultures because people believe the shape has no beginning or end.

Plus, it provides enough space for you to put information on and give your audience a more leisurely time processing your design.
Where can you use this?
The lack of sharpness in its look makes it a great complement to your design's focal point, be it in a photograph or a logo.

Rectangles are figures with two adjacent sides that are equal in length. The straight lines and sharp angles of the rectangle can be seen in everyday life, like buildings. It aids in creating an appearance of stability and security. This shape helps evoke a trustworthy image.
Where can you use this?
The elongated four corners of the rectangle make it an ideal canvas for digestible pieces of information. This shape complements business cards, ads, and banners.

Similar to the previous shape, a square has four corners. The difference lies in the symmetry as this shape has four equal sides. The angles of this shape measure 90 degrees. Its sturdiness makes people associate it with balance and strong foundations.
Where can you use this?
Its versatile figure allows you to create something with a dominant silhouette for brand assets like charts, social media posts, and photos.

This shape has three angles and three sides. It is a figure known for traits like strength, power, and masculinity. You can see this being used by brands like CAT, HGTV, and to create an attention-grabbing brand identity.
Where can you use this?
Its shape, whether upright or inverted, helps lead the eyes of the audience. This makes it ideal for other projects like label design, infographics, and other similar assets.

Diamonds are valuable crystals depicted using an octahedral shape. But for its 2D version, the figure is illustrated with four corners, equal sides, and parallel opposite sides. The spikey figure helps evoke traits such as passion and faithfulness.
Where can you use this?
Since this shape is associated with a precious resource, it's a great feature that you can use for projects that you want to have a luxe feel. You can use this for symbols, store signs, web design, and more.

This shape is a representation of the human organ. This symbol isn't anatomically accurate, and it comes in the form of a scalloped shape. It has two bumps atop it, and the lower half of the figure is sharp and points downwards.
Where can you use this?
This shape is versatile and can add a festive look to a design for seasons like Valentine's or Mother's Day. You can use this as ornaments for social media posts, logos, and other aspects.

An organic shape can take the form of irregular figures since it isn't a rigid, perfect shape. It has a more natural vibe, leaving the cookie-cutter quality that other structures have. This form is often curvy and flowy.
Where can you use this?
Since each organic shape is unique, this helps develop a one-of-a-kind look for graphic design projects. You could use this for illustrations, videos, backgrounds, and other projects.

What shapes do people prefer?

Circles, squares, and triangles are just some of the most common shapes you can expect to see being used by brands and your environment. But is there a single shape that reigns supreme when it comes to creating a striking design?

This section will teach you data-backed answers to help you select the perfect shape for your brand. Scientists have long been interested in what figures are most appealing for humans.

The answer is simple. Humans are magnetized by curvy shapes, according to different studies. So yes, this includes circles, ovals, ellipses, spheres, stadiums, and the like.

Some people might think that this is pretty random, but there's a reason why people prefer rather than an edgy shape, and it goes back to primitive times.

Humans have avoided sharp shapes like fangs and treacherous terrain that can harm them. This is why jagged figures produce strong feelings. Meandering forms will help you give them something to look at that reminds them of safety.

But just because people are naturally drawn to curvy figures doesn't mean that it's automatically the best choice for your brand. When choosing the shape for your brand, you must always consider your brand identity and what will best engage your target audience .

Conclusion

When you're aware of the meaning behind each shape, you can effectively maximize them and make them a compelling design that your audience can engage with. It gives you another communication tool to yield.

Start your graphic design project once you're all set to apply what you've learned. You can use it for different projects like a podcast cover or even a YouTube channel cover.

Here are some foolproof ways for you to bring any design concept to life.

Start a design contest on DesignCrowd. The crowdsourcing platform lets you post your project brief and work with freelance graphic designers to flesh it out. Brands use this for graphic design projects like logo design , and merch design , among many others. Get ready to receive up to 50 design bids today.

BrandCrowd is also a platform that brands can use to create DIY assets. It has a and a business card maker to get your brand identity started. The premium logo pack also comes with other designs that you can use for social media posts, flyers, and more.

In minutes, you'll wow your audience with a personalized design. The process is made more accessible by its huge design library and easy-to-use editor. Try it right here.

Read more articles on design and inspiration below:

Written by DesignCrowd on Tuesday, July 6, 2021

DesignCrowd is an online marketplace providing logo, website, print and graphic design services by providing access to freelance graphic designers and design studios around the world.

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Let's about one of the most critical parts of any design, and that is shape psychology. It's a design element that lets you set the tone and provide visual prominence. But there's much more to this element than some people might think.

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https://blog.tubikstudio.com/knock-design-into-shape-psychology-of-shapes/

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Knock Design into Shape. Psychology of Shapes

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Psychology of shapes is helpful for creating user-friendly interfaces. Let’s check the meanings of different shapes and their influence on design solutions.

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https://www.shutterstock.com/blog/psychological-color-palettes?amp=1

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Grace is a graphic designer and design writer based in Manchester in the UK. A self-confessed 'print geek' with an enthusiasm for all things related to print design and branding, Grace heads up creative agency Blue Whippet Studio and runs the design blog InDesignSkills.com.

The psychological sway color holds over us hasn't gone unnoticed by the design world-photographers, graphic designers, and illustrators use color psychology to create more captivating images or more salable brands. If you want to create a website that makes viewers feel empowered and aspirational, or portray an identity that inspires trust and brand loyalty, these psychological color palettes will help you to achieve much more than simply an attractive aesthetic.

The palettes below combine winning formulas of psychologically-charged hues to help you achieve your aim-an enigmatic teal palette that blazes an innovative trail, an energetic yellow palette that combines budget-friendly messaging with mood-boosting optimism . . . You'll have to read on to learn more!

Here, discover ten psychological color palettes to win friends and influence people.

How to Use Your Psychological Color Palettes

As with everything in life, balance is key. You can balance the qualities of one color with the psychological impact of another, creating a finely-tuned palette that helps you achieve a specific purpose.

For example, green has soothing and healing properties (the reason why it's used ubiquitously in pharmaceutical branding), but it can also be lethargic when used in large quantities. Teaming green with a more energy-giving hue like orange fosters psychological balance, and can help to temper orange's unwanted qualities (such as its association with value-all well and good for budget brands but not ideal for aspirational identities).

With this need for psychological balance in mind, these palettes have been created to help you achieve a strong, focused statement in your designs, whether that's wanting to appear enigmatic and unique or inclusive and welcoming.

The infographic below shows some of the common psychological associations of different colors. We can use this table to create palettes that foster psychological balance, and create more attractive and effective designs as a result.

Now that you know a little about the psychological impact of each color, we can start to create groups of colors that complement each other psychologically. Browse the palettes below and pin your favorites to a Pinterest mood board or share on your social media account.

Palette 1: "I'm Different from the Norm"

This palette is for individuals and businesses who want to appear enigmatic and different. If you want to create imagery or branding that expresses a sense of uniqueness, this teal and red scheme will help to set yourself apart from the crowd.

Sometimes having a little edge is better than conformity. This type of palette would work particularly well for businesses who rely on innovative services or fresh thinking as their USP, such as creative agencies, scientific organizations, or engineering practices.

By using color psychology in this palette we can balance teal's lethargy with red's aggression. Teal is also a transitional color, neither green nor blue, lending it an air of ambiguity and mystery. The result is a scheme that brings out the best of both colors, with teal acting as a deep, enigmatic foil to red's urgent energy.

Palette 2: "Take Me Seriously"

Combining vintage-inspired colors of dark green and dusky pink with corporate-friendly gray and cream, this palette balances the traditional mood of old-establishment green with fresh, youthful pink, making it memorable rather than stuffy.

Dark green is often associated psychologically with ambition and good taste, which is why it's often used for financial institutions and traditional men's clubs. The pink used in this palette contains a gray undertone, making it feel more conservative than brighter pinks.

If you want to ensure your point of view is heard at that important meeting, or to foster a serious, formal tone in your designs, this authoritative palette will do the trick.

Palette 3: "I Am Conscientious"

This sustainable-themed palette is a blend of sky and earth tones, balancing blue sky thinking with grounded stability. The human eye is accustomed to these types of colors in the natural environment, so we find them innately soothing and relaxing.

Earth tones in contain varying degrees of brown are in danger of appearing a little dull when used exclusively. However, the freshness of seafoam blue enlivens neutral colors, resulting in a palette that feels more stable and inclusive.

While this palette would be a natural fit for eco-centric branding or environmental-themed photography, it can be used for any design that requires an honest, conscientious mood. Lifestyle packaging, organic food products, or sustainable fashion will all find this palette an effective way of communicating conscientious business values to customers.

Palette 4: "My Business Is Successful and Go-Getting"

This palette is a perfect fit for brand identities of agencies or corporates who need to communicate that they're serious when it comes down to business, but also agile, energized, and fast-moving.

Navy blue is corporate and serious, with long-held associations with intellectualism and conservatism (more universities and legal practices use the color in their branding than any other hue). Meanwhile orange is exuberant and energetic.

You can make your serious/go-getting scheme feel livelier and more contemporary by also including a bolder indigo blue and a richer rust red, two variations on the navy and orange theme that create a beautiful graduated effect.

Palette 5: "Let Me Capture Your Attention"

Sometimes, it's more important to capture the attention of distracted eyes than anything else. Social media advertising, flyers, or website banners all need to use colors that have an eye-catching effect.

Yellow and black in combination convey alarm and warning, the colors of wasps and hazard signs. As a result, we instinctually respond to yellow and black with a high degree of alertness. For brands looking to harness this primal psychological response, yellow and black would be the natural choice. However, the negative association of the color pairing with danger can be reshaped by combining yellow with subtle charcoal gray.

Kraft-paper brown further tempers the exuberance of yellow, resulting in a palette that captures attention but, simultaneously, has an attractive, calming quality.

Palette 6: "I'm Always Open to New Ideas"

There are perhaps no two colors more closely related, yet psychologically distinct, than pink and red. While pink is tender and feminine, red is confrontational and masculine. Pink is generally perceived as a positive color emotionally, provoking feelings of openness and kindness, while red is assertive and confidently unapologetic.

This palette encapsulates the contrasting personalities of both pink and red, creating a palette that's receptive and dynamic, helping designers and brands to communicate a sense of lively engagement and openness to new ideas. Neither masculine nor feminine, this scheme is a nice suits-all palette, and can apply to a wide range of designs and industries. Because red and pink are warm, hot-blooded colors, the introduction of deep, inky blue brings a welcome soothing element.

Palette 7: "I'm Happy!"

After 2020, there's no greater emotion to aspire to than sheer, unadulterated happiness. Whether it's used in photography, illustration, or brand design, this multi-colored scheme is a psychological shortcut to positivity.

So, why do bright, multi-colored schemes make us feel instantly uplifted? Some scientific studies show that exposure to bright colors release dopamine in the brain, a neurotransmitter that plays a role in how we feel pleasure. One study found bright green to be particularly effective in enhancing dopamine concentration.

With the term "dopamine dressing" in circulation -and increasingly used as a method for combatting the blues by savvy sartorialists-2021 is the perfect time for designers to follow suit. This palette combines four mood-boosting bright hues-joyful pink, confident red, sunny yellow, and fresh grass green-to create a color tonic for post-pandemic times.

Palette 8: "I am expensive."

For aspirational branding, event photography, or interior design that requires a luxurious touch, this high-end palette will help to position your design at the loftier end of the price scale.

Purple has a historic association with royalty, stemming back to the use of eye-wateringly expensive Tyrian purple as a dye for elite clothing in Ancient Lebanon. Emerald green is psychologically intertwined with the expensive quality of green (the color of money, greed, and envy) as well as being suitably associated with the precious jewel of the same name. Drop metallic gold-the color historically most strongly associated with wealth-into the mix and you have a heady, luxurious palette ready to elevate any design.

And it really can elevate any design. A range of often unconventional brands turn to shades of purple, plum, emerald, or gold to luxuriate their products. A case in point-the oh-so-luxurious purple and gold of Cesar dog food.

Palette 9: "I'm Affordable (and Fun Too!)"

Walk into any airport and you'll notice an instant difference in the color schemes used by airlines in their branding and signage. At one end of the departures hall is a sea of navy blue and deep red, indicating the luxury air carriers. Meanwhile, brash tones of orange and yellow dominate the other end, the pocket-friendly calling card of budget airlines.

We psychologically associate orange with value, which makes it the most-used hue by budget brands. Yellow comes in a close second, and youthful pink and zesty lime green are also purse-friendly colors for brands looking to appear inclusive and welcoming for families in particular.

It's no coincidence these citrus-themed colors are evocative of sunshine and the summer months. These colors imbue designs with energy and optimism, helping viewers feel excited and full of potential-even if the price tag is a long way from luxurious.

Palette 10: "I Am Enigmatic and Creative"

Transitional colors sit between two primary or secondary colors on the spectrum. Teal for example, if you will recall Palette 1 (above), is a transitional color between green and blue. The human eye can't neatly categorize these transitional hues, giving them a more ambiguous, fluid quality. They can appear to have more depth, or feel more interesting than other colors, which makes them the perfect fit for creative, unique palettes.

In this palette, two transitional colors- violet and coral-combine with more soothing tones of lavender and buff to create a palette that's unusual and enigmatic, but also highly usable. Violet sits between purple and blue, and combines the mysticism of purple with blue's intelligence. Meanwhile coral blends red's confidence with the energy of orange.

This palette expresses a sense of creativity and uniqueness. It's a perfect fit for artistic or theatrical imagery, as well as brand identities for creatives such as fashion, graphic, or interior designers.

For more color-themed insights, articles, and palettes, look no further . . .
Cover image by contributor Yaroslav Magistr.

Recently viewed

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10 Psychological Color Palettes to Win Friends and Influence People

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Grace is a graphic designer and design writer based in Manchester in the UK. A self-confessed 'print geek' with an enthusiasm for all things related to print design and branding, Grace heads up creative agency Blue Whippet Studio and runs the design blog InDesignSkills.com.

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http://www.colour-affects.co.uk/psychological-properties-of-colours

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https://community.thriveglobal.com/how-color-can-boost-confidence-and-your-self-esteem/

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Did you know that certain colors can eliminate stress and boost confidence? As a personal fashion stylist I often work with clients who deal with a lot of stress. We all deal with a lot of stress, just everyone's stress may be related differently. Whether it be work related or due to personal matters.

Back in the ancient cultures such as the Egyptians and Chinese they practiced something called "Chromotherapy" which was the use of colors to help heal. Today we call it Colorolgy and therapists will use the holistic treatment to boost confidence and help promote self esteem. I guess you can call me a style therapist then , because many of my clients will ask me to help them put together a wardrobe that will boost their confidence , while making them look stylish.

Have you ever noticed that some colors will make you feel better than others? They also can affect how you make decisions. The reality is we can all use an extra bit of a confidence boost. The following colors will help you do just that!
Green
This color represents abundance and growth. Those two factors are what make us feel that everything is going to be O.K.
Blue
Reminds you of the sea and the sky. Both soothing and calming to look at. It tends to promote stimulation and help with the way we think. It aids in focus and concentration. I tell my clients, if they will be speaking in front of others, going on a job interview or some type of even that is just as important where they will be the center of attention, wear BLUE!
Orange
This color aids in energy and will increase your ability to make decisions. If you need to take a test or make an important decision the color to wear is Orange.
Yellow
This is the ideal color to make you feel happy. Who doesn't want to feel happy vibes. Yellow is associated with the sun and we all know that when the sun comes out everyone feels good and we tend to be more productive. Therefore, wearing a shade of yellow will most definitely make you feel confident, and boost your self esteem, even if it's a rainy day and the sky is grey.
Red
Red is associated with being powerful, self assured and beautiful. I always tell my clients to wear red if they automatically want to feel confidence. Whether you have a date, speaking engagement or just for everyday. It doesn't need to be worn head to toe, just wearing it as just a pop of color can also boost your confidence. The color is so vibrant and colorful it really will make you feel great.

So if you want to help boost your confidence and build your self esteem try wearing one of the colors from above .

Author(s)

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How Color Can Boost Confidence And Your Self-Esteem - Thrive Global

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Did you know that certain colors can eliminate stress and boost confidence? As a personal fashion stylist I often work with clients who deal with a lot of stress. We all deal with a lot of stress, just everyone's stress may be related differently. Whether it be work related or due to personal matters.

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https://www.therapyforyou.co.uk/post/11-things-boost-self-esteem

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11 Things You Can Tell Yourself to Boost Your Self-Esteem - Therapy For You

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11 Things You Can Tell Yourself to Boost Your Self-Esteem - Therapy For You - The free NHS counselling and talking therapies service for people in South Essex.

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https://www.headspace.com/mindfulness/self-worth

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Self-worth and self-esteem can impact each other, but ideally one isn't reliant on the other

Realizing our worth happens when we understand that our value operates independently from the external ups and downs of life

Try 8 meditations for realizing and improving self-worth

What is self-worth?

Strong self-worth is a firm belief that we, as individuals, are inherently worthy of happiness. Unlocking that sense of worth often involves embarking on an introspective journey to first notice how we regard ourselves, and then to understand what inner shifts we can make.

While the terms self-esteem and self-worth are often used interchangeably, there is a slight but important difference to consider. The former typically refers to how good or bad we feel about ourselves and our capabilities, whereas the latter refers to how we view our value as human beings. Healthy self-worth can certainly promote higher self-esteem, and low self-esteem can certainly impact our sense of worth. But, ideally, one isn't reliant on the other. Either way, our worth can be an unshakable notion that's always with us - through tough times or great times. And there is, within each of us, a place of stillness that is inherently confident, accessed beyond limiting thoughts and beliefs.

The benefits of building self-worth

At some point in our lives, we all go through difficult times that can challenge the value we place on ourselves. Maybe a big promotion passed us by, or someone we love broke off a relationship, or a run of rotten luck has brought life itself into question. At moments like this, it's common to have deprecating thoughts such as, "I'm not good enough."

If we know our self-worth, it can act as a sort of shield against this type of negative thinking - helping us wade through hard times, with our head held high and worthiness firmly in check, ultimately building a more resilient character. But that's easier said than done if we've had a lifetime of thinking we're not good enough, or if we don't like the way we look, or indeed the way we are.

Low self-worth, like low self-esteem, is always looking for fuel to feed the "not good enough" storyline that's long taken root in our heads. And so it finds further evidence by latching onto the thinking mind to stir up more negative thoughts and negative self-talk. And so the cycle begins. "I'm not good at this ..." or "I could be better at this ..." or "It's me ... I'm not good enough for them."

Once we become aware of how the mind influences our sense of worth and confidence, we can make positive shifts to not be so attached to such thinking. Headspace co-founder Andy Puddicombe says: "If we can identify less with those negative thoughts, we can walk around with a greater sense of ease about ourselves, and find it much easier and more pleasurable to be kind to those around us as well."

How to improve self-worth

The key to cultivating improved self-worth is finding mindful ways to move away from the idea that external influences reflect our value as a person. In fact, research has shown that those who base their self-worth on external sources such as appearance, approval from others, and academic performance, are actually more prone to stress, anger, relationship conflicts, and ultimately low self-worth.

Understanding that our value operates independently from the external ups and downs of life is often an ongoing and arduous process - one that requires patience and consistency. Here are a few mindfulness practices and healthy coping mechanisms to think about while working on it:

Through compassion meditation, we learn how to foster feelings of compassion towards ourselves and others. By learning to not be so rash in judging others, we are not as hard on ourselves. Regularly practicing self-kindness in this way, one slowly discovers ways to quiet negative mental chatter and understand how inherently valuable we truly are.

When using meditation to improve self-worth, the idea is not to replace negative thoughts with positive thinking. Andy notes, "If it was that easy, we would have done that already."

Instead, meditation is about learning to see through the nature of thought altogether. So it doesn't matter what thoughts arise in the mind - positive, negative, it's not important. Either way, we learn to let it all go, giving those thoughts no credence or power.

Noticing when we have periods of low self-worth and low self-esteem is half the battle; it's that awareness that adds separation between ourselves and the thoughts we are thinking. By noting our thoughts, we learn to see them as just thoughts, without adding weight or meaning. It is an inner commentary we can put down, like choosing to tune out that one negative coworker who never seems to have anything good to say.

Look for ways to practice gratitude.

In time, this way of navigating thought will become something we learn to do not only during meditation, but in our everyday life as well. "It doesn't matter what thoughts come up about ourselves or what other people think about us," says Andy. "There's this place of quiet confidence within that's not affected by our internal world or our external world."

As we work on improving self-worth, it can be helpful to develop a daily mindfulness practice that centers around gratitude. Those who regularly take time to appreciate their blessings have been shown to be less likely to compare themselves to others - a fundamental principle of long-lasting self-worth.

Navigate negative thoughts in a new way.

A daily gratitude practice can be as simple as starting a gratitude journal, where we draft long-form paragraphs, bullet-pointed lists, or even creative drawings. For something a bit more structured, we might also try listening to a guided gratitude meditation to help bring the mind to a place of personal reflection. Don't be afraid to keep your gratitude practice quick and easy. As Andy says, "Sometimes, a happy mind is just a moment of appreciation away."

Negative thinking is completely normal, but we can shift how much attention we give such thoughts. The less weight we give them, the less we identify with them, and the less believable those thoughts become. While we may never be able to completely silence negative self-talk, meditation is a great tool to bring awareness to how our mind trips us up, and that awareness affords us the power to do something about it.

Try 8 meditations for realizing and improving self-worth

Visualizing Well-Being meditation. Create an inner sanctuary of safety, support, and joy.

Self-Love meditation. Tap into the love that's always available to you.

Self-Esteem course. Move towards a less judgmental inner life by creating some space in your mind to observe negative and self-critical thinking.

Kindness course. Foster feelings of compassion towards yourself and learn to judge others less harshly, too.

Appreciation course. Discover a renewed sense of gratefulness for life.

Showing Gratitude meditation. Find a greater sense of gratitude for yourself, your health, and the people in your life.

Add Some Joy mindful activity. On this walk, find a new sense of gratitude by reflecting on the people and things you appreciate.

Acceptance course. Learn to let go of resistance and find acceptance.

Looking for more meditations for increasing self-worth? The Headspace app offers members courses and single meditations on topics related to compassion and gratitude, including:

Crafting resilient, powerful self-worth isn't something that will come easy, but once we're able to tap into it, we'll have a tool to use forever - one that's always in our pockets, ready to remind us that we are valuable just as we are.

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Realizing and Improving Self-Worth - Headspace

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Self-worth and self-esteem can impact each other, but ideally one isn't reliant on the other Realizing our worth happens when we understand that our value operates independently from the external ups and downs of life Try 8 meditations for realizing and improving self-worth Strong self-worth is a firm belief that we, as individuals, are inherently worthy of happiness.

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https://www.wikihow.com/Build-Self-Worth

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Babies are born knowing their self-worth; as life moves on, the comments, expectations, and attitudes of other people can change this natural sense of self-worth. Self-worth is what enables us to believe that we are capable of doing our…

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https://positivepsychology.com/self-worth/

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What is Self-Worth & How Do We Build it? (Incl. Worksheets)

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Self-worth is at the basis of our very thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

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https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/sustainable-gender-neutral-clothing/

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11 Gender Neutral Clothing Brands For Genderless Style - The Good Trade

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Isn’t it time fashion extends beyond the limits of the binary? These sustainable brands are making clothing fit for every wardrobe.

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https://www.shondaland.com/live/style/a36610103/urbody-is-creating-clothing-for-gender-freedom/

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Urbody Is Creating Clothing for Gender Freedom

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The founders talk to Shondaland about the importance of creating clothes for nonbinary and gender-nonconforming people.

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https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/gender-dysphoria/symptoms/

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People with gender dysphoria may have a range of feelings and behaviours that show discomfort or distress.
The level of distress can be severe and affect all areas of their life.

Signs of gender dysphoria in children

A diagnosis of gender dysphoria in childhood is rare.

Most children who seem confused about their gender identity when young will not continue to feel the same way beyond puberty. Role playing is not unusual in young children.

However, ask a GP for advice if you are worried your child is showing signs of being depressed, anxious or withdrawn.

You might want to ask if these behaviours have been noticed at school before seeking advice from a GP.

Read more about if you think your child may be trans or non-binary.

Signs of gender dysphoria in teenagers and adults

If your feelings of gender dysphoria began in childhood, you may now have a much clearer sense of your gender identity and how you want to deal with it.

However, you may also find out that the feelings you had at a younger age disappear over time and you feel at ease with your biological sex.

Or you may find you identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual.

The way gender dysphoria affects teenagers and adults is different to children. You may feel:

certain that your gender identity conflicts with your biological sex

comfortable only when in the gender role of your preferred gender identity (may include non-binary)

a strong desire to hide or be rid of physical signs of your biological sex, such as breasts or facial hair

a strong dislike of the genitals of your biological sex

You may feel lonely or isolated from others. You may also face pressure from friends, classmates or workmates, or family to behave in a certain way. Or you may face bullying and harassment for being different.

Having or suppressing these feelings affects your emotional and psychological wellbeing.

If you're feeling depressed

Talk to friends and family if you feel able and see a GP as soon as possible or call NHS 111.

Or call Samaritans for free on 116 123 (24 hours a day) and talk through any issues you may have in total confidence. Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org.

There are other mental health helplines you may find helpful.

Page last reviewed: 28 May 2020
Next review due: 28 May 2023

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People with gender dysphoria may have a range of feelings and behaviours that show discomfort or distress. The level of distress can be severe and affect all areas of their life. A diagnosis of gender dysphoria in childhood is rare.

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Global health burden and needs of transgender populations: a review

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Global health burden and needs of transgender populations: a review

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(16)00684-X/fulltext

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Global health burden and needs of transgender populations: a review

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Transgender people are a diverse population affected by a range of negative health
indicators across high-income, middle-income, and low-income settings. Studies consistently
document a high prevalence of adverse health outcomes in this population, including
HIV and other sexually transmitted infect…

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https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/gender-dysphoria/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Gender dysphoria is a term that describes a sense of unease that a person may have because of a mismatch between their biological sex and their gender identity.
This sense of unease or dissatisfaction may be so intense it can lead to depression and anxiety and have a harmful impact on daily life.

What is gender identity?

Gender identity refers to our sense of who we are and how we see and describe ourselves.

Most people identify as "male" or "female". These are sometimes called "binary" identities.

But some people feel their gender identity is different from their biological sex.

For example, some people may have male genitals and facial hair but do not identify as a male or feel masculine.

Some may have female genitals and breasts but do not identify as a female or feel feminine.

Some people do not define themselves as having a "binary" identity. For them the concept of gender is not relevant to their identity.

They may use different terms, such as agender, gender diverse, gender non-conforming, to describe their identity. However, as a group, they are often called "non-binary".

Gender dysphoria and gender identity

Many people with gender dysphoria have a strong, lasting desire to live a life that "matches" or expresses their gender identity. They do this by changing the way they look and behave.

Some people with gender dysphoria, but not all, may want to use hormones and sometimes surgery to express their gender identity.

Gender dysphoria is not a mental illness, but some people may develop mental health problems because of gender dysphoria.

Signs of gender dysphoria

People with gender dysphoria may have changed their appearance, their behaviour or their interests.

They may also show signs of discomfort or distress, including:

low self-esteem

becoming withdrawn or socially isolated

depression or anxiety

taking unnecessary risks

neglecting themselves

Read more about the signs of gender dysphoria.

Children and gender identity

Children may show an interest in clothes or toys that society tells us are more often associated with the opposite gender. They may be unhappy with their physical sex characteristics.

However, this type of behaviour is reasonably common in childhood and is part of growing up. It does not mean that all children behaving this way have gender dysphoria or other gender identity issues.

A small number of children may feel lasting and severe distress, which gets worse as they get older. This often happens around puberty, when young people might feel that their physical appearance does not match their gender identity.

This feeling can continue into adulthood with some people having a strong desire to change parts of their physical appearance, such as facial hair or breasts.

Find out more information if you think your child might have gender dysphoria.

How to get help

See a GP if you think you or your child may have gender dysphoria.

If the GP agrees, they can refer you to a gender dysphoria clinic (GDC) where you'll be assessed by a specialist team.

You do not need to be assessed by a mental health service first, and the GP does not need prior approval from the integrated care boards (ICBs) responsible for local health services.

You can self-refer to a GDC, but a referral by the GP is best. This is because they can give the GDC your detailed medical history.

If you are already seeing a doctor or psychologist for other conditions, ask them if they can refer you to a GDC.

Referrals for children and young people up to 18 years will be to the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) for children and adolescents.

Referrals for adults to one of the gender dysphoria clinics in England may be made from 17 years of age.

Waiting times

As there has been a huge increase in the number of people seeking a referral to a gender dysphoria clinic, waiting times can be long..

Find out how your GP and other organisations can support you while you wait to see a GDC.

Treatment for gender dysphoria

After a detailed assessment to confirm the diagnosis of gender dysphoria and what it means for you, the GDC team will work with you on an agreed treatment plan.

If you are assessed as not having gender dysphoria, the GDC may recommend other forms of support to your GP.

Treatments provided by the GDC are intended to provide lasting relief from gender dysphoria. This can mean different things to different people.

For some people, treatment may just involve acceptance and affirmation or confirmation of their identity. For others, it may involve bigger changes, such as changes to their voice, hormone treatment or surgery.

Read more about treatments for gender dysphoria.

What causes gender dysphoria?

The exact cause of gender dysphoria is unclear.

Gender development is complex and there are still things that are not known or fully understood.

Gender dysphoria is not related to sexual orientation. People with gender dysphoria may identify as straight, gay, lesbian or bisexual.

How common is gender dysphoria?

No one really knows because not all people who have a sense of unease about their identity, or already identify as gender diverse, need or ask for support from the NHS.

The number of people being referred and diagnosed with the condition has increased a lot over the last decade. In 2018/19 around 8,000 people were referred to adult gender dysphoria services in England.

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Gender dysphoria is a term that describes a sense of unease that a person may have because of a mismatch between their biological sex and their gender identity.

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https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/get-information-and-support/about-eating-disorders/types/anorexia/

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Struggling with an eating disorder? Caring for someone who is? Beat is here to support you.

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https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/gender-dysphoria/what-is-gender-dysphoria

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Harmful Effects of Diet Pills and Supplements

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Harmful Effects of Diet Pills and Supplements

# data[].attributes.body
https://futuresrecoveryhealthcare.com/blog/harmful-effects-diet-pills-supplements/

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Harmful Effects of Diet Pills and Supplements - Futures Recovery Healthcare

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Demand for diet pills continues to rise among people with eating disorders. If you’re struggling with substance abuse & an eating disorder, call Futures.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/get-information-and-support/about-eating-disorders/types/anorexia/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Struggling with an eating disorder? Caring for someone who is? Beat is here to support you.

# data[].attributes.body
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anorexia_nervosa

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Anorexia nervosa ( AN), often referred to simply as anorexia,[12] is an eating disorder characterized by low weight, food restriction, body image disturbance, fear of gaining weight, and an overpowering desire to be thin.[1]

Anorexia nervosa

Other names

Anorexia

"Miss A-" depicted in 1866 and in 1870 after treatment. Her condition was one of the earliest case studies of anorexia, published in medical research papers of William Gull.

Specialty

Psychiatry, clinical psychology

Symptoms

Low weight, fear of gaining weight, strong desire to be thin, food restrictions,[1] body image disturbance

Complications

Osteoporosis, infertility, heart damage, suicide,[1] whole-body swelling (edema), heart failure and/or lung failure, gastrointestinal problems, extensive muscle weakness, delirium, death[2]

Usual onset

Teen years to young adulthood[1]

Causes

Unknown[3]

Risk factors

Family history, high-level athletics, modelling, substance use disorder, dancing[3][4][5]

Differential diagnosis

Body dysmorphic disorder, bulimia nervosa, hyperthyroidism, inflammatory bowel disease, dysphagia, cancer[6][7]

Treatment

Cognitive behavioral therapy, hospitalisation to restore weight[1][8]

Prognosis

5% risk of death over 10 years[4][9]

Frequency

2.9 million (2015)[10]

Deaths

600 (2015)[11]

Individuals with anorexia nervosa have a fear of being overweight or being seen as such, despite the fact that they are typically underweight.[1][3] The DSM-5 describes this perceptual symptom as "disturbance in the way in which one's body weight or shape is experienced".[8] In research and clinical settings, this symptom is called "body image disturbance".[13] Individuals with anorexia nervosa also often deny that they have a problem with low weight.[4] They may weigh themselves frequently, eat small amounts, and only eat certain foods.[1] Some exercise excessively, force themselves to vomit (in the "anorexia purging" subtype), or use laxatives to lose weight and control body shapes, and/or binge eat.[1] Medical complications may include osteoporosis, infertility, and heart damage,[1] along with the cessation of menstrual periods.[4] In extreme cases, patients with anorexia nervosa who continually refuse significant dietary intake and weight restoration interventions, and are declared incompetent to make decisions by a psychiatrist, may be fed by force under restraint via nasogastric tube[14] after asking their parents or proxies[15] to make the decision for them.[16]

The cause of anorexia is currently unknown.[3] There appear to be some genetic components with identical twins more often affected than fraternal twins.[3] Cultural factors also appear to play a role, with societies that value thinness having higher rates of the disease.[4] Additionally, it occurs more commonly among those involved in activities that value thinness, such as high-level athletics, modeling, and dancing.[4][5] Anorexia often begins following a major life-change or stress-inducing event.[4]

Treatment of anorexia involves restoring the patient back to a healthy weight, treating their underlying psychological problems, and addressing behaviors that promote the problem.[1] While medications do not help with weight gain, they may be used to help with associated anxiety or depression.[1] Different therapy methods may be useful, such as cognitive behavioral therapy or an approach where parents assume responsibility for feeding their child, known as Maudsley family therapy.[1][17] Sometimes people require admission to a hospital to restore weight.[8] Evidence for benefit from nasogastric tube feeding is unclear;[18] such an intervention may be highly distressing for both anorexia patients and healthcare staff when administered against the patient's will under restraint.[14] Some people with anorexia will have a single episode and recover while others may have recurring episodes over years.[8] Many complications improve or resolve with the regaining of weight.[8]

It is estimated to occur in 0.3% to 4.3% of women and 0.2% to 1% of men in Western countries at some point in their life.[19] About 0.4% of young women are affected in a given year and it is estimated to occur ten times more commonly among women than men.[4][19] Often it begins during the teen years or young adulthood.[1] While anorexia became more commonly diagnosed during the 20th century, it is unclear if this was due to an increase in its frequency or simply better diagnosis.[3] In 2013, it directly resulted in about 600 deaths globally, up from 400 deaths in 1990.[20] Eating disorders also increase a person's risk of death from a wide range of other causes, including suicide.[1][19] About 5% of people with anorexia die from complications over a ten-year period.[4][9]

The back of a person with anorexia

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by attempts to lose weight by way of starvation. A person with anorexia nervosa may exhibit a number of signs and symptoms, the type and severity of which may vary and be present but not readily apparent.[21]

Anorexia nervosa, and the associated malnutrition that results from self-imposed starvation, can cause complications in every major organ system in the body.[22] Hypokalemia, a drop in the level of potassium in the blood, is a sign of anorexia nervosa.[23][24] A significant drop in potassium can cause abnormal heart rhythms, constipation, fatigue, muscle damage, and paralysis.[25]

Signs and symptoms may be classified in physical, cognitive, affective, behavioral and perceptual:

An obsession with counting calories and monitoring fat contents of food.

Preoccupation with food, recipes, or cooking; may cook elaborate dinners for others, but not eat the food themselves or consume a very small portion.

Admiration of thinner people.

Thoughts of being fat or not thin enough

An altered mental representation of one's body

Memory impairment

Difficulty in abstract thinking and problem solving

Rigid and inflexible thinking

Poor self-esteem

Hypercriticism and perfectionism

Food / energy restrictions despite being underweight or at a healthy weight.

Food rituals, such as cutting food into tiny pieces, refusing to eat around others, and hiding or discarding of food.

Purging (only in the anorexia purging subtype) with laxatives, diet pills, ipecac syrup or diuretics to flush food out of their system after eating or engage in self-induced vomiting. Anorexia purging is a subtype of anorexia, wherein the person severely restricts most of the time but has recurring episodes of binge eating. After bingeing they engage in purging behaviors. This is different from bulimia nervosa.[30]

Excessive exercise,[31] including micro-exercising, for example making small persistent movements of fingers or toes.[32]

Self harming or self-loathing.

Solitude: may avoid friends and family and become more withdrawn and secretive.

Perception of self as overweight, in contradiction to an underweight reality (namely "body image disturbance"[13])

Altered body schema (i.e. an implicit representation of the body evoked by acting)

Altered interoception

Interoception involves the conscious and unconscious sense of the internal state of the body, and it has an important role in homeostasis and regulation of emotions.[34] Aside from noticeable physiological dysfunction, interoceptive deficits also prompt individuals with anorexia to concentrate on distorted perceptions of multiple elements of their body image.[35] This exists in both people with anorexia and in healthy individuals due to impairment in interoceptive sensitivity and interoceptive awareness.[35]

Aside from weight gain and outer appearance, people with anorexia also report abnormal bodily functions such as indistinct feelings of fullness.[36] This provides an example of miscommunication between internal signals of the body and the brain. Due to impaired interoceptive sensitivity, powerful cues of fullness may be detected prematurely in highly sensitive individuals, which can result in decreased calorie consumption and generate anxiety surrounding food intake in anorexia patients.[37] People with anorexia also report difficulty identifying and describing their emotional feelings and the inability to distinguish emotions from bodily sensations in general, called alexithymia.[36]

Interoceptive awareness and emotion are deeply intertwined, and could mutually impact each other in abnormalities.[37] Anorexia patients also exhibit emotional regulation difficulties that ignite emotionally-cued eating behaviors, such as restricting food or excessive exercising.[37] Impaired interoceptive sensitivity and interoceptive awareness can lead anorexia patients to adapt distorted interpretations of weight gain that are cued by physical sensations related to digestion (e.g., fullness).[37] Combined, these interoceptive and emotional elements could together trigger maladaptive and negatively reinforced behavioral responses that assist in the maintenance of anorexia.[37] In addition to metacognition, people with anorexia also have difficulty with social cognition including interpreting others' emotions, and demonstrating empathy.[38] Abnormal interoceptive awareness and interoceptive sensitivity shown through all of these examples have been observed so frequently in anorexia that they have become key characteristics of the illness.[36]

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) are highly comorbid with AN.[41][42] OCD is linked with more severe symptomatology and worse prognosis.[43] The causality between personality disorders and eating disorders has yet to be fully established.[44] Other comorbid conditions include depression,[45] alcoholism,[46] borderline and other personality disorders,[47][48] anxiety disorders,[49] attention deficit hyperactivity disorder,[50] and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD).[51] Depression and anxiety are the most common comorbidities,[52] and depression is associated with a worse outcome.[52] Autism spectrum disorders occur more commonly among people with eating disorders than in the general population.[53] Zucker et al. (2007) proposed that conditions on the autism spectrum make up the cognitive endophenotype underlying anorexia nervosa and appealed for increased interdisciplinary collaboration.[54]

Dysregulation of the serotonin pathways has been implicated in the cause and mechanism of anorexia.[55]

There is evidence for biological, psychological, developmental, and sociocultural risk factors, but the exact cause of eating disorders is unknown.[55]

Genetic correlations of anorexia with psychiatric and metabolic traits

Anorexia nervosa is highly heritable.[55] Twin studies have shown a heritability rate of 28-58%.[56] First-degree relatives of those with anorexia have roughly 12 times the risk of developing anorexia.[57] Association studies have been performed, studying 128 different polymorphisms related to 43 genes including genes involved in regulation of eating behavior, motivation and reward mechanics, personality traits and emotion. Consistent associations have been identified for polymorphisms associated with agouti-related peptide, brain derived neurotrophic factor, catechol-o-methyl transferase, SK3 and opioid receptor delta-1.[58] Epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation, may contribute to the development or maintenance of anorexia nervosa, though clinical research in this area is in its infancy.[59][60]

A 2019 study found a genetic relationship with mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety disorder and depression; and metabolic functioning with a negative correlation with fat mass, type 2 diabetes and leptin.[61]

Obstetric complications: prenatal and perinatal complications may factor into the development of anorexia nervosa, such as preterm birth,[65] maternal anemia, diabetes mellitus, preeclampsia, placental infarction, and neonatal heart abnormalities.[66] Neonatal complications may also have an influence on harm avoidance, one of the personality traits associated with the development of AN.[67]

Neuroendocrine dysregulation: altered signalling of peptides that facilitate communication between the gut, brain and adipose tissue, such as ghrelin, leptin, neuropeptide Y and orexin, may contribute to the pathogenesis of anorexia nervosa by disrupting regulation of hunger and satiety.[68][69]

Gastrointestinal diseases: people with gastrointestinal disorders may be more at risk of developing disorders of eating practices than the general population, principally restrictive eating disturbances.[70] An association of anorexia nervosa with celiac disease has been found.[71] The role that gastrointestinal symptoms play in the development of eating disorders seems rather complex. Some authors report that unresolved symptoms prior to gastrointestinal disease diagnosis may create a food aversion in these persons, causing alterations to their eating patterns. Other authors report that greater symptoms throughout their diagnosis led to greater risk. It has been documented that some people with celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease who are not conscious about the importance of strictly following their diet, choose to consume their trigger foods to promote weight loss. On the other hand, individuals with good dietary management may develop anxiety, food aversion and eating disorders because of concerns around cross contamination of their foods.[70] Some authors suggest that medical professionals should evaluate the presence of an unrecognized celiac disease in all people with eating disorder, especially if they present any gastrointestinal symptom (such as decreased appetite, abdominal pain, bloating, distension, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation), weight loss, or growth failure; and also routinely ask celiac patients about weight or body shape concerns, dieting or vomiting for weight control, to evaluate the possible presence of eating disorders,[71] especially in women.[72]

Studies have hypothesized the continuance of disordered eating patterns may be epiphenomena of starvation. The results of the Minnesota Starvation Experiment showed normal controls exhibit many of the behavioral patterns of AN when subjected to starvation. This may be due to the numerous changes in the neuroendocrine system, which results in a self-perpetuating cycle.[73][74][75]

Anorexia nervosa is more likely to occur in a person's pubertal years. Some explanatory hypotheses for the rising prevalence of eating disorders in adolescence are "increase of adipose tissue in girls, hormonal changes of puberty, societal expectations of increased independence and autonomy that are particularly difficult for anorexic adolescents to meet; [and] increased influence of the peer group and its values."[76]

Early theories of the cause of anorexia linked it to childhood sexual abuse or dysfunctional families;[77][78] evidence is conflicting, and well-designed research is needed.[55] The fear of food is known as sitiophobia[79] or cibophobia,[80] and is part of the differential diagnosis.[81][82] Other psychological causes of anorexia include low self-esteem, feeling like there is lack of control, depression, anxiety, and loneliness.[83] People with anorexia are, in general, highly perfectionistic[84] and most have obsessive compulsive personality traits[85] which may facilitate sticking to a restricted diet.[86] It has been suggested that patients with anorexia are rigid in their thought patterns, and place a high level of importance upon being thin.[87][88]

A risk factor for anorexia is trauma. Although the prevalence rates vary greatly, between 37% and 100%,[89] there appears to be a link between traumatic events and eating disorder diagnosis.[90] Approximately 72% of individuals with anorexia report experiencing a traumatic event prior to the onset of eating disorder symptoms, with binge-purge subtype reporting the highest rates.[89][90] There are many traumatic events that may be risk factors for development of anorexia, the first identified traumatic event predicting anorexia was childhood sexual abuse.[91] However, other traumatic events, such as physical and emotional abuse have also been found to be risk factors. Interpersonal, as opposed to non-interpersonal trauma, has been seen as the most common type of traumatic event,[89] which can encompass sexual, physical, and emotional abuse.[91] Individuals who experience repeated trauma, like those who experience trauma perpetrated by a caregiver or loved one, have increased symptom severity of anorexia and a greater prevalence of comorbid psychiatric diagnoses.[91]

In individuals with anorexia, the prevalence rates for those who also qualify for a PTSD diagnosis ranges from 4% to 52% in non-clinical samples to 10% to 47% in clinical samples.[89][90] A complicated symptom profile develops when trauma and anorexia meld; the bodily experience of the individual is changed and intrusive thoughts and sensations may be experienced.[91] Traumatic events can lead to intrusive and obsessive thoughts, and the symptom of anorexia that has been most closely linked to a PTSD diagnosis is increased obsessive thoughts pertaining to food.[91] Similarly, impulsivity is linked to the purge and binge-purge subtypes of anorexia, trauma, and PTSD.[90] Emotional trauma (e.g., invalidation, chaotic family environment in childhood) may lead to difficulty with emotions, particularly the identification of and how physical sensations contribute to the emotional response.[91] Trauma and traumatic events can disturb an individual's sense of self and affect their ability to thrive, especially within their bodies.[91][92]

When trauma is perpetrated on an individual, it can lead to feelings of not being safe within their own body; that their body is for others to use and not theirs alone.[91][93] Both physical and sexual abuse can lead to an individual seeing their body as belonging to an "other" and not to the "self".[91] Individuals who feel as though they have no control over their bodies due to trauma may use food as a means of control because the choice to eat is an unmatched expression of control.[91] By exerting control over food, individuals can choose when to eat and how much to eat. Individuals, particularly children experiencing abuse, may feel a loss of control over their life, circumstances, and their own bodies. Particularly sexual abuse, but also physical abuse, can make individuals feel that the body is not a safe place and an object over which another has control. Starvation, in the case of anorexia, may also lead to reduction in the body as a sexual object, making starvation a solution. Restriction may also be a means by which the pain an individual is experiencing can be communicated.[91]

Anorexia nervosa has been increasingly diagnosed since 1950;[94] the increase has been linked to vulnerability and internalization of body ideals.[76] People in professions where there is a particular social pressure to be thin (such as models and dancers) were more likely to develop anorexia,[95] and those with anorexia have much higher contact with cultural sources that promote weight loss.[96] This trend can also be observed for people who partake in certain sports, such as jockeys and wrestlers.[97] There is a higher incidence and prevalence of anorexia nervosa in sports with an emphasis on aesthetics, where low body fat is advantageous, and sports in which one has to make weight for competition.[98] Family group dynamics can play a role in the cause of anorexia including negative expressed emotion in overprotective families where blame is frequently experienced among its members.[99][100][101] When there is a constant pressure from people to be thin, teasing and bullying can cause low self-esteem and other psychological symptoms.[83]

The media portray a false view of what people truly look like. In magazines and movies and even on billboards most of the actors/models are digitally altered in multiple ways. People then strive to look like these "perfect" role models when in reality they are not near perfection themselves.[105]

Evidence from physiological, pharmacological and neuroimaging studies suggest serotonin (also called 5-HT) may play a role in anorexia. While acutely ill, metabolic changes may produce a number of biological findings in people with anorexia that are not necessarily causative of the anorexic behavior. For example, abnormal hormonal responses to challenges with serotonergic agents have been observed during acute illness, but not recovery. Nevertheless, increased cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (a metabolite of serotonin), and changes in anorectic behavior in response to acute tryptophan depletion ( tryptophan is a metabolic precursor to serotonin) support a role in anorexia. The activity of the 5-HT2A receptors has been reported to be lower in patients with anorexia in a number of cortical regions, evidenced by lower binding potential of this receptor as measured by PET or SPECT, independent of the state of illness. While these findings may be confounded by comorbid psychiatric disorders, taken as a whole they indicate serotonin in anorexia.[106][107] These alterations in serotonin have been linked to traits characteristic of anorexia such as obsessiveness, anxiety, and appetite dysregulation.[75]

Neuroimaging studies investigating the functional connectivity between brain regions have observed a number of alterations in networks related to cognitive control, introspection, and sensory function. Alterations in networks related to the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex may be related to excessive cognitive control of eating related behaviors. Similarly, altered somatosensory integration and introspection may relate to abnormal body image.[108] A review of functional neuroimaging studies reported reduced activations in "bottom up" limbic region and increased activations in "top down" cortical regions which may play a role in restrictive eating.[109]

Compared to controls, people who have recovered from anorexia show reduced activation in the reward system in response to food, and reduced correlation between self reported liking of a sugary drink and activity in the striatum and anterior cingulate cortex. Increased binding potential of ¹¹C radiolabelled raclopride in the striatum, interpreted as reflecting decreased endogenous dopamine due to competitive displacement, has also been observed.[110]

Structural neuroimaging studies have found global reductions in both gray matter and white matter, as well as increased cerebrospinal fluid volumes. Regional decreases in the left hypothalamus, left inferior parietal lobe, right lentiform nucleus and right caudate have also been reported[111] in acutely ill patients. However, these alterations seem to be associated with acute malnutrition and largely reversible with weight restoration, at least in nonchronic cases in younger people.[112] In contrast, some studies have reported increased orbitofrontal cortex volume in currently ill and in recovered patients, although findings are inconsistent. Reduced white matter integrity in the fornix has also been reported.[113]

A diagnostic assessment includes the person's current circumstances, biographical history, current symptoms, and family history. The assessment also includes a mental state examination, which is an assessment of the person's current mood and thought content, focusing on views on weight and patterns of eating.

Anorexia nervosa is classified under the Feeding and Eating Disorders in the latest revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM 5). There is no specific BMI cut-off that defines low weight required for the diagnosis of anorexia nervosa.[114][4]

Restriction of energy intake relative to requirements leading to a low body weight. (Criterion A)

Intense fear of gaining weight or persistent behaviors that interfere with gaining weight. (Criterion B)

Disturbance in the way a person's weight or body shape is experienced or a lack of recognition about the risks of the low body weight. (Criterion C)

Relative to the previous version of the DSM ( DSM-IV-TR), the 2013 revision (DSM5) reflects changes in the criteria for anorexia nervosa. Most notably, the amenorrhea (absent period) criterion was removed.[8][116] Amenorrhea was removed for several reasons: it does not apply to males, it is not applicable for females before or after the age of menstruation or taking birth control pills, and some women who meet the other criteria for AN still report some menstrual activity.[8]

Subtypes

Binge-eating/purging type: patients with anorexia could show binge eating and purging behavior.[117] It is different from bulimia nervosa in terms of the individual's weight. An individual with binge-eating/purging type anorexia is usually significantly underweight. People with bulimia nervosa on the other hand can sometimes be normal-weight or overweight.[26]

Restricting type: the individual uses restricting food intake, fasting, diet pills, or exercise as a means for losing weight;[22] they may exercise excessively to keep off weight or prevent weight gain, and some individuals eat only enough to stay alive.[22][26] In the restrictive type, there are no recurrent episodes of binge-eating or purging present.[114]

Levels of severity

Body mass index (BMI) is used by the DSM-5 as an indicator of the level of severity of anorexia nervosa. The DSM-5 states these as follows:[118]

Mild: BMI of greater than 17

Moderate: BMI of 16-16.99

Severe: BMI of 15-15.99

Extreme: BMI of less than 15

Medical tests to check for signs of physical deterioration in anorexia nervosa may be performed by a general physician or psychiatrist, including:

Complete blood count (CBC): a test of the white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets used to assess the presence of various disorders such as leukocytosis, leukopenia, thrombocytosis and anemia which may result from malnutrition.[119]

Chem-20: Chem-20 also known as SMA-20 a group of twenty separate chemical tests performed on blood serum. Tests include protein and electrolytes such as potassium, chlorine and sodium and tests specific to liver and kidney function.[121]

Glucose tolerance test: Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) used to assess the body's ability to metabolize glucose. Can be useful in detecting various disorders such as diabetes, an insulinoma, Cushing's Syndrome, hypoglycemia and polycystic ovary syndrome.[122]

Lipid profile: includes cholesterol (including total cholesterol, HDL and LDL) and triglycerides.[123]

Serum cholinesterase test: a test of liver enzymes (acetylcholinesterase and pseudocholinesterase) useful as a test of liver function and to assess the effects of malnutrition.[124]

Liver Function Test: A series of tests used to assess liver function some of the tests are also used in the assessment of malnutrition, protein deficiency, kidney function, bleeding disorders, and Crohn's Disease.[125]

Luteinizing hormone (LH) response to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH): Tests the pituitary glands' response to GnRh, a hormone produced in the hypothalamus. Hypogonadism is often seen in anorexia nervosa cases.[23]

Creatine kinase (CK) test: measures the circulating blood levels of creatine kinase an enzyme found in the heart (CK-MB), brain (CK-BB) and skeletal muscle (CK-MM).[126]

Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) test: urea nitrogen is the byproduct of protein metabolism first formed in the liver then removed from the body by the kidneys. The BUN test is primarily used to test kidney function. A low BUN level may indicate the effects of malnutrition.[127]

BUN-to-creatinine ratio: A BUN to creatinine ratio is used to predict various conditions. A high BUN/creatinine ratio can occur in severe hydration, acute kidney failure, congestive heart failure, and intestinal bleeding. A low BUN/creatinine ratio can indicate a low protein diet, celiac disease, rhabdomyolysis, or cirrhosis of the liver.[128][129]

Electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG): measures electrical activity of the heart. It can be used to detect various disorders such as hyperkalemia.[130]

A variety of medical and psychological conditions have been misdiagnosed as anorexia nervosa; in some cases the correct diagnosis was not made for more than ten years.

The distinction between binge purging anorexia, bulimia nervosa and Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorders (OSFED) is often difficult for non-specialist clinicians. A main factor differentiating binge-purge anorexia from bulimia is the gap in physical weight. Patients with bulimia nervosa are ordinarily at a healthy weight, or slightly overweight. Patients with binge-purge anorexia are commonly underweight.[133] Moreover, patients with the binge-purging subtype may be significantly underweight and typically do not binge-eat large amounts of food.[133] In contrast, those with bulimia nervosa tend to binge large amounts of food.[133] It is not unusual for patients with an eating disorder to "move through" various diagnoses as their behavior and beliefs change over time.[54]

Treatment for anorexia nervosa tries to address three main areas.

Restoring the person to a healthy weight;

Treating the psychological disorders related to the illness;

Reducing or eliminating behaviors or thoughts that originally led to the disordered eating.[135]

In some clinical settings a specific body image intervention is performed to reduce body dissatisfaction and body image disturbance. Although restoring the person's weight is the primary task at hand, optimal treatment also includes and monitors behavioral change in the individual as well.[18] There is some evidence that hospitalization might adversely affect long term outcome, but sometimes is necessary.[136] Psychotherapy for individuals with AN is challenging as they may value being thin and may seek to maintain control and resist change.[137] Initially, developing a desire to change is fundamental.[138] Despite no evidence for better treatment in adults patients, research stated that family based therapy is the primary choice for adolescents with AN.[12][139]

Family-based treatment (FBT) has been shown to be more successful than individual therapy for adolescents with AN.[9][140] Various forms of family-based treatment have been proven to work in the treatment of adolescent AN including conjoint family therapy (CFT), in which the parents and child are seen together by the same therapist, and separated family therapy (SFT) in which the parents and child attend therapy separately with different therapists.[9] Proponents of family therapy for adolescents with AN assert that it is important to include parents in the adolescent's treatment.[9]

A four- to five-year follow up study of the Maudsley family therapy, an evidence-based manualized model, showed full recovery at rates up to 90%.[141] The Maudsley model of family therapy is problem focused, and the treatment targets re-establishing regular eating, weight restoration, and the reduction of illness behaviors like purging. [142] The Maudsley model is split into three phases, with phase on focusing on the parents implementing weight restoration in the child; phase two transitioning control over food back to the individual at an age-appropriate level; and phase three focusing on other issues related to typical adolescent development (e.g., social and other psychological developments), and helps parents learn how to interact with their child.[142] Although this model is recommended by the NIMH,[143] critics claim that it has the potential to create power struggles in an intimate relationship and may disrupt equal partnerships.[141] Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is useful in adolescents and adults with anorexia nervosa.[144] One of the most known psychotherapy in the field is CBT-E, an enhanced cognitive-behavior therapy specifically focus to eating disorder psychopathology. Acceptance and commitment therapy is a third-wave cognitive-behavioral therapy which has shown promise in the treatment of AN.[145] Cognitive remediation therapy (CRT) is also used in treating anorexia nervosa.[146] Schema-Focused Therapy (a form of CBT) was developed by Dr. Jeffrey Young and is effective in helping patients identify origins and triggers for disordered eating.[147]

Diet is the most essential factor to work on in people with anorexia nervosa, and must be tailored to each person's needs. Food variety is important when establishing meal plans as well as foods that are higher in energy density.[148] People must consume adequate calories, starting slowly, and increasing at a measured pace.[31] Evidence of a role for zinc supplementation during refeeding is unclear.[18]

Pharmaceuticals have limited benefit for anorexia itself.[149][114] There is a lack of good information from which to make recommendations concerning the effectiveness of antidepressants in treating anorexia.[150] Administration of olanzapine has been shown to result in a modest but statistically significant increase in body weight of anorexia nervosa patients.[151]

Patients with AN may be deemed to have a lack of insight regarding the necessity of treatment, and thus may be involuntarily treated without their consent.[152]: 1038  AN has a high mortality[153] and patients admitted in a severely ill state to medical units are at particularly high risk. Diagnosis can be challenging, risk assessment may not be performed accurately, consent and the need for compulsion may not be assessed appropriately, refeeding syndrome may be missed or poorly treated and the behavioural and family problems in AN may be missed or poorly managed.[154] Guidelines published by the Royal College of Psychiatrists recommend that medical and psychiatric experts work together in managing severely ill people with AN.[155]

The rate of refeeding can be difficult to establish, because the fear of refeeding syndrome (RFS) can lead to underfeeding. It is thought that RFS, with falling phosphate and potassium levels, is more likely to occur when BMI is very low, and when medical comorbidities such as infection or cardiac failure, are present. In those circumstances, it is recommended to start refeeding slowly but to build up rapidly as long as RFS does not occur. Recommendations on energy requirements vary, from 5-10 kcal/kg/day in the most medically compromised patients, who appear to have the highest risk of RFS, to 1900 kcal/day.[156][157]

Patients involved in treatment sometimes felt that treatment focused on biological aspects of body weight and eating behaviour change rather than their perceptions or emotional state.[158]: 8  Patients felt that a therapists trust in them shown by being treated as a complete person with their own capacities was significant.[158]: 9  Some patients defined recovery from AN in terms of reclaiming a lost identity.[158]: 10

Healthcare workers involved in the treatment of anorexia reported frustration and anger to set backs in treatment and noncompliance and were afraid of patients dying. Some healthcare workers felt that they did not understand the treatment and that medical doctors were making decisions.[159]: 11  They may feel powerless to improve a patient's situation and deskilled as a result.[159]: 12  Healthcare workers involved in monitoring patients consumption of food felt watched themselves.[159]: 12  Healthcare workers often feel a degree of moral dissonance of not being in control of outcomes which they may protect against by focusing on individual tasks, avoiding identifying with patients (for example by making their eating behavior very different and not sharing personal information with patients), and blaming patients for their distress.[159]: 13,14  Healthcare workers would inflexibly follow process to avoid responsibility.[159]: 13  Healthcare workers attempted to reach balance by gradually giving patients back control avoiding feeling sole responsibility for outcomes, being mindful of their emotional state, and trying to view eating disorders as external from patients.[159]: 13

Deaths due to eating disorders per million persons in 2012

AN has the highest mortality rate of any psychological disorder.[9] The mortality rate is 11 to 12 times greater than in the general population, and the suicide risk is 56 times higher.[23] Half of women with AN achieve a full recovery, while an additional 20-30% may partially recover.[9][23] Not all people with anorexia recover completely: about 20% develop anorexia nervosa as a chronic disorder.[134] If anorexia nervosa is not treated, serious complications such as heart conditions[21] and kidney failure can arise and eventually lead to death.[160] The average number of years from onset to remission of AN is seven for women and three for men. After ten to fifteen years, 70% of people no longer meet the diagnostic criteria, but many still continue to have eating-related problems.[161]

Alexithymia (inability to identify and describe one's own emotions) influences treatment outcome.[149] Recovery is also viewed on a spectrum rather than black and white. According to the Morgan-Russell criteria, individuals can have a good, intermediate, or poor outcome. Even when a person is classified as having a "good" outcome, weight only has to be within 15% of average, and normal menstruation must be present in females. The good outcome also excludes psychological health. Recovery for people with anorexia nervosa is undeniably positive, but recovery does not mean a return to normal.[162]

Anorexia nervosa can have serious implications if its duration and severity are significant and if onset occurs before the completion of growth, pubertal maturation, or the attainment of peak bone mass.[163][medical citation needed ] Complications specific to adolescents and children with anorexia nervosa can include the following: Growth retardation may occur, as height gain may slow and can stop completely with severe weight loss or chronic malnutrition. In such cases, provided that growth potential is preserved, height increase can resume and reach full potential after normal intake is resumed.[medical citation needed ] Height potential is normally preserved if the duration and severity of illness are not significant or if the illness is accompanied by delayed bone age (especially prior to a bone age of approximately 15 years), as hypogonadism may partially counteract the effects of undernutrition on height by allowing for a longer duration of growth compared to controls.[medical citation needed ] Appropriate early treatment can preserve height potential, and may even help to increase it in some post-anorexic subjects, due to factors such as long-term reduced estrogen-producing adipose tissue levels compared to premorbid levels.[medical citation needed ] In some cases, especially where onset is before puberty, complications such as stunted growth and pubertal delay are usually reversible.[164]

Anorexia nervosa causes alterations in the female reproductive system; significant weight loss, as well as psychological stress and intense exercise, typically results in a cessation of menstruation in women who are past puberty. In patients with anorexia nervosa, there is a reduction of the secretion of gonadotropin releasing hormone in the central nervous system, preventing ovulation.[165] Anorexia nervosa can also result in pubertal delay or arrest. Both height gain and pubertal development are dependent on the release of growth hormone and gonadotropins (LH and FSH) from the pituitary gland. Suppression of gonadotropins in people with anorexia nervosa has been documented.[166] Typically, growth hormone (GH) levels are high, but levels of IGF-1, the downstream hormone that should be released in response to GH are low; this indicates a state of "resistance" to GH due to chronic starvation.[167] IGF-1 is necessary for bone formation, and decreased levels in anorexia nervosa contribute to a loss of bone density and potentially contribute to osteopenia or osteoporosis.[167] Anorexia nervosa can also result in reduction of peak bone mass. Buildup of bone is greatest during adolescence, and if onset of anorexia nervosa occurs during this time and stalls puberty, low bone mass may be permanent.[168]

Hepatic steatosis, or fatty infiltration of the liver, can also occur, and is an indicator of malnutrition in children.[169] Neurological disorders that may occur as complications include seizures and tremors. Wernicke encephalopathy, which results from vitamin B1 deficiency, has been reported in patients who are extremely malnourished; symptoms include confusion, problems with the muscles responsible for eye movements and abnormalities in walking gait.

The most common gastrointestinal complications of anorexia nervosa are delayed stomach emptying and constipation, but also include elevated liver function tests, diarrhea, acute pancreatitis, heartburn, difficulty swallowing, and, rarely, superior mesenteric artery syndrome.[170] Delayed stomach emptying, or gastroparesis, often develops following food restriction and weight loss; the most common symptom is bloating with gas and abdominal distension, and often occurs after eating. Other symptoms of gastroparesis include early satiety, fullness, nausea, and vomiting. The symptoms may inhibit efforts at eating and recovery, but can be managed by limiting high-fiber foods, using liquid nutritional supplements, or using metoclopramide to increase emptying of food from the stomach.[170] Gastroparesis generally resolves when weight is regained.

Cardiac complications

Anorexia nervosa increases the risk of sudden cardiac death, though the precise cause is unknown. Cardiac complications include structural and functional changes to the heart.[171] Some of these cardiovascular changes are mild and are reversible with treatment, while others may be life-threatening. Cardiac complications can include arrhythmias, abnormally slow heart beat, low blood pressure, decreased size of the heart muscle, reduced heart volume, mitral valve prolapse, myocardial fibrosis, and pericardial effusion.[171]

Abnormalities in conduction and repolarization of the heart that can result from anorexia nervosa include QT prolongation, increased QT dispersion, conduction delays, and junctional escape rhythms.[171] Electrolyte abnormalities, particularly hypokalemia and hypomagnesemia, can cause anomalies in the electrical activity of the heart, and result in life-threatening arrhythmias. Hypokalemia most commonly results in patients with anorexia when restricting is accompanied by purging (induced vomiting or laxative use). Hypotension (low blood pressure) is common, and symptoms include fatigue and weakness. Orthostatic hypotension, a marked decrease in blood pressure when standing from a supine position, may also occur. Symptoms include lightheadedness upon standing, weakness, and cognitive impairment, and may result in fainting or near-fainting.[171] Orthostasis in anorexia nervosa indicates worsening cardiac function and may indicate a need for hospitalization.[171] Hypotension and orthostasis generally resolve upon recovery to a normal weight. The weight loss in anorexia nervosa also causes atrophy of cardiac muscle. This leads to decreased ability to pump blood, a reduction in the ability to sustain exercise, a diminished ability to increase blood pressure in response to exercise, and a subjective feeling of fatigue.[172]

Some individuals may also have a decrease in cardiac contractility. Cardiac complications can be life-threatening, but the heart muscle generally improves with weight gain, and the heart normalizes in size over weeks to months, with recovery.[172] Atrophy of the heart muscle is a marker of the severity of the disease, and while it is reversible with treatment and refeeding, it is possible that it may cause permanent, microscopic changes to the heart muscle that increase the risk of sudden cardiac death.[171] Individuals with anorexia nervosa may experience chest pain or palpitations; these can be a result of mitral valve prolapse. Mitral valve prolapse occurs because the size of the heart muscle decreases while the tissue of the mitral valve remains the same size. Studies have shown rates of mitral valve prolapse of around 20 percent in those with anorexia nervosa, while the rate in the general population is estimated at 2-4 percent.[173] It has been suggested that there is an association between mitral valve prolapse and sudden cardiac death, but it has not been proven to be causative, either in patients with anorexia nervosa or in the general population.[171]

Anorexia is estimated to occur in 0.9% to 4.3% of women and 0.2% to 0.3% of men in Western countries at some point in their life.[19] About 0.4% of young females are affected in a given year and it is estimated to occur three to ten times less commonly in males.[4][19][175][176] Rates in most of the developing world are unclear.[4] Often it begins during the teen years or young adulthood.[1] Medical students are a high risk group, with an overall estimated prevalence of 10.4% globally.[177]

The lifetime rate of atypical anorexia nervosa, a form of ED-NOS in which the person loses a significant amount of weight and is at risk for serious medical complications despite having a higher body-mass index, is much higher, at 5-12%.[178]

Eating disorders are less reported in preindustrial, non-westernized countries than in Western countries. In Africa, not including South Africa, the only data presenting information about eating disorders occurs in case reports and isolated studies, not studies investigating prevalence. Western countries experience slightly higher rates of eating disorders than non-western countries.[179] Theories to explain these lower rates of eating disorders, lower reporting and lower research rates in include the effects of westernisation, and culture change.[180]

Men (and women) who might otherwise be diagnosed with anorexia may not meet the DSM-IV criteria for BMI since they have muscle weight, but have very little fat.[181] In many cases a subclinical "not otherwise specified" diagnosis is made instead; ED-NOS in the DSM-IV, and other specified feeding or eating disorder or unspecified feeding or eating disorder in the DSM-5. ED-NOS was the most diagnosed eating disorder in 2009, and it was also shown that AN did not differ significantly in eating pathology or general psychopathology from EDNOS involving restrictive eating.[182]

This eating disorder that affects older adults has two types - early onset and late onset.[183] Early onset refers to a recurrence of anorexia in late life in an individual who experienced the disease during their youth.[183] Late onset describes instances where the eating disorder begins for the first time late in life. [183]

The stimulus for anorexia in elderly patients is typically a loss of control over their lives, which can be brought on by many events, including moving into an assisted living facility.[184] This is also a time when most older individuals experience a rise in conflict with family members, such as limitations on driving or limitations on personal freedom, which increases the likelihood of an issue with anorexia.[184] There can be physical issues in the elderly that leads to anorexia of aging, including a decline in chewing ability, a decline in taste and smell, and a decrease in appetite.[185] Psychological reasons for the elderly to develop anorexia can include depression and bereavement, and even an indirect attempt at suicide.[185] There are also common comorbid psychiatric conditions with aging anorexics, including major depression, anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and dementia.[186]

The signs and symptoms that go along with anorexia of aging are similar to what is observed in adolescent anorexia, including sudden weight loss, unexplained hair loss or dental problems, and a desire to eat alone.[184]

Many assessments are available to diagnose anorexia in the aging community. These assessments include the Simplified Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire (SNAQ) and Functional Assessment of Anorexia/Cachexia Therapy (FAACT).[183] Specific to the geriatric populace, the interRAI system identifies detrimental conditions in assisted living facilities and nursing homes.[183] Even a simple screening for nutritional insufficiencies such as low levels of important vitamins, can help to identify someone who has anorexia of aging.[183]

Anorexia in the elderly should be identified by the retirement communities but is often overlooked,[184] especially in patients with dementia.[187] Some studies report that malnutrition is prevalent in nursing homes, with up to 58% of residents suffering from it, which can lead to the difficulty of identifying anorexia.[187] One of the challenges with assisted living facilities is that they often serve bland, monotonous food, which lessens residents desire to eat.[187]

The treatment for anorexia of aging is undifferentiated as anorexia for any other age group. Some of the treatment options include outpatient and inpatient facilities, antidepressant medication and behavioral therapy such as meal observation and discussing eating habits.[186]

Male and female athletes are often overlooked as anorexic.[181] Research emphasizes the importance to take athletes' diet, weight and symptoms into account when diagnosing anorexia, instead of just looking at weight and BMI. For athletes, ritualized activities such as weigh-ins place emphasis on gaining and losing large amounts of weight, which may promote the development of eating disorders among them.[188] While women use diet pills, which is an indicator of unhealthy behavior and an eating disorder, men use steroids, which contextualizes the beauty ideals for genders.[55] In a Canadian study, 4% of boys in grade nine used anabolic steroids.[55] Anorexic men are sometimes referred to as manorexic.[189]

Two images of an anorexic woman published in 1900 in "Nouvelle Iconographie de la Salpêtrière". The case was titled "Un cas d'anorexie hysterique" (A case of hysteric anorexia).

The history of anorexia nervosa begins with descriptions of religious fasting dating from the Hellenistic era[190] and continuing into the medieval period. The medieval practice of self-starvation by women, including some young women, in the name of religious piety and purity also concerns anorexia nervosa; it is sometimes referred to as anorexia mirabilis.[191][192] The earliest medical descriptions of anorexic illnesses are generally credited to English physician Richard Morton in 1689.[190] Case descriptions fitting anorexic illnesses continued throughout the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.[193]

Anorexia is a term of Greek origin: an- (ἀν-, prefix denoting negation) and orexis (ὄρεξις, "appetite"), translating literally to "a loss of appetite"; the adjective nervosa indicating the functional and non-organic nature of the disorder. Anorexia nervosa was coined by Gull in 1873 but, despite literal translation, the feeling of hunger is frequently present and the pathological control of this instinct is a source of satisfaction for the patients.[194]

The term "anorexia nervosa" was coined in 1873 by Sir William Gull, one of Queen Victoria's personal physicians.[195] Gull published a seminal paper providing a number of detailed case descriptions of patients with anorexia nervosa.[193] In the same year, French physician Ernest-Charles Lasègue similarly published details of a number of cases in a paper entitled De l'Anorexie hystérique.[196]

In the late 19th century anorexia nervosa became widely accepted by the medical profession as a recognized condition. Awareness of the condition was largely limited to the medical profession until the latter part of the 20th century, when German-American psychoanalyst Hilde Bruch published The Golden Cage: the Enigma of Anorexia Nervosa in 1978. Despite major advances in neuroscience,[197] Bruch's theories tend to dominate popular thinking. A further important event was the death of the popular singer and drummer Karen Carpenter in 1983, which prompted widespread ongoing media coverage of eating disorders.[198]

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37. Gull WW (1894). Acland TD (ed.). Medical Papers. p. 309.

38. ^ Grant, Jon E.; Phillips, Katharine A. (2004). "Is Anorexia Nervosa a Subtype of Body Dysmorphic Disorder? Probably Not, but Read On ...". Harvard Review of Psychiatry. 12 (2): 123-126. doi:10.1080/10673220490447236. ISSN 1067-3229. PMC 1622894. PMID 15204807.

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Why do anorexia patients feel fat? - Anouk Keizer (Utrecht University)

Bailey AP, Parker AG, Colautti LA, Hart LM, Liu P, Hetrick SE (2014). "Mapping the evidence for the prevention and treatment of eating disorders in young people". Journal of Eating Disorders. 2 (1): 5. doi:10.1186/2050-2974-2-5. PMC 4081733. PMID 24999427.

Coelho GM, Gomes AI, Ribeiro BG, Soares E (2014). "Prevention of eating disorders in female athletes". Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine. 5: 105-113. doi:10.2147/OAJSM.S36528. PMC 4026548. PMID 24891817.

Luca A, Luca M, Calandra C (February 2015). "Eating Disorders in Late-life". Aging and Disease. 6 (1): 48-55. doi:10.14336/AD.2014.0124. PMC 4306473. PMID 25657852.

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Anorexia nervosa ( AN), often referred to simply as anorexia,[12] is an eating disorder characterized by low weight, food restriction, body image disturbance, fear of gaining weight, and an overpowering desire to be thin.[1] Anorexia nervosa Other names Anorexia "Miss A-" depicted in 1866 and in 1870 after treatment.

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https://thenextcartel.com/discover/can-digital-fashion-solve-fashions-sustainability-problem/

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Can Digital Fashion Solve Fashion's Sustainability Problem?

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Is digital fashion truly the solution to the fashion industry's inherent sustainability problem? Or is it all talk and no walk?

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https://planet-tracker.org/can-virtual-fashion-solve-the-apparel-industrys-dirty-problem/

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Can Virtual Fashion Solve the Apparel Industry's Dirty Problem? - Planet Tracker

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Proponents of digital fashion suggest that it offers one potential answer to how to move the fashion industry to a more sustainable footing. This blog considers what digital fashion means and why we do not expect it to reduce the need for the industry to make significant structural changes if it is to move to a sustainable footing.

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https://fashionunited.uk/news/fashion/nike-launches-web3-platform-swoosh/2022111566252

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Nike has launched a new web3-enabled platform for the brand's virtual designs and digital community. Called Swoosh, the sporting giant said the platform will have its own domain - welcome.swoosh.nike - where users can create, purchase and potentially earn royalties from interactive digital objects such as virtual shoes or jerseys.

Currently in beta-mode, the registration on the domain opens in November with the launch of a first digital collection, shaped by its members, to debut in 2023.

A new digital community

Shortly after the first digital collection drops, members will be able to enter a community challenge to win the opportunity to co-create virtual product with Nike. Those winners can earn a royalty on the virtual product they help co-create.

Ron Faris, GM of Nike Virtual Studios, said in a statement: "We are shaping a marketplace of the future with an accessible platform for the web3-curious. In this new space, the .swoosh community and Nike can create, share, and benefit together."

Nike has been pioneering blockchain technology and digital sportswear in the metaverse for some time, having last year acquired the NFT and crypto collectible studio RTFKT. Nike is keen to cement its presence in web3 by staying at the forefront of where culture and gaming are merging.

The opportunities for sportswear and fashion in the digital realm are expected to be new revenue channels, despite the fluctuating value of NFT's and digital clothing, where much is driven by hype.

Digital innovation has earned Nike the position as the world's leading sporting company, from the NikeID it launched in the 1990s to its wearable tech, digital fit solutions and exploring the metaverse with NFT and co-created products.

Image: Nike .Swoosh

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Nike has launched a new web3-enabled platform for the brand's virtual designs and digital community. Called Swoosh, the sporting giant said the platform will have its own domain - welcome.swoosh.nike - where users can create, purchase and potentially earn royalties from interactive digital objects such as virtual shoes or jerseys.

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https://www.wired.co.uk/article/nike-will-let-people-design-and-sell-sneakers-for-the-metaverse

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Although there will be no avatars at the time of launch, the brand's stated ambition is for the virtual products released on Swoosh to become wearable on and off the platform. "I can imagine the avatars on RTFKT being able to wear our wearables, as well as avatars in games you already play," says Ron Faris, VP/GM of Nike Virtual Studios, the brand's arm launched in early 2022 to focus on the virtual sphere.

Of course, the NFT studio RTFKT (pronounced "artifact") was bought by Nike in December 2021, so the porting of "codesigned" virtual clothing to that platform is hardly surprising. Beyond this, there are no specific details on the interoperability of Swoosh items with other platforms or metaverses, but Faris says the plan is to "work where our wearables will start to become more operable across more experiences or games that you find yourself playing." In other words, wait and see. Meta's recent announcement that its avatars will have legs seems like an ideal opportunity for virtual sneakers.

Nike already has a metaverse space on Roblox-Nikeland-where users can buy and wear virtual goods using not cash or crypto but in-game currency. Launched in November 2021, the branded virtual world has seen more than 26 million visitors, according to Roblox. Again, Faris does not seem to know how Swoosh will interact with Nikeland. "We haven't contemplated exactly what that looks like," he says.

By launching Swoosh, Nike may be creating its own virtual world that won't need to rely on other platforms. Nikeland could be subsumed into Swoosh, but interoperability will surely have to be front and center for that to succeed. This is the very reason MSquared, Improbable's division that builds metaverses for third parties, requires clients to ensure all of its virtual spaces be interoperable.

Nike isn't the first high-end apparel brand to take on virtual products. Gucci has been somewhat of a pioneer: In 2021, the brand launched digital-only sneakers Gucci Virtual 25, which can be worn on VRChat and Roblox, and created Gucci Town on Roblox, an immersive space in which users can buy other virtual Gucci apparel. The bet has seemingly paid off: A digital-only Gucci bag on Roblox sold for more than the price of its physical counterpart (in in-game currency, of course). Vault, Gucci's online concept store which hosts various crytpo and NFT projects, was introduced to The Sandbox in October 2022, solidifying the brand's relationship with the metaverse.

Givenchy, Ralph Lauren, and Tommy Hilfiger also have spaces on Roblox where digital merchandise is sold. And in June 2022, Balenciaga, Thom Browne, and Prada partnered with Meta to create virtual products for sale on the platform's new Avatars Store. According to Bloomberg, the metaverse market may reach $783.3 billion in 2024, up from $478.7 billion in 2020-and virtual products no doubt play a role in this projection.

Nike may see a virtual product marketplace as the next logical step in its digital successes. The brand saw huge boosts in online sales in the wake of the pandemic, and by March 2022, digital channels and applications accounted for more than a quarter of its revenues, with digital sales rising robustly.

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Nike Will Let People Design and Sell Sneakers for the Metaverse

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Swoosh members will compete to create digital kicks with the brand's design staff and bag a royalty cut. But not even Nike knows how it's going to work.

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https://www.shopify.com/uk/retail/virtual-fitting-rooms

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What are Virtual Fitting Rooms and Why Should Retailers Use Them?

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Want to give shoppers a way to try items on without touching them? Here’s how virtual fitting rooms work, and why retailers should offer them.

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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-49794403?ref=thedigitalspeaker.com

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Earlier this year Richard Ma, the chief executive of San Francisco-based security company Quantstamp, spent $9,500 (£7,500) on a dress for his wife.

That is a lot of money for a dress, particularly when it does not exist, at least not in a physical form.

Instead it was a digital dress, designed by fashion house The Fabricant, rendered on to an image of Richard's wife, Mary Ren, which can then be used on social media.

"It's definitely very expensive, but it's also like an investment," Mr Ma says.

He explains that he and his wife don't usually buy expensive clothing, but he wanted this piece because he thinks it has long-term value.

"In 10 years time everybody will be 'wearing' digital fashion. It's a unique memento. It's a sign of the times."

Ms Ren has shared the image on her personal Facebook page, and via WeChat, but opted not to post it on a more public platform.

Digital collection

Another fashion house designing for the digital space is Carlings. The Scandinavian company released a digital street wear collection, starting at around £9 ($11), last October.

It "sold out" within a month.

"It sounds kinda stupid to say we 'sold out', which is theoretically impossible when you work with a digital collection because you can create as many as you want," explains Ronny Mikalsen, Carlings' brand director.

"We had set a limit on the amount of products we were going to produce to make it a bit more special.

Being digital-only allows designers to create items that can push boundaries of extravagance or possibilities.

"You wouldn't buy a white t-shirt digitally, right? Because it makes no sense showing it off. So it has to be something that you really either want to show off, or an item that you wouldn't dare to buy physically, or you couldn't afford to buy physically."

Carlings' digital collection was produced as part of a marketing campaign for their real, physical products. But the firm thinks the concept has potential - a second line of digital garments is planned for late 2019.

The Fabricant releases new, free digital clothes on its website every month, but consumers need the skills, and software, to blend the items with their own pictures.

This also means the company has to find another way to make money until digital fashion becomes more popular.

"We make our money by servicing fashion brands and retailers with their marketing needs, selling tools, and creating content that uses that aesthetic language of digital fashion," says The Fabricant founder Kerry Murphy.

It is not entirely clear who is buying the digital garments from Carlings, or downloading clothes from The Fabricant.

Mr Mikalsen says Carlings has sold between 200-250 digital pieces, but a search to find them on Instagram only resulted in four people who independently purchased from the collection and had no involvement with the company.

However, some of the those clothes might have only been shared privately.

Amber Jae Slooten, a co-founder and designer at The Fabricant, concedes it is mainly industry professionals, who use the CLO 3D software, that are downloading their clothes.

"But it's also just people are very curious to see what the files look like. People just want to own the thing, especially since that one dress sold for $9,500."

Marshal Cohen, chief retail analyst at market research company NPD Group, calls the emergence of digital fashion an "amazing phenomenon", but is yet to be convinced about its long-term impact.

"Do I believe it's going to be something huge and stay forever? No."

He says the technology works for people who want the perfect image. "If you don't like what you're wearing, but you love where you are, you now have the ability to transition your wardrobe, and digitally enhance the photograph to make it look like you're wearing the latest and greatest."

Players of computer games have long been willing to spend money on outfits, or skins, for their in-game characters. That partly inspired The Fabricant to work in the digital space.

"The only reason we made the collection the way we did - inspired from Fortnite - was because of the whole link between buying skins and buying digital clothing," Mr Mikalsen says.

"When it comes to technology and the way people are living their lives, we have to be aware of that the world is changing."

Designers working on skins for games face extra challenges - they have to make sure it fits the story and the character.

Once the outfit is designed, which can take one try or 70, the hardest part starts according to in-games cosmetics consultant Janelle Jimenez.

The skins have to work in the game - a medium that, unlike digital fashion, often involves movements such as walking, fighting or dancing.

"For a game like League of Legends, you have to do 3D, there's sound effects, there's animations, all of these things have to come together to make the character feel like they're sort of expressing a different fantasy of themselves.

"It's less like changing clothes and more like seeing an actor playing a different role."

The influence of games and shifts in customer tastes gives some in the fashion industry confidence that digital clothes, in some capacity, will have long-term impact.

"Digital fashion will become an important part of every fashion business' future business model," says head of the Fashion Innovation Agency at the London College of Fashion, Matthew Drinkwater.

"It's not going to replace everything, but it will be an important part of that."

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Earlier this year Richard Ma, the chief executive of San Francisco-based security company Quantstamp, spent $9,500 (£7,500) on a dress for his wife. That is a lot of money for a dress, particularly when it does not exist, at least not in a physical form.

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Make DC as NFT; how environmentally friendly it is 

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Make DC as NFT; how environmentally friendly it is 

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https://www.lampoonmagazine.com/article/2022/02/22/digital-fashion/

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https://www.oxfordstudent.com/2023/03/12/the-problem-with-digital-fashion/

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Challenge for Fashion's Digital Transformation

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Challenge for Fashion's Digital Transformation

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https://www.platforme.com/blog/the-ultimate-challenge-for-digital-fashion

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The Ultimate Challenge for Fashion's Digital Transformation

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The rising adoption of emerging digital technology is a worldwide phenomenon that crosses many industries.

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https://textilelearner.net/negative-impact-of-technology-on-the-fashion-industry/

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https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2022/04/10962203/buying-digital-clothing-nfts-explained

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https://vogue.sg/digital-fashion-houses/

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Not too long ago, shopping sustainably might have meant sourcing clothes made from lower impact materials such as cotton and buying secondhand. Today, conscious fashion has found an unexpected ally-in virtual form, nonetheless.

Step into the universe of digital fashion. Pioneered by the likes of Amsterdam-based fashion house The Fabricant, virtual garments have found their place amidst the industry's voracious hunger for newness. Like CGI influencers and AR experiences, digital fashion houses are looking to push the boundaries of design, innovation and sustainability.

To date, the metaverse has seen runway pieces for video game avatars, one-of-a-kind NFT ensembles and a record-breaking US$3.1 million sale of virtual sneakers. Sounds fascinating? That's because it is. If you're looking to dip your toes in the world of virtual wear, here are 8 digital fashion houses, some of which are phygital (physical-meets-digital), to get you started.

The Fabricant

You'd be hard-pressed not to mention The Fabricant when talking about digital fashion houses. Touted as a trailblazer in the space of digital-only couture, The Fabricant made waves with the sale of a US$9,500 'Iridescence' dressed, designed in collaboration with artist Johanna Jaskowska.

The blockchain transaction was an unprecedented one and paved the way for traceable, traceable and collectible virtual designs. Today, the platform consists of a variety of items like intricate digital headpieces and even celebrity collaborations (hello, Adidas x Karlie Kloss), so if you're a cybergarms newbie, fret not, as there's something for everyone.

Auroboros

If you're on the lookout for a tech fashion house that'll earn you major cyber clout, Auroboros is it. The London-based label-which counts Kim Kardashian and stylist-DJ Sita Abellán as fans-has carved space for biomimicry-inspired haute couture pieces that propagate on its wearer. Dubbed "nature tech", Auroboros's designs take cues from flora, fauna and otherworldly beings.

The label's site promises customers sci-fi fantasy digital wear, made-to-measure based on a submitted photographer of choice. Shoppers can choose from an ethereal selection of biomimicry bodysuits, neuro necklaces and tendril skirts, all designed with a utopian future in mind.

Tribute

Millennial babies rejoice: inspired by the likes of early noughtie mainstays such as the Sims, Tribute is the Croatia-based digital fashion collective revolutionising "contactless fashion". Melding CGI 3D modelling, UX design and coding, Tribute has quickly taken over Instagram with its futuristic and extravagant creations.

While most might already be familiar with the brand's cyberpunk take on evening wear, it also boasts puffer jackets, flared trousers and an option for full customisation. Looking for a masquerade ball fit for the future? Sorted.

What if we told you you'd never need to buy another graphic T-shirt ever again? That's the conversation the folks over at Norwegian label Carlings sparked when they first introduced a phygital clothing concept that would allow buyers to purchase just one T-shirt and renew it endlessly with Instagram filters.

In the face of an increasingly lavish and imaginative digital design landscape, Carlings-an initially entirely physical clothing label-now offers a more affordable and everyday option for those looking to dabble in the world of virtual threads. Simply add their Last Statement T-Shirt to cart and head over to the brand's Instagram page to explore over a hundred different slogans.

Rtfkt

It takes a special kind of project to infiltrate a US$79 billion business, but virtual sneaker brand Rtfkt continues to break records. To date, the brand has sold over 600 pairs of virtual sneakers, amassing US$3.1 million in sales. It also counts celebrities like Jay-Z and Elon Musk as patrons and collaborators.

Sneakerheads can bet on a wide display of one-of-a-kind kicks, viral designs and exclusive collectibles in the form of both physical sneakers and their NFT counterparts. Other novelty items include: Doge slippers and metajackets. Prepare to spend a pretty penny, though. With some pieces tagged at US$117,000, Rtfkt owns some of the most expensive and coveted digital designs on the market.

Happy99

Bridging the gap between covetable digital designs and their collector-worthy physical versions is Happy99, an online footwear label that began as purely, well, non-existent. Armed with the hopes of redefining mindless consumer culture, Happy99's call to its followers was simply to enjoy the beauty of a product, shoppable or not.

After the brand's wild success and calls for physical products from fans, Happy99 has introduced mini-drops inclusive of beanies, knit vests and socks that its creators describe as a means of building an identity. This narrative-like approach to consumerism is trailblazing in its own right, with the eventual goal of building a seamless blend of physical, digital and purely ornamental drops.

Republiqe

Known as the world's first digital-only fashion brand, Singapore-founded label Republiqe, headed by fashion designer and Vogue Innovation Prize contender James Gaubert, has gained impressive traction. Gaubert's aim was to find a creative counterpart to physical clothing that would also help curb the fashion industry's waste and ethics crisis.

Today, Republiqe is a notable name in the digital fashion space. The brand has dressed local personalities like Denise Keller and Nadia Rahmat, and offers a range of eclectic and festival-appropriate garb, from puffball dresses to thigh-high boots. All a shopper has to do is choose a product, submit a picture and voila, a dot com look tailored to perfection.

Replicant

Consider digital fashion store Replicant a one-stop solution to fast fashion. Akin to multi-brand online boutiques, the virtual-only outlet allows users to browse through an impressive catalogue of pieces by a variety of designers and, by cyber fashion standards, at an extremely reasonable price point too.

Its most recent collaboration with start up IN3D takes customisation to a whole new level. Customers will be able to create their very own 3D avatar by scanning their bodies all from the convenience of their own phones and enter an augmented fitting room of sorts. Window shopping? Not anymore.

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Cyber couture: 8 digital fashion houses to shop for virtual clothing now

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Not too long ago, shopping sustainably might have meant sourcing clothes made from lower impact materials such as cotton and buying secondhand. Today, conscious fashion has found an unexpected ally-in virtual form, nonetheless. Step into the universe of digital fashion.

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People feel unsafe in dressing room after covid 19

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People feel unsafe in dressing room after covid 19

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https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/11/coronavirus-how-to-safely-shop-for-clothes-as-stores-reopen.html

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FASHIONH&M launches Instagram AR filters for Kangol fashion rollout

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FASHIONH&M launches Instagram AR filters for Kangol fashion rollout

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https://exbulletin.com/fashion/383832/?ref=thedigitalspeaker.com

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In short:

Fast fashion retailer H&M introduced six Augmented Reality (AR) filters to Instagram as part of its promotion for a collection inspired by 1990s streetwear. British singer Mabel and several collaborators appear in Instagram Stories music video titled "Bad Behavior" previewing the collection of 31 pieces it inspired, the retailer ad.

AR filters allow Instagram users to create their own versions of the music video to share with their friends and followers, and can be found on the @hm channel in the app. The Kangol x H&M feat Mabel Collection goes on sale September 17 in select H&M stores and online.

Kangol is a British clothing brand established in the 1920s, and its signature bucket hats with a kangaroo logo were popular among hip-hop artists of the 80s and 90s, giving the countryside a nostalgic touch. H&M worked with creative agency B-Reel on the campaign to allow Instagram users to create their own music videos with AR filters.

Insight:

H&M aims to connect with a target audience of Gen Z consumers by focusing its promotion of the Kangol collection on Instagram. By creating a set of AR filters attached to a video clip featuring Mabel, the retailer is urging people to engage with its brand by creating their own videos to share with others. While the campaign does not include a hashtag challenge, it has the power to reach a larger group of consumers as people create personalized music videos and post them online, a social media trend popularized by TikTok. .

Instagram is especially popular with Gen Z, the group born after 1996 who tend to be heavy users of social media. About three-quarters of people aged 13 to 26 in the United States use Instagram, by a Morning Consult study, although it is less clear how many people in other countries are using the app. Parent company Facebook hasn't provided information on Instagram's user base for over a year, when it said the app had 1 billion users worldwide. This number has probably increased as more and more people use social media stay in touch with friends and family during the pandemic.

AR content is popular on competing platforms like Snapchat, which may indicate filters are popular on Instagram as well. Snap claims that over 75% of users use Snapchat's AR features every day on average, according to information provided by the company. If Instagram experiences similar usage, H&M is likely to engage with its Gen Z target audience who enjoy playing with AR content.

For a fashion retailer like H&M, Instagram is a staple of any campaign aimed at young consumers. Gen Z shoppers tend to look for outfits they can share on Instagram, which has made fast fashion retailers like H&M, Forever 21 and Zara who are quickly updating their stocks more popular with younger consumers for several years. About three quarters (74%) of young consumers buy fashion products based on what they see influencers wearing on social media, according to a survey by market researcher Cassandra. By collaborating with singer Mabel, H&M can connect with their fans and entice them to purchase items from the collection.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: cgurgu@internetmarketingcompany.BizWebsite: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos
picture credit

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H&M launches Instagram AR filters for Kangol fashion rollout - ExBulletin

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In short: Fast fashion retailer H&M introduced six Augmented Reality (AR) filters to Instagram as part of its promotion for a collection inspired by 1990s streetwear. British singer Mabel and several collaborators appear in Instagram Stories music video titled "Bad Behavior" previewing the collection of 31 pieces it inspired, the retailer ad.

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Pandemic-inspired change in fashion & retail

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Pandemic-inspired change in fashion & retail

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https://3dlook.me/content-hub/fashions-new-future-pandemic-inspired-change-in-fashion-retail/?ref=thedigitalspeaker.com

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Fashion’s new future: Pandemic-inspired change in fashion & retail - 3DLOOK

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From opening virtual dressing rooms to implementing online body scanning technology, how can fashion businesses act now to survive in the post-pandemic age?

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https://www.bustle.com/p/asos-new-see-my-fit-tool-lets-you-view-clothes-on-16-different-body-shapes-21126252?ref=thedigitalspeaker.com

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Online shopping is one of the best and worst things to hit the world. Not only does it mean we can shop to our heart's content, but it's also gotten us used to constant disappointment. You know the feeling when you buy your dream outfit, only for it to look nothing like it did on the model. Well, ASOS has launched a new tool, See My Fit, to help stop that sinking feeling from ever happening again.

A collaboration with Israeli augmented reality (AR) company Zeekit, See My Fit allows shoppers to view an item on various models of different sizes and heights. As the Independent reports, it's a simulated image, meaning the models aren't actually wearing the clothes. Instead, designs have been digitally fitted onto their bodies, giving a better, but not completely accurate, view of what an item will look like.

"With this trial of See My Fit, we're using the latest AR technology to put the power in our customers' hands, so they can choose to view a dress on the model that they most identify with in a way that wouldn't be possible using traditional model-shooting techniques," Tim Carey, senior content manager at ASOS Studios, said in a statement.

Notice he uses the word "trial". Right now, you can use the tool on just over 40 dresses by clicking the Models option on the left hand side. Currently, 16 different models are shown, ranging from a UK size 4 to 18 and in height from 5' 1'' to 5' 9''.

Sandra Okoli, a software engineer at ASOS, confirmed the feature is "a trial of 16 models," tweeting: "So it all depends on the results of this, but we would love to widen the range of models to cater to as many as possible!" Her comments came after several people praised the tool, while others wondered if plus sizes or even men would be included.

Per Fashion United, ASOS said more models with greater size diversity would be introduced in a final launch. But the brand told the Independent it's not sure whether the tool will become permanent in the future. The trial is set to run for at least six weeks.

For now, though, See My Fit is a much easier way to shop online, avoiding constant returns in the process. It may not be perfect, but it's a start to a more positive experience. Other brands: take note.
Did you know that you can find ASOS promo codes at the Bustle Coupons page? Bustle Coupons is a service provided by Groupon in collaboration with BDG Media, Inc. Each time you use a coupon or promo code from Bustle Coupons to make a purchase, Groupon and BDG Media, Inc. earn a small commission. This article was created independently from Bustle's sales department.

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ASOS' New 'See My Fit' Tool Lets You View Clothes On 16 Different Body Shapes

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Online shopping is one of the best and worst things to hit the world. Not only does it mean we can shop to our heart's content, but it's also gotten us used to constant disappointment. You know the feeling when you buy your dream outfit, only for it...

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a real-time 3D body imaging system that creates a precise fit visualization for customers.

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a real-time 3D body imaging system that creates a precise fit visualization for customers.

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https://themodernmirror.com/home/

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Anywhere... Anytime...
Any Device

View the latest collections worn by 3D digital models walking the Virtual Runway Anywhere ... Anytime ... Any Device.

Create Virtual Runway shows using digital models captured by Modern Mirror's 3D imaging system or a single photo, wearing the latest collections in digital form.

Provide the audience with an up close and personal interactive show to increase their engagement with your collection, by bringing the runway to them.

Translate excitement off the runway to purchases - allowing your clients to be the models on their own runway.

LEARN MORE

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View the latest collections worn by 3D digital models walking the Virtual Runway Anywhere ... Anytime ... Any Device. Create Virtual Runway shows using digital models captured by Modern Mirror's 3D imaging system or a single photo, wearing the latest collections in digital form.

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https://www.aerial.is/nft/0x0B509F4b044F713A91bB50535914f7ad160532fe

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A simple tool to estimate and offset the carbon footprint of your NFT.

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https://www.aerial.is/

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Track and offset your carbon footprint with Aerial.

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the “first carbon-neutral fashion campaign in the world.”

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the “first carbon-neutral fashion campaign in the world.”

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https://retailtechinnovationhub.com/home/2021/8/26/farfetch-teams-with-dressx-for-pre-order-collection-campaign

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The campaign aims at promoting the Farfetch pre-order collection without any physical materials, unnecessary shipments, or damages for the environment.

"By going digital we were able to save 346 698 litres of water, that is enough for 20 people to drink for 24 years," Farfetch stated.

"We also saved 2,515 kg CO2 eq, which accounts for 97.86% of CO2 emissions produced by a similar campaign in the physical space and equals 29 years of using a smartphone for 10 hours a day."

"Making the pre-order campaign the first carbon neutral fashion campaign in the world."

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Farfetch teams with DRESSX for pre-order collection campaign - Retail Technology Innovation Hub

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The campaign aims at promoting the Farfetch pre-order collection without any physical materials, unnecessary shipments, or damages for the environment. "By going digital we were able to save 346 698 litres of water, that is enough for 20 people to drink for 24 years," Farfetch stated.

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the production of digital fashion uses 97% less carbon than the production of a physical garment

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the production of digital fashion uses 97% less carbon than the production of a physical garment

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https://dressx.com/pages/sustainability-raw-data-references

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We used Ericsson report 'A quick guide to your digital carbon footprint. Deconstructing Information and Communication Technology's carbon emissions' (February 2020) as basis for the calculations of the carbon emissions of digital garments production phase.

Based on the annual data on CO2 emissions for each type of users from the report and the hours they spend per day using electronic devices, we were able to recalculate how much CO2 is emitted per hour per user.

We assume that the process of creation a digital garment can be compared, in terms of the energy use, to playing games on a powerful gaming computer with a large screen:

We assume that 'dressing up' a client in a digital garment can be compared, in terms of the energy use, to an average user who uses a smartphone, laptop, and tablet during the day:

We assume that CO2 emissions for sending an email with a photo :

General Comparison: Physical vs Digital Garments production

Data

References to Data source

Data

Reference

1

Environmental impact of garment distribution to influencers

Data

Environmental impact from cleaning clothes

References to Data source

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Sustainability / Methodology, Raw Data & References

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Methodology: calculation of digital garment CO2 emission We used Ericsson report 'A quick guide to your digital carbon footprint. Deconstructing Information and Communication Technology's carbon emissions' (February 2020) as basis for the calculations of the carbon emissions of digital garments production phase.

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https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/returning-to-order-improving-returns-management-for-apparel-companies

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Returning to order: Improving returns management for apparel companies<br class=“t-last-br” />

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High levels of retail returns are not inevitable. Better management can reduce the cost and improve consumer loyalty at the same time.<br class=“t-last-br” />

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23% buy digital rather than physical cloth

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23% buy digital rather than physical cloth

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https://docsend.com/view/kd4zcgw3zui33sta

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DocSend - Simple, intelligent, modern content sending

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DocSend helps you communicate more effectively by telling you what happens to content after you send them and letting you keep control in real time.

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CHARLOTTE’S MAGIC MIRROR MAKEUP ONLINE TRY ON

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CHARLOTTE’S MAGIC MIRROR MAKEUP ONLINE TRY ON

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https://www.charlottetilbury.com/uk/products/charlottes-virtual-online-makeup-try-on?clickref=1101lwG2irNY&utm_source=UKPartnerize&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=skimlinks_phg

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Charlotte's Magic Mirror Makeup Online Try On | Charlotte Tilbury

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Discover Charlotte's Magic Mirror Makeup Online Try On and discover the magic of the iconic eye and lip products everyone adores! Try them on at home or on the go with the magic of makeup AI!

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https://ecocult.com/digital-virtual-fashion-sustainability/?ref=thedigitalspeaker.com

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Do you spend your days on Zoom calls, do all your shopping online, or spend your evenings building your dream world on The Sims? Like never before, a huge part of our lives are being played out online. I t was only a matter of time before fashion brands started to dress our online personas.

And part of the excitement around the rapid growth of the digital fashion space - and why we're looking into it here - is whether it could be harnessed to fix the fashion industry and make it more sustainable and ethical.

Digital fashion is a catch-all term for clothing that isn't produced physically, from gaming skins and customized avatars, to non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and augmented reality filters . In 2019, Moschino was one of the first big brands to embrace digital fashion, creating a capsule collection for The , followed closely by Louis Vuitton's collaboration with League of Legends . In December 2020, Balenciaga released its Fall 2021 collection with a videogame called Afterworld: The Age of Tomorrow , In August, Dolce & Gabbana created a nine-piece NFT collection called Collezione Genesi that was sold alongside physical items at the brand's Alta Moda show, while in January this year, released its own collection of NFTs in collaboration with artist Brandon Sines . They join the likes of Adidas, Nike, Gucci and scores of other brands attempting to connect with consumers in an increasingly digital world.

There is huge potential for digital innovations to revolutionize the way we engage with clothing in the "real" world too, whether that's streamlining supply chains, satisfying consumer desire for newness, or providing a solution to online shopping pain points. There's no shortage of hype around it - some have even gone as far to suggest that it could eventually signal the downfall of fast fashion.

Could digital fashion really be harnessed to make the industry more sustainable?

NFTs and Their Emissions

Let's start with NFTs, which are unique graphic tokens that are stored on blockchain technology. Blockchain technology is a ledger that records all transactions related to the work, starting with the original creator of the NFT. (For a much more in-depth explanation, check out the Verge's comprehensive NFT guide . ) Buying a fashion NFT is like buying a one-off couture garment that's made for your measurements, only it's a one-off digital link to a file that only you can use.

"It's starting to extend its applicability, but part of the challenge for digital fashion is utility," explains Rufus Parkinson, chief executive of digital fashion company . "It's all very well to buy a fantastical dress or a pair of Gucci trainers , but then what do you do with it? I can post it online and say 'I bought this' but so what? That's the piece we're trying to solve."

But even though fashion NFTs are just fripperies and pixels right now, they actually have a carbon footprint, believe it or not. That's because of the type of blockchain system they're built on. "Most NFTs are built on Ethereum, and that happens to be the worst one you can possibly build on, " says Alex de Vries, a data scientist and founder of Digiconomist , a platform where he tracks the environmental impact of Ethereum and its counterparts, Bitcoin and Dogecoin. "That's usually where their carbon footprint comes from because they're running on a system that is massively energy-intensive in the background."

Ethereum uses a huge amount of energy - according to de Vries' calculations, it has an annual carbon footprint comparable to Sweden . Ethereum's creators have been talking about switching to a more environmentally-friendly system called Proof-of-Stake for a few years, which de Vries estimates would reduce the energy usage by 10,000 times, but the transition is yet to happen.

It's as if these digital fashion factories are running on the 2022 equivalent of coal - the environmental damage is just less obvious. "It's hard to see the impact on the world by just doing a transaction on these systems, it's all fun and games and there's no real consequence. But there is, it's just harder to see," de Vries says.

De Vries used a carbon calculator and concluded that the total carbon footprint of a collection of 216 NFTs created by the virtual fashion marketplace was 45,000 kilograms of carbon emissions, which works out to be 208 per NFT - the equivalent of charging 25,300 smartphones .

"How can we enable small designers to become metaverse capable creators?" asks Parkinson. "Currently that's quite daunting unless you want to just create a dress and stick it on a marketplace. But no one will ever buy it, it'll never be worth anything. So how do you allow them to curate their NFT in a space that's actually worth something? There has to be some uniqueness." In other words, benefits are accruing to the already-big creators.

Virtual Fashion and Overconsumption

AR skins and filters are becoming increasingly accessible thanks to companies like , one of the first multi-brand digital fashion retailers in the world. DressX works by superimposing digital garments over photos and avatars, as well as using sophisticated AR filters to mold a digital garment to your body.

Virtual fashion also opens up a wider scope of possibilities for design when there are no real-world limitations. Many of DressX's pieces are otherworldly , using metallic-finish "digital silks" and pearlescent "digital organza" to create striking sculptural looks without using materials, water, chemicals, or plastics, or creating any textile waste. "Go to the digital space, use those tools to express yourself, and be a more creative version of yourself - think beyond physicality," she says.

DressX claims that the production of digital fashion uses 97% less carbon than the production of a physical garment. The team compared the footprint of a basic T-shirt (6.5 kilograms of CO2 emissions) to a digital version (250 grams of CO2 emissions) to come to this conclusion. While most companies and experts say cotton tees have a footprint closer to 2 kilograms of CO2 emissions, the difference between digital tops and physical tops is still dramatic. "The carbon footprint of a garment can easily be 10 kilograms of carbon, which is already quite a lot," says de Vries. "But if you're going to create a digital dress then the only thing you need to make is a computer and you need to run that computer. On the whole, you're probably going to save energy."

For brands, virtual fashion can be used to gauge consumer interest in a product and avoid overproducing pieces that might not sell well. In August 2021, DressX partnered with luxury retailer Farfetch on the " first carbon-neutral fashion campaign in the world ." The pre-order campaign dressed influencers in digital garments that could be ordered and produced on demand. "We saw cost reduction, environmental impact reduction, time reduction, and no waste because the influencers didn't receive something they'd only wear once to take a photo and then put it in the cupboard," says Chernysheva. "When the person ordered the physical item on Farfetch, they were notified that the garment would take a bit longer because it had to be produced. So we were able to avoid overproduction, which is another big issue."

The question is: Could digital fashion really ever replace fast fashion? Parkinson thinks so. "A lot of consumers are stuck on the drug of fast fashion, changing their clothes and getting the latest thing," he says. "Perhaps they won't need to do that in the physical world because they can do it online for a lot less money and pretty much no damage to the environment. They'll still buy offline but maybe they won't buy so much."

But only to a DressX's survey said that they bought a digital piece of fashion in lieu of buying a physical garment. And this assumes that the average consumer could care less about what they look like in real life among friends and at parties than they do online. At this early stage in the evolution of digital fashion, it's all speculation.

Digital Fitting Rooms and Returns

Where virtual fashion has more real-world application is in virtual fitting rooms. Currently, 70% of returns are due to ill-fitting garments, says McKinsey . Style Me's virtual fitting rooms allow you to create an avatar within an e-commerce platform by entering your measurements and customizing your hair and skin color too. The result is a far lower returns rate because shoppers can more easily visualize how a garment might fit their body.

"With the virtual fitting rooms, we cut returns by up to 50%," says Parkinson. This helps brands reduce the 'reverse logistics' of getting garments back into their system. "You can have a much more streamlined supply chain in that respect."

Style Me captures the data that customers input and shares it with brands. "They can start to look at body shapes, who is trying on what, what body sizes are getting returned more often, so they can start to do adjustments on their own sizing," he says. With better data, brands can tailor designs to create clothing that is more likely to fit better and be worn longer by their customers.

If you've shopped online for glasses or makeup online recently, you might have been able to try them on via your device - it's tech that eyewear brands like Warby Parker and makeup merchant Charlotte Tilbury have been using for a while now. Taking things to the next level are companies like Modern Mirror , creator of the Avant-Garde Fitting System , a real-time 3D body imaging system that creates a precise fit visualization for customers. Modern Mirror is used by luxury brands that are more likely to work with private clients, so it's unlikely this tech will be available to the masses any time soon.

It's also worth noting that Style Me and others boast that their tech leads to more sales. "From a retailer perspective, what we're doing is driving conversions," says Parkinson. "And on the back of that, we also increase basket size because people are exploring, creating outfits, mixing and matching clothing, putting a jacket over the shirt, driving up the AOV [average order value]. After that, you bring up retention because people are more likely to come back."

It begs the question: could virtual fitting rooms actually encourage overconsumption, even if a customer is keeping more and returning less? Or is it shifting customers away from throwaway fashion to higher quality items that they will keep? More research is needed...

The Verdict on Digital Fashion and Sustainability

In the current climate, digital fashion seems to be split into two camps: the gimmicky investment opportunities versus the practical solutions. While it's hard to say whether we're in a bubble or the beginning, as brands race to be early adopters of the latest virtual application for fashion, it's crucial that they - and we - do our due diligence to ensure they're not causing more harm than good.

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Could Digital Fashion Be an Eco-Friendly Replacement for Fast Fashion? - Ecocult

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Do you spend your days on Zoom calls, do all your shopping online, or spend your evenings building your dream world on The Sims? Like never before, a huge part of our lives are being played out online. I t was only a matter of time before fashion brands started to dress our online personas.

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https://www.forbes.com/sites/stephaniehirschmiller/2022/07/19/digital-fashion-brand-dressx-launches-on-metas-avatar-store/?sh=4efa83da248c&ref=thedigitalspeaker.com

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The metaverse is the 3D evolution of social media," says DRESSX co-founder Daria Shapovalova.

Digital Metacloset DRESSX - world's largest digital fashion retailer is partnering with social media giant, Meta to launch its own digital-only fashion collection at the platform's Avatar Store.

The first DRESSX x Meta collection drops 19 July at 10 a.m. PT and further collections will be launched on a regular basis. While Meta's Avatar Store is currently only available in certain territories (U.S., Canada, Thailand and Mexico), some of the DRESSX looks will also be available on the brand's marketplace.

The Meta avatar store launched in June with physical luxury brands Balenciaga, Thom Browne and Prada who have created digital looks which can be purchased to wardrobe one's Meta avatar across its Instagram, Facebook and Messenger platforms.

The pieces are digital interpretations of both show looks and brand signatures such as a Fall '20 moto combo from Balenciaga, Prada's hot ticket Fall '22 white tank top and classic four-stripe suits from Thom Browne.

However, what's different about the new DRESSX partnership with Meta's Avatar Store is that it's Meta's first with a digital native fashion retailer. It's a neat segue -although LVMH Innovation Award 2022 finalist DRESSX launched in 2020, it was Meta that proved the real game-changer for the brand in terms of driving retail partnerships.

"When we started we reached out to every single brand and retailer but although they listened to us they said they needed to think about it," DRESSX co-founder Natalia Modenova told me. "But when Mark Zuckerberg renamed Facebook as Meta in October last year, people realized that digital experiences also fall under the definition of the metaverse. That was the big push for them to come back to us."

DRESSX has just partnered with U.S. luxury brand Jason Wu on a digital wearable NFT of the gown former First Lady, Michelle Obama wore for the 2009 Inaugural Ball. The dress' precise digital twin is currently under auction on the DRESSX marketplace. The ultimate owner will also receive tickets to Wu's New York Fashion Week show in September.

The physical dress - ivory silk chiffon, organza flowers and crystals - is currently displayed in the First Ladies exhibit at The National Museum of American History.

Other recent DRESSX retail digital fashion partnerships include Bershka, Printemps, American Eagle, Iris van Herpen and Dundas. Earlier this year DressX partnered with social gaming platform Roblox on outfits for avatars, created wearables for Decentraland.

While DRESSX has the advantage of being early to the market, new digital fashion platforms are launching offering different spins.

Most recent is Draup, which WWD reports has just secured $1.5 million in seed funding. Investors include Ledger's Ian Rodgers. The company is working on a model which includes resale, rental and wear-to-earn options for digital fashion.

Meanwhile, according to NFT Culture, metaverse entrepreneur G Money is launching a crypto-native luxury fashion and lifestyle label called 9dcc. What this means in reality is still somewhat opaque, save the fact that the first drop appears to be a physical one - a T-shirt for members of a particular community - but it's likely that multifaceted components - both digital and physical - will be involved as the platform builds out.

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Digital Fashion Brand DRESSX Joins Balenciaga, Prada And Friends At Meta's Avatar Store

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The metaverse is the 3D evolution of social media," says DRESSX co-founder Daria Shapovalova. Digital Metacloset DRESSX - world's largest digital fashion retailer is partnering with social media giant, Meta to launch its own digital-only fashion collection at the platform's Avatar Store. The first DRESSX x Meta collection drops 19 July at 10 a.m.

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https://youtu.be/GNKa8ZDOnF4

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'Smart' mirrors delight shoppers in fitting rooms across China

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https://www.thedigitalspeaker.com/digital-fashion-next-frontier-fashion/

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Dr Mark van Rijmenam, CSP | Strategic Futurist Keynote Speaker

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On September 13, 2021, Kim Kardashian donned an all-black attire by Balenciaga at the Met Gala. Her stark black Balenciaga haute couture gown with matching mask drew a lot of conversation online, even within the Fortnite community. Multiple Twitter users from within the Fortnite community saw a close comparison between her attire and locked characters within the popular video game. They wondered why she was dressed like a video game character you haven't unlocked yet. The rumors came clear when, a few days later, Balenciaga announced a collaboration with Epic Games, the developer of Fortnite, to bring the fashion house's signature clothing and apparel into the game.

Haute couture and the fashion industry have entered the gaming industry, and we have only just gotten started. Businesses are always looking for ways to carve out a lucrative market share and digital fashion is a niche market that has enormous potential. The possibilities for digital fashion are as limitless as the potential for the metaverse, and it will be one of the biggest industries of the immersive internet in the coming decade.

We are witnessing a new era in retail, where our physical lives will increasingly blend with our digital lives. For that reason, digital fashion has the potential to shake up the fashion industry as we know it and make style items more accessible to a broader audience.

What is Digital Fashion

Digital fashion is a relatively new industry that is snowballing. Digital fashion uses virtual avatars and digital models to sell (digital) clothing and accessories. This means customers can browse items online, try them in-store, and even buy them without leaving the house.

In the physical world, fashion designers are limited by the available fabrics and the laws of physics when they design their clothes. These barriers do not apply in the metaverse. Digital fashion designers can come up with any type of garment or fabric to create exclusive and exotic designs never seen before.

The trend is an idea that started with the rise of 3-D printing, but it was not until recently that technology caught up with the metaverse to make digital fashion a reality. Now, with augmented reality and virtual reality, you can virtually try on clothes without leaving your house - or even getting up from your computer chair.

Most importantly, digital fashion is not just about clothes-digital fashion can be about anything you can wear or use. From hats to shoes and jewelry accessories, the possibilities are endless.

If you would take digital fashion to its natural next level, it becomes possible to create fashion items from garments only available in the digital world and to add utility to the fashion items. One company exclusively focused on designing digital fashion is the company The Fabricant. The Dutch fashion house is a digital-only fashion brand and designs clothes only for the metaverse. It uses the latest advancements in artificial intelligence to create naturally looking and behaving digital fashion items, sometimes from novel garments such as liquid metal.

Unlike traditional fashion, which requires physical materials (threads, fabrics), digital fashion only requires data and code. This means there are no limits to what can be designed or created. It also means that anything can be tailored specifically to your tastes and needs rather than having to conform to a certain standard of fit or look.

A new, multi-disciplined generation of young designers is emerging. They use digital technology to tailor their designs for rapid prototyping and fabrication in 3D printing or only for the digital realm.

After years of learning the trade, designers, and kids, are turning the traditional clothing industry on its head. With experience and dedication, they are embracing new technologies and reinventing the conventional models of production to create an efficient supply chain that's both eco-friendly and visually stunning.

Naturally, digital fashion does not only bring benefits for the digital realm. It opens up new ways of innovation for a variety of industries and delivering unique benefits that the traditional fashion industry would never be able to offer.

Digital Fashion and Retail and Ecommerce

Virtual retail experiences provide the opportunity to immerse customers in a simulated environment that goes beyond a product display into a personalized experience.

The retail industry has taken a considerable step toward innovation with virtual reality advancements allowing shoppers to experience products before they buy them.

Shoppers can roam around a store or even walk through an entire mall without leaving their homes or offices. This provides an excellent way for retailers to reach out to customers who prefer online shopping over going into actual stores due to convenience and low business maintenance costs.

The integration of AR into eCommerce has allowed users to experience products in virtual reality before they buy them. The most popular example is ASOS's See My Fit system which will enable shoppers to try on different outfits by simply uploading their photos and choosing from a variety of looks suggested by the app.

The success of this ASOS initiative comes from the COVID-19 pandemic that changed many regular consumer habits to finally adopt digital ways to purchase from the comfort of home while keeping ourselves safe. Virtual fitting rooms (VFCs) are a great example and are quickly becoming the new normal in retail. Consumers want to shop anytime, anywhere, and through their devices. For this reason, VFCs offer a convenient way to try on clothes without leaving the house or getting out of bed.

The experience can be as realistic as an in-person fitting room or as simple as tapping "Fit" on an item to see what it looks like. Virtual fitting rooms allow consumers to shop from the comfort of their own homes and avoid long lines at the mall. They also enable consumers to take photos of themselves wearing outfits before purchasing something online.

For those who do prefer the physical store, magical mirrors can offer the same benefits, which is already happening on a large scale in China. These intelligent dressing mirrors can show you wearing different outfits suggested by the mirror, which you can then purchase by scanning a QR code. In addition, when taking clothes into the fitting room, the mirror can suggest additional matching items for you. The next step would be that your avatar would receive the digital version as well, potentially with additional benefits, as mentioned before.

In 2020 H&M, the world-renowned fast-fashion retailer used Instagram's advanced AR technology to showcase their new collection and boost sales. This H&M campaign aimed to connect with a target audience of Generation Z consumers by focusing its promotion for the Kangol collection on Instagram and reaching consumers beyond the scope of TikTok by encouraging participants to create and share their custom music videos elsewhere on social media platforms.

In a first-of-its-kind move in the retail industry, apparel giant Inditex has launched an AR game in collaboration with Facebook as a part of its latest collection called "Pacific Girls." Last year, online sales accounted for around a third of the company's considerable revenues -and as a result, Inditex plans to invest $3 billion into expanding its digital operations moving forward.

Recently, digital fashion retailer DressX joined Meta's Avatar Store. The brand has joined the likes of Balenciaga, Prada, and other big names in the luxury fashion industry by creating a digital fashion marketplace where users can shop in an immersive virtual space.

These examples illustrate the importance brands give to new developments in the metaverse because of their great potential to reach larger audiences and increase revenue. It also shows that digital fashion has already left the metaverse and entered the physical world!

Digital Fashion and Influencer Marketing

The relationship between fashion and influencers is a symbiotic one. Fashion brands have always been at the forefront of utilising influencers to promote their products, but as the world has developed, so has how we consume fashion.

VR influencer marketing works the same way as traditional influencer marketing, but with one significant difference: instead of receiving free products or money in exchange for promoting a brand, influencers receive virtual goods like clothing items or accessories. Since no shipping costs or materials are required, it is much easier for brands and influencers to collaborate on projects.

By gifting virtual dresses instead of physical ones, there are several benefits to all sides:

Digital fashion brands don't have to pay for shipping or materials as everything is done digitally;

For consumers, there is no waste as garments are not shipped around the world;

For influencers, it means more money from brands because they won't have to spend so much time photographing themselves in outfits that they only wear once or twice.

However, the metaverse is still in its infancy in marketing, with many brands still trying to figure out what works best and how they should approach it. In many cases, this means creating content that showcases their products in a new way.

In addition, although influencer marketing is a powerful way to advertise a product or service, it has yet to be perfected. The problem with influencer marketing is the question of authenticity. How can we trust a recommendation from an influencer who hasn't seen, touched, or worn an item of clothing? If digital fashion is here to stay, marketers may need to find a way for influencers to work with the digital fashion industry.

Korean twins Qjin and Qwon Han of Instagram account @q2han have over 200k followers and were some of the global social media personalities to be gifted digital items from the Farfetch pre-order launch and styled by DressX.

Last year digital fashion platform DressX worked with Farfetch to digitise the garments with 3D creator Threedium, including accessories and several men's and women's items from the pre-order collections.

Natalia Modenova, a co-founder of DressX, says each 3D render can be created in various ways. As a "best-case" scenario, digital files and patterns are ideal, but photographs or scans can also be used. First, the DressX team digitally tailored each influencer's chosen look using multiple images that influencers provided. Next, influencers were given guidelines on taking pictures and poses for digital dressing. After that, Farfetch, DressX, and the influencer reviewed the images and made any necessary changes.

The result is a unique digital garment that resembles each influencer wearing a piece from the collection; it is an excellent way for Farfetch to get its message across engagingly while helping them reach new audiences with its content strategy.

Here is a picture showing the results of the collab between influencers Qwon & Qjin with DressX and Farfetch (more examples are available here)

Digital Fashion and Sustainability

The digital fashion house The Fabricant from Amsterdam, which I mentioned before, has mainly focused on making the fashion industry more sustainable by combining technology and fashion. Colossal production and waste have been some of the biggest sustainability concerns in the current fashion industry. Last year, The Fabricant sold a $9,500 "diaphanous" virtual dress to Quantstamp CEO Richard Ma. It attracted media attention because it focused on the environmental problem derived from the actions of the traditional fashion industry.

Digital fashion trends in sustainability have been as revolutionary as their physical counterpart. DressX claims that digital fashion uses 97% less carbon than physical garments in its production. For example, the team compared the carbon footprint of a basic T-shirt (6.5 kilograms) with a digital version (250 grams). There is a significant difference between digital and physical tops, even though most companies and experts estimate cotton t-shirts emit more than 2 kilograms of CO2.

"An average garment has a carbon footprint of 10 kilograms, which is quite a lot," says Alex de Vries, founder of Digiconomist. Digiconomist is a website that provides insights into the unintended consequences of digital trends, such as the environmental impact of tech trends. On the other hand, creating a digital dress only requires a computer and a computer to run it. Hence, the overall result will probably be energy savings.

In summary, digital fashion could reduce the production of garments and help us make better choices when shopping. Consumerism increases every year as more and more people buy products that they do not need. Therefore, digital fashion could reduce the production of garments. This will make people think twice before purchasing a specific clothing item, which would positively impact the environment.

Digital Fashion Use Cases

Digital fashion is being used for a variety of purposes. Some of these uses I mention below include digital fashion trends that have already been implemented today. In contrast, others represent potential uses of what could be digital fashion in real-life scenarios.

The following are some of the most common use cases:

1. Game development

Game developers use digital fashion to create interactive 3D games and apps. The gaming industry is capitalizing on this growing appetite for fashion by collaborating with designers and celebrities to develop exclusive virtual outfits. The Fortnite gaming platform, for instance, was the first to bring high-fashion gaming together in 2021. As part of the Rift Tour, released in August 2021, gamers had the opportunity to play as Ariana Grande herself, dressing up in digital mini dresses and her signature high ponytail.

2. Work

Digital fashion can be used to create a uniform style for your employees in an easy way. It can be used as a guide for employees' clothing preferences, color choices, styles, etc., or also allows them to choose an outfit that suits their personality and style preferences.

Another use case for digital fashion involves virtual work meetings where employees may have to pitch ideas or give virtual presentations in front of their clients or managers. This way, you will look well dressed and professional on-screen even if you are wearing your pajamas!

3. Education

Digital fashion can be used in educational institutions as well. For instance, fashion students can learn about different clothing styles by using virtual reality headsets or tablets. This will help them understand how different types of clothes fit on different body types, which they might not have been able to experience before without having other models around them all the time.

4. Entertainment

This is a broad term, but it ranges from new ways for users to interact with each other online through immersive experiences like shopping online or having virtual meetings with friends to users in movie sets, TV shows/series, etc., to help create more realistic characters and scenes. Fashion shows are also included in this category since they are viewed through virtual reality headsets or mobile devices.

What Does the Future Hold for Digital Fashion?

Digital fashion companies face many challenges, and this will only increase. However, the future looks positive, as there will be more growth opportunities, and these companies need to be able to adapt to cause a positive impact on society.

One of the main challenges is that the fashion industry is notoriously elitist. It has always been a business for the rich and famous, but with the introduction of virtual fashion, this reality might change.

Fashion could unintentionally benefit from the metaverse by providing endless possibilities. Digital fashion, for instance, allows widespread access to designer brands. Also, online fashion shows give unprecedented public access to them.

Thus, virtual fashion may be a perfect solution to the elitist nature of the fashion industry. Moreover, it aligns with the current wave of inclusion in mainstream political discourse in many western countries. Everyone needs to have equal access to everything, including fashion.

This is precisely what the company I have discussed before, DressX, has been doing. This company is the largest retailer in the world of digital fashion today. It was founded two years ago by Natalia Modenova and Daria Shapolapova and is based in Los Angeles, California. They offer various garments for different occasions, from casual to more elegant and Avant-gard options.

In their catalog, they offer many options for all budgets. From casual everyday options, prices range from $1 to $100 to exclusive fashion brand collaborations with Balenciaga and other world-renowned luxury brands, where garments are available from $2,000.

DressX has also partnered with brilliant content creators like Marina Mogilko of Linguamarina to reach a mainstream audience that is approached to use digital fashion.

One of the main aspects to be taken into account is that Millennials and Gen Zers are changing it, as they are considered digital natives and are contributing to the growth of the digital fashion industry. Millennials and Gen Zers have grown up with social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat and understand how they work better than older generations. As in many other industries, these two generations drive innovation in retail, especially in digital fashion.

Still, the metaverse will change the digital fashion industry, placing the most relevant digital fashion startups and designers at the forefront of the new generation. And as the metaverse evolves, it won't be long before everyone wears virtual clothing.

Suppose we combine the buying power of millennials with the capabilities of ever-advancing technology. In that case, it will lead to virtual retailing where individualized styles that can be tailored to fit anyone will be in demand. When this happens, an entirely new industry will have been created - and Gen Alpha will likely be the first adopters.

In addition, the digital fashion and clothing market has seen widespread adoption of blockchain technology. Many brands are still stuck in the Web 2 world, but those that started moving into Web 3 early on have reaped huge rewards.

Thanks to NFTs, fashion designers can now verify the original owner of their clothing designs and receive payment for each sale.

As an example of this approach to blockchain technology, we have luxury fashion brand Karl Lagerfeld which launched its first NFT collectible in late 2021 on The Dematerialized, a luxury e-commerce platform. The NFTs represented digital figurines to commemorate the late designer and, simultaneously, showed the importance that prestigious brands are giving to blockchain moving forward.

Last June, Burberry announced it would partner with Mythical Games to launch a new NFT collection in the brand's flagship title, Blankos Block Party. As part of the collaboration, Burberry is opening up new spaces for its communities by creating a tailored social space within the game where entertainment and fashion go hand in hand.

Digital Fashion as a Tool for Identity, Self-Expression, and Interoperability

The first use case of digital fashion is to allow people to express themselves through their clothing. For example, if you want to wear a scarf that says "I love my dog" but is sold out at stores, you can order it online from your favorite brand or designer and customize it with the words you want. Likewise, if you wear a shirt that says "Keep Calm and Carry On" but do not like the colors available on Amazon or other platforms, you can customize it by changing the colors until you find something that works for you.

People generally look for new ways to express their identity realistically. New generations are demanding that virtual spaces be more inclusive and embrace options for different types of races, ethnicities, ages, sizes, gender identities, etc., that are often very limited in real life.

The key benefit of digital fashion is that it gives users more control over their online presence than ever before, as digital fashion platforms offer users multiple ways of self-expression, even more than the physical world has to offer. For example, they allow them to create an outfit using different combinations of colors, patterns, shapes, and textures. This enables users to express their style while creating new trends that other users will follow.

Despite these significant advances, the industry has been trying to figure out how to solve problems like interoperability, scalability, and privacy.

Digital fashion is also changing the way we think about clothes. People are no longer buying a particular item of clothing; they are buying an experience or an emotion they like. So, for example, when someone buys a pair of shoes from Nike or Adidas, they are not just buying shoes but also a lifestyle and aspiration that comes with it.

For example, last year, Adidas purchased a Bored Ape, kicking off a partnership with some of the most well-known personalities in the NFT world. Their Bored Ape was dressed in Adidas clothing to position the brand at the forefront of creativity. Adidas made these digital clothes available as NFTs, offering owners the physical equivalent to match their digital items. Moreover, Adidas announced their digital headquarter in The Sandbox and a partnership with Coinbase, where they will sell their digital sportswear as NFTs. Their campaign is called Into the Metaverse. By combining a variety of touchpoints, the brand has garnered a lot of media attention and positioned the brand as a thought leader and innovator.

An important aspect of digital fashion interoperability because it allows users to move between platforms without changing their looks quickly. This is similar to crypto or NFT in a wallet-if you own the token or crypto, you can transfer it from one wallet to another without requiring further action.

Imagine if a player's digital identity could travel seamlessly from one game to another. Imagine if they could bring their avatar-their Fortnite character or Pokémon Trainer persona, for instance-into Grand Theft Auto or Red Dead Redemption 2.

Although true interoperability will be a while, progress is being made. In 2020, the DIGITALAX Digital Fashion Operating System (D-DFOS) was introduced to enable seamless digital fashion self-expression across different gaming and virtual reality environments. This system allows you to move your digital avatar to other virtual spaces quickly and safely, keeping your identity and including your way of dressing.

In summary, digital fashion is an emerging technology that allows new digital clothing brands to integrate their services with existing ones. It opens the market and lets new players enter without reinventing the wheel. It also helps small companies grow faster by allowing them access to larger audiences.

This will allow users to own their data and use it as they please. In other words, blockchain asset ownership and virtual identity management are essential aspects of digital fashion that are expected to create new revenue streams and boost the expansion of the digital clothing industry.

Final Thoughts

Digital fashion is no longer limited to the realms of sci-fi. With all the developments in this relatively new field, it's only a matter of time before digital fashion becomes a part of our everyday lives. This dream will become a reality as virtual and augmented reality continue advancing in the coming years. Overall, I believe that there are many benefits to be gained from digital fashion, both short-term and long-term. In addition, it will open new markets and frontiers worldwide for fashionable people and companies.

So, while we may not all be walking fashion runways any time soon, the trend toward high-tech fashion seems inevitable at this point.

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Digital Fashion: The Next Frontier in Fashion

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On September 13, 2021, Kim Kardashian donned an all-black attire by Balenciaga at the Met Gala. Her stark black Balenciaga haute couture gown with matching mask drew a lot of conversation online, even within the Fortnite community. Multiple Twitter users from within the Fortnite community saw a close comparison between her attire and locked characters within the popular video game.

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https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/balenciaga-spring-summer-2022-campaign/

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Balenciaga has been one of the first luxury brands to truly embrace the idea of the Metaverse and virtual reality as our inevitable future, and for Spring/Summer 2022, virtual avatars are presenting the label's collection.

Don't worry, Balenciaga's digital models are nothing like Zuckerberg's Meta avatars - they are digital renders of models Tommy Blue, Eugenie Bondurant, Marie-Agnès Diene, Abdou Diop, Zinedine El Ouazzani, Gwen Lu, Aki Nummela, Anania Orgeas, Hansi Schmidt, Minttu Vesala, and Inti Wang.

Each shot has been created by Paris-based artist Claudia Mate, who works across a handful of formats including interactive 3D, game design, VR, and plenty more. Her aesthetic combines retro influences with our modern-day technology, creating a recognizable approach that defines Balenciaga's SS22 range.

The avatars pictured are really giving something out of The Sims 1, ditching today's hyper-realistic art for something a little more retro. Sadly, none of my characters in The Sims ever wore Balenciaga, so I guess you can't really make a direct comparison.

Signature pieces including the Hourglass Bag, the recently sold-out "Hardcrocs," and the label's wide-shoulder blazers have all been given the low-res digital makeover, without ditching the characteristics that make the pieces uniquely Balenciaga.

As we're all getting used to the idea of dressing up for the Metaverse, knowing that Balenciaga looks just as good on the physical streets as it does in the virtual world is comforting. If I can own a Le Cagole bag, the digital world might not be so daunting after all. Perhaps Demna is ready to get into the world of NFTs, next?

The Spring/Summer 2022 range is now available at select retailers as well as Balenciaga stores online and IRL (thankfully we're not ditching the real clothes just yet!).

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Balenciaga's Spring/Summer 2022 is the Future of Digital Fashion

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Balenciaga has been one of the first luxury brands to truly embrace the idea of the Metaverse and virtual reality as our inevitable future, and for Spring/Summer 2022, virtual avatars are presenting the label's collection.

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https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/facebook-avatar-fashion-metaverse/

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Consider this your official warning: digital fashion is about to become a thing across Meta products including Facebook and Instagram.

Starting today, Mark Zuckerberg-ies can take the next step towards obliterating their physical existence with the company's updated 3D Avatars, now compatible across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and virtual reality via Quest.

As announced via Zuck's official Facebook, Meta's avatar feature - a way to represent yourself in cute-sy cartoon form, akin to Apple's Memoji or Bitstrips' Bitmoji - now boasts several new customization options, including expanded skin tones, facial expressions, and other visual traits.

The tech CEO also wrote that Meta is "starting to experiment with digital clothing too, including official NFL shirts you can wear for the Super Bowl."

In short - your Meta avatar is now three-dimensional, wears a Super Bowl LVI shirt, and can stand in for your living, breathing self across nearly your entire social media presence.

If I sound dramatic, it's because I fear the day our digital avatars begin attending Zoom meetings in place of our staticky, low-res faces (which, as a matter of fact, is sort of already an option).

"One day you'll have multiple avatars ranging from expressive to photorealistic. Looking forward to sharing more soon," Zuckerberg ominously added.

Aside from the existential fears that Meta's announcement stokes, Zuckerberg's suggestion that the company will continue to explore digital clothing presents endless opportunities for brands, fashion and otherwise, to cash in.

Judging from a semi- YASSified before-and-after photo displaying Meta's new digital wardrobe options, the possibilities are boundless: if your Facebook avatar can rep your favorite football team, why not your favorite sneaker? Labels including Gucci and Louis Vuitton have designed clothing for video games, so what's not to say they'll outfit a virtual Zuckerberg in Princetown loafers and a Neverfull bag?

Given Zuck's latest, rather swag-less avatar, I'm kind of hoping it works out.

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Meta's Updated "Digital Clothing" Hits Facebook & Instagram

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Consider this your official warning: digital fashion is about to become a thing across Meta products including Facebook and Instagram. Starting today, Mark Zuckerberg-ies can take the next step towards obliterating their physical existence with the company's updated 3D Avatars, now compatible across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and virtual reality via Quest.

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https://www.voguebusiness.com/technology/adidas-releases-digital-fashion-for-nft-holders

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A 16-piece digital collection of outerwear is the first in a new Adidas product category called Virtual Gear. Current holders were airdropped pieces at random, and can elect to reveal and wear the piece on their PFP, or flip it for profit.

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Almost one year after the big reveal of its Into the Metaverse strategy, Adidas Originals is back with its first wearable digital fashion collection. The limited collection of 16 jackets, part of a new product category called "Virtual Gear", will be sold as NFTs.

The pieces include a few features that have become hallmarks of digital fashion, with details that would be impractical or even impossible in the physical world. These include reflective red and green puffer coats (called "P.F.D - Personal Flotation Device") and iridescent, crystal-like hoodies with the Adidas logo ("Space Crystal"). There's a black leather jacket with glowing neon piping ("Punks Comic"), a jacket that references rubberised soles ("Neobone") and a puffy, textural coat that is best described as a cluster of Adidas logos in the form of stuffed animals in red, green and blue ("Wallrunner"). Three designs reference early partners Bored Ape Yacht Club, Gmoney, and Punks Comics respectively.

Owners of the Adidas Originals capsule NFT collection, which was airdropped to holders in May, have been allocated pieces at random. They can either reveal and replace their Capsule NFT by burning it, or they can sell it on NFT marketplaces without knowing which piece they've received. Those who don't currently hold an Adidas Originals capsule NFT can only purchase directly on NFT marketplaces from holders who have elected to sell. Immediately after the drop, the floor price on OpenSea was about ETH. 1, or about $1,200. People who hold both a virtual wearable and an NFT from "partner" PFP projects Bored Ape Yacht Club, Mutant Ape Yacht Club or Inhabitants can use a forthcoming PFP tool that enables them to wear their Adidas digital fashion.

"Adidas will explore every viable utility, platform and experience within Web3 to unlock new possibilities for our wearables, with a focus on tangible value and immutable utility for our community members," said Erika Wykes-Sneyd, VP of the Adidas Three Stripes Studio, in a release.

The pieces are designed to be worn by virtual avatars, and are interoperable with other projects and worlds, including those that are being built. Adidas did not immediately offer specifics, but wearability in The Sandbox is likely, as last year Adidas purchased 144 parcels of virtual land in The Sandbox. "Web3 offers our designers and collaborators a new outlet to imagine, and reimagine, how our brand can be represented in augmented and virtual worlds," said Adidas Originals SVP of creative direction Nic Galway.

This launch notably follows competitor Nike's announcement of its "Dot Swoosh" metaverse platform, where it plans to sell both virtual and phygital wearables in the coming month. Meanwhile, Puma has reignited its fashion-friendly roots with a Web3 focus, as its CEO leaves to join Adidas. Adidas also launched its Into the Metaverse NFT project last year within a week of Nike announcing that it had acquired digital-first sneaker startup Rtfkt.

Since then a crypto bear market, and most recently chaos amid the downfall of crypto exchange FTX, has cast more uncertainty on the heady euphoria of early collectors, who would often rake in thousands, if not millions, of dollars by flipping desirable NFTs. Adidas, by airdropping its existing community tokens with new value, is rewarding loyalty while testing new buyer appetite - assuming that some holders will choose to sell.

In December of last year, Adidas began its NFT offering by announcing an NFT collection of both physical and digital products, revealed through comic books and created in collaboration with BAYC, Gmoney and Punks Comics. Members of its drop app (called Confirmed), got early access to buy the "Into the Metaverse" NFTs, which promised to grant access to wear digital items, purchase physical products and access experiences. It later partnered with Prada on a project that invited the community to submit selfies, culminating in a large-scale artwork that shared revenues with contributors. Adidas's Into the Metaverse drop has already driven considerable secondary transactions.

Adidas is one of the top-ranking brands among branded NFTs, according to a recent data aggregation. Though Nike is far in the lead thanks to its Rtfkt acquisition, with earnings of more than $185 million as of this August, Adidas's more than $11 million in revenue (also as of August) is nothing to scoff at. Puma, for instance, has garnered an estimated $1.3 million in primary and secondary sales. In secondary sales, Adidas has made more than $176 million ( compared to Nike's more than $1.3 billion), but beat out all other branded NFT offerings studied.

Earlier this month, Puma's chief brand officer Adam Petrick told Vogue Business that a digital-first design ethos had already offered creative inspiration to its in-house talent. Rtfkt, meanwhile, has begun physically producing community-informed pieces. Nike, meanwhile, is planning to ask its Web3 audience for input on designs, with the eventual goal to share royalties. This all points to considerable acceleration of creativity and co-ownership.

The virtual collection "represents an idea of wearable clothing that can transcend time and space, a community that is vividly diverse and a level of utility that can be explored and even discovered as worlds and avatars take new forms," Galway said.

Comments, questions or feedback? Email us at feedback@voguebusiness.com.

More on this topic:
He steered a big comeback at Puma. Could Bjørn Gulden do the same for Adidas? Adidas reveals new NFT project with Bored Ape Yacht Club Gen Z wants digital fashion. How do different avatars stack up?

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Adidas releases digital fashion for NFT holders

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A 16-piece digital collection of outerwear is the first in a new Adidas product category called Virtual Gear. Current holders were airdropped pieces at random, and can elect to reveal and wear the piece on their PFP, or flip it for profit.

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https://maisondao.world/

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Metaverse events Metaverse events Metaverse events We specialise in organising Metaverse events and after-parties. Digital Fashion Metaverse events Metaverse events More than 20 digital fashion studios are already members of MaisonDAO. #GrowingTogether EDGEcity Metaverse events EDGEcity MaisonDAO showroom is located in the center of EDGEcity, digital city dedicated to art and fashion.

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https://xrcouture.com/

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Digital fashion is the new cult and computer generated imagery is its most enthralling expression. We strive to revolutionize the contemporary fashion realm by leveraging technology. Experience creative freedom with XR Couture THERE IS NO PLANET B Sustainability is the key, tech- nology is the tool, imagination is the source, and digital fashion is the revolution.

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https://www.auroboros.co.uk/

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Wear the future now
Physical couture & Digital prêt-à-porter

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https://www.thefabricant.com/

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A digital fashion house leading the fashion industry towards a new sector of digital-only clothing.

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https://republiqe.co/pages/virtual-fittings

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The rise of virtual clothing and advances in technology have seen a huge rise in the past 12 months, helped massively by the growth of in-game wearables, NFTs and the Metaverse.

However, as fashion brands look to cut costs and improve their carbon footprint there are huge opportunities to be maximized within the current web2.0 environment, leveraging digital clothing and integrating into existing practices.

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The rise of virtual clothing and advances in technology have seen a huge rise in the past 12 months, helped massively by the growth of in-game wearables, NFTs and the Metaverse.

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https://unece.org/forestry/press/un-alliance-aims-put-fashion-path-sustainability

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The fashion industry has seen a spectacular growth in the early 21st century. It is now valued at more than 2.5 trillion dollars and employs over 75 million people worldwide. Between 2000 and 2014, clothing production doubled with the average consumer buying 60 percent more pieces of garment compared to 15 years ago. Yet, each clothing item is now kept half as long. The industry has truly entered the era of "fast fashion".

Despite an increase in jobs, this development comes at a price. The general current states of the fashion industry can be described as an environmental and social emergency. "The fashion industry is highly greenhouse gas intensive, with estimated emissions ranging between 2 and 8 percent of the global total." In addition, the textiles industry has been identified in recent years as a major contributor to plastic entering the ocean, which is a growing concern because of the associated negative environmental and health implications. Fast fashion is also linked to dangerous working conditions due to unsafe processes and hazardous substances used in production. Costs reductions and time pressures are often imposed on all parts of the supply chain, leading to workers suffering from long working hours and low pay.

The UN is committed to changing the path of fashion, reducing its negative social, economic and environmental impact and turning it into a driver for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). During a side event "UN Partnership on Sustainable Fashion and the SDGs" held at the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) on 10 July 2018, in New York, 10 different UN organizations agreed to establish a UN Alliance on Sustainable Fashion.

The importance of the commitment towards improving collaboration and knowledge sharing, and strengthening synergies between existing initiatives, was highlighted by Ms. Marie Chartadová, President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), who stressed "that the fashion industry needs to change gear".

The side event, which was hosted by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), discussed how different UN organisations are working on sustainable fashion, and how now momentum has built to collaborate on the topic.

The Executive Secretary of UNECE, Ms. Olga Algayerova, stressed that it is now the time to "make sustainability the next fashionable trend".

UN Environment took a bold step in agreeing to host the Alliance during its first year, and formally launch it at their next Environment Assembly in March 2019. The Alliance also aims to reach out to wider audiences, targeting the private sector, governments of UN member States, NGOs and other relevant stakeholders with a unified voice.

Mr. Robb Skinner, Executive Director of the UN Office for Partnerships (UNOP) pointed out "that all organizations working on issues related to the fashion industry will benefit from increased collaboration". It also builds on the momentum for change called for by many leaders during the HLPF. The complexity of the fashion supply chains makes it even more apparent that working in silos will not be enough to reach the SDGs.

Links:
Programme of the event: http://www.unece.org/DAM/timber/meetings/2018/20180716/UN_Partnership_on_Sustainable_Fashion_programme_as_of_6-7-2018.pdf
Pictures of the event: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121632478@N08/albums/72157698878298585/with/43304078711/
Forests and Fashion at the HLPF 2018: http://www.unece.org/index.php?id=48878

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UN Alliance aims to put fashion on path to sustainability

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The fashion industry has seen a spectacular growth in the early 21st century. It is now valued at more than 2.5 trillion dollars and employs over 75 million people worldwide. Between 2000 and 2014, clothing production doubled with the average consumer buying 60 percent more pieces of garment compared to 15 years ago.

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https://home.barclaycard/press-releases/2018/08/snap-and-send-back/

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Almost one in ten shoppers admit to buying clothes to post photos on social media and then returning them

Surprisingly 35-44 year-olds are the biggest culprits, with nearly one in five revealing they have bought clothes to wear once for the hashtag moment

Fashionmistas: Men are more likely than women to return clothes after wearing them and are more embarrassed to be seen in the same outfit twice

Men are also more inclined to wear clothes without removing the price tags so they have the option to try and return them

New research from Barclaycard*, which sees nearly half of the nation's credit and debit card transactions, shows that 'outfit of the day' posts have literally become just that. Almost one in ten Brits reveal that they have bought clothes online (nine per cent) to wear once with the aim of posting a photo to social media and subsequently returning their purchases. This rises to almost one in five among 35-44 year olds (17 per cent), the biggest percentage of any age group.

Surprisingly, it is men who are more 'socially self-conscious' than women - with 12 per cent posting a clothing item on social media and then returning it to an online retailer compared to only seven per cent of women. It's not just virtual vanity, one in ten men also say they would feel embarrassed for a friend to see them in the same outfit twice compared to seven per cent of women. More men (15 per cent) also admit to wearing clothes with the tags on in case they want to return them, compared to 11 per cent of women.

Additional Barclaycard research has also revealed that men are bigger spenders on fashion than women. Despite common assumptions, men's spending on clothes and shoes totals £114 per person each month, equating to over £300 more per person than women a year**.

The rise of the 'try before you buy' policy, which allows shoppers to order clothes online and only buy them if they decide to keep them, may well be contributing to the 'snap and send back' trend. More than three in ten Brits (31 per cent) say they are more likely to return items they purchase online using 'try before you buy' because they don't have to pay for the item beforehand.
George Allardice, Head of Strategy, Barclaycard Payment Solutions said:
"It's interesting to see the social media trend further fuelling the returns culture. We know from our research that returns are having a big impact on retailers, with a huge figure of seven billion pounds a year in sales that they potentially can't recognise.

"Retailers are adopting new processes to make returns easier as they know how important this is to customers. But to ensure shoppers are getting more wear out of their clothes - for posting on social media or for those real-life moments - retailers could think about introducing more varied photography and video content to their websites. By showing how to style items for different looks and how they will appear when worn, they could reduce the number of shoppers 'snapping and sending back'."
Celebrity stylist Alex Longmore provides her top tips to get more 'tags' out of your clothes:

1. When it comes to shopping for your latest 'look of the day' outfit, be savvy and save money by purchasing a series of interchangeable pieces to create different styles. As a guide, having versatile pieces in your wardrobe with a handful of accessories, means that your outfits can really stand out on Instagram and may help reduce the number of returns you make.

2. If you're looking to buy new outfits in-store, try them on before you purchase and you can take some practice shots for social media so that you have an idea on how the clothes will look in photos.

3. When purchasing new outfits online check if there is an option to see how they will appear in real-life. Many retailers offer 'online catwalk' videos or even better, 'virtual fitting rooms' to see how clothes will fit your size and shape. This way, you will avoid disappointment and start to understand the styles which will suit you best.

4. Be creative with your photography and use different camera angles to shoot your look from full length to three-quarter length shots. By doing this, you will achieve a lower cost per wear, and can feature the same outfit on 'the gram' guilt-free!

5. When it comes to choosing outfits, take your time. If you have recently purchased new items, assess your current wardrobe and how these new additions will work together. Ask yourself if they give you the opportunity to wear them with other items you already have - such as a pair of good fitting jeans teamed with a sloganed t-shirt.

6. If you want your Instagram channel to look more like the ones you see from fashion brands and influencers, think about the look and feel, and set a theme for it. This can be anything from posting content that showcases similar colours to using the same filter on every post.

7. For those who hate ironing and want quick and easy crease-free clothes, purchasing a steamer can be a worthwhile investment - with the added bonus of helping your garments look their best in any light.

8. My two tips for making trainers look as good as they do in the store for social media is to tape the soles with masking tape and invest in a spray which will keep stains at bay. Do this and help keep your trainers looking 'shop-bought new' for as long as possible!

Notes to editors
*Consumer research was conducted by Opinium surveying 2,002 adults (18+) from 25/05/2018 - 1/06/2018.

For more information, please contact Rebecca Butler at Barclaycard on Rebecca.butler@barclaycard.co.uk or 020 7116 1993.
About Barclaycard
Barclaycard, part of Barclays Bank PLC, is a leading global payment business that helps consumers, retailers and businesses to make and take payments flexibly, and to access short-term credit and point-of-sale finance. In 2017 we processed over £250bn in transactions globally. Barclaycard is a pioneer of new forms of payment and is at the forefront of developing viable contactless and mobile payment schemes for today and cutting-edge forms of payment for the future. We also partner with a wide range of organisations across the globe to offer their customers or members payment options and credit.
home.barclaycard
Follow us on Twitter @BarclaycardNews

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Almost one in ten shoppers admit to buying clothes to post photos on social media and then returning them Surprisingly 35-44 year-olds are the biggest culprits, with nearly one in five revealing they have bought clothes to wear once for the hashtag moment Fashionmistas: Men are more likely than women

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https://zerrin.com/digital-fashion-explained-virtual-clothing-brands-to-know/

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Would you pay $9,500 for a virtual garment you can't wear in real life? The world's first piece of digital couture was sold for that exact amount! If this is the first time you're hearing about digital fashion, it definitely won't be the last. Given the rise of the Metaverse and more people adopting virtual reality, digital fashion designers and virtual clothing are seriously shaking up the future of the industry. If you're new to the Metaverse, don't worry, we've got you! Brush up here on some of the commonly used terminologies .

What is digital fashion?

Digital fashion is 3D-designed, virtual clothing made with both humans and our digital avatars in mind. Instead of using physical fabric and textiles, digital clothes are designed on 3D computer software to be worn by your online avatars or edited onto your body using augmented reality. Virtual fashion is emerging as the most practical way to ethically and sustainably create clothing samples before producing final products. Brands all over the world are starting to adopt this method to reduce textile waste, including locally in Singapore .

Avatars and online users aside, brands can consider switching to computerised fashion design over the traditional pen on paper method to create not only accurate digital samples that shorten production timelines, but also reduce wastage and help with sustainable fashion production.

Why buy digital fashion?

Apart from gaming and dressing virtual avatars, digital fashion is a practical option for you to showcase your style online. Using augmented reality and artificial intelligence, you can fit and wear the piece on your body. You might have used digital wardrobe apps before to plan your #OOTD, it's time to take it one step further.

Digital-only garments can also assure a perfect fit for all body types. Designers can alter the digital outfits to suit different body shapes-who doesn't love finding their size available for all designs?

Virtual garments give you freedom to wear fur and leather without guilt. Want your dress to change colour when you twirl or light up in flames when you walk? There are no limitations when it comes to digital fashion; the world is your oyster!

Digital fashion technology can help make brands more sustainable

You skip the sampling part of the garment making process entirely, thus considerably reducing fabric and paper wastage. Designs are then directly draped onto the avatar digitally, on specialised 3D fashion softwares, to see how it falls and flows, before sending it out to produce the final pieces.

Brands can understand customers better, respond to market trends and tailor their products to suit their needs.

Common 3D fashion programs like , Browzwear VStitcher and are easily accessible to designers across the world. From fabrics that cannot be sourced physically to structurally impossible silhouettes, all you need is a computer at home to create designs that know no bounds.

Upcoming digital fashion brands you should know about

Republiqe

Singapore-based digital clothing brand Republiqe is a notable name in the world of virtual fashion. Led by founder James Gaubert, their aim is to find a creative and sustainable alternative to a physical wardrobe. They're a fully digital fashion brand that offers a range of ridiculously luxurious and eclectic pieces. They code digital fashion collections and auction off NFT garments.

To purchase a design, all you need to do is submit pictures of yourself on the Republiqe website and select your favourite virtual garment. After checking out, their team will get to work fitting the clothes onto the best suited image. You are then sent a completed image, which is bound to gain you a lot of likes on social media! Wearing the trendiest luxe pieces in the online fashion world while doing no harm to the environment, sounds like a win-win.

The Fabricant

Always digital, never physical - true to The Fabricant's motto, the digital fashion house operates at the intersection of fashion and technology to fabricate digital couture and fashion experiences. Apart from the occasional sale and auctions, The Fabricant supplies its outfits in free-file-drops for customers to use on 3D applications like CLO3D and Marvelous Designer.

Their recent campaign, a collaboration with WOW (World of Women) , is an effort to make Web3.0 more diverse and fashionable. You can shop from a unique collection of NFTs created by women and also co-create with them! The platform also now carries a variety of items like intricate digital headpieces and celebrity collaborations. Heard of Seismic before? This digital couture piece was designed exclusively by the Fabricant team for Vogue Singapore .

Auroboros

Innovation, sustainability and immersive design are the keywords behind the evolution of Auroboros as a luxury fashion house in the metaverse. The founder duo - Paula Sello and Alissa - were the first to showcase a digital ready-to-wear collection at a major fashion week in London. They create physical couture that references the natural world while existing only digitally. The brand's 14-piece Biomimicry Collection , showing at LFW, is sold on their website, on fashion game Drest and on DressX marketplace for £100-450. When someone makes a purchase, they send in a photo and Auroboros digitally tailors the item to their body shape and size.

DressX

A multi-brand digital fashion startup, DRESSX offers digital-only collections made by brands and 3D designers from around the globe. They also offer 'influencer marketing campaign' packages for brands, to promote giving their influencers digital clothes, rather than physical clothes. You can wear purchased NFTs to serve digital looks applied in Augmented Reality and make videos, take pictures. Their mobile app makes it easy to share these across socials. Talk about content creation made easy and sustainable!

See Also

XR Couture

Revolutionising the contemporary fashion realm with computer technology, XR Couture gives you the chance to shop from a pool of multidisciplinary designer collections which align with your sustainability values. The brand carries surrealistic collections of digital dresses, footwear, and accessories to shop from. You can wear these pieces in a digital space, Metaverse, games, in AR/VR and more.

For the perfect digital fashion image, follow a photo and fitting guide to upload a high-quality picture on which the digital outfits would be worn.

MaisonDAO

An integrative project set in the Metaverse, MasionDAO focuses on digital fashion streetwear and art. Their VR wardrobe allows you to scan yourself and download an avatar to dress it in the latest trends of digital fashion from the digital and physical world, which you can then export to use in other social and game spaces. By becoming an owner of an Artland , a member of MaisonDAO, you can host your own art exhibitions, music events and fashions shows in the metaverse. This helps communities share art spaces with each other and collaborate.

The stylists helping you create a more conscious closet Rewear on repeat with these 5 digital wardrobe apps Is clothes swapping the future of fashion?

New to the whole sustainability thing?

Download our FREE slow fashion e-book, packed full of info and useful resources.

Ananya Ramesh

An avid storyteller, Ananya is passionate about the future of sustainable and accessible virtual fashion. You can find her having a ball of a time experimenting with digital prints and 3D designs!

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Digital Fashion Explained & 6 Virtual Clothing Brands to Know

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New to the world of digital fashion? Here's a guide to everything Meta and the virtual brands you should watch out for.

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https://dressx.com/

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It works like this: you search for what you want, click to buy, then attach a photo to have the piece tailored to. It takes a few days for the images to come back, which throws in a jarring, past-future excitement, similar to getting a roll of film developed.

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Don't shop less, shop digital fashion. First multi brand retailer of digital fashion clothing. Shop digital fashion online at DRESSX.COM. Digital fashion clothes from top designer brands and 3D designers. DRESSX is your Metacloset - wardrobe for the metaverse.

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https://www.vice.com/en/article/akvzqz/virtual-digital-clothes-fashion-game-skins-metaverse

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People Are Buying Digital Clothes Because That's a Thing Now

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They're like skins in games, except for real people.