From the creation of the sewing machine to the emergence of online selling, fashion has always been at the leading edge of innovation. Fashion, like technology, is forward-thinking and progressive. 

According to CB Insights' Industry Analyst Consensus, the fashion industry is one of the largest in the world, with a value of more than $3 trillion expected by the end of the decade. (CB Insights, 2022)

And now, more than ever, fashion is progressing at breakneck speed toward a better, more technologically advanced society. 

AI algorithms that forecast fashion trends, robotic systems that sew fabric, virtual reality garments – a slew of inventions demonstrate how tech is optimizing, tailoring, and accelerating the fashion industry.

Furthermore, fashion is advancing not just in terms of technology, but also in terms of the industry's principles and values. There are no longer defined garments for a single gender or sizes that are regarded attractive or undesirable. Inclusivity and naturalness are already a component of this sector and appear to be here to stay. And the true cause for this shift is the evolving customer trends and needs that are redefining the sector.

Influencers rule the market, teaming with major brands to attract new customers. As the old and new worlds collide, the path to popularity has shifted. (Barker, 2021)

It is not necessary to travel far into the past to witness the emergence of virtual influencers. More particularly, it was in 2016 that these digital influencers appeared on the scene, bringing Photoshop and twisted reality to new heights. (Fraser, 2020)

Lil Miquela was the first virtual influencer to appear on Instagram in April of that same year, seemingly out of nowhere. Nobody knew who or what lil miquela was, but theories were swirling around. (Dewey, 2016) Her Instagram feed is typical of a human influencer: she supports fashion brands, suggests beauty products, and attends exclusive events alongside other celebrities. However, her account is run by a team of tech experts. (Tiffany, 2019)

The lives of CGI influencers are filled of mystery and intrigue, which is why they are so well-known. Everything they come into touch with has a mesmerizing effect on people. They are given a fictitious past as well as a set of political and social views. And virtual influencers don't hold back when it comes to expressing themselves on social media. 

Since Lil Miquela's debut, a slew of virtual characters have appeared and are following in her footsteps. (US Business School, 2020)

On the other hand, there is The Diigitals, a digital model agency that has created virtual influencers such as Shudu, the first virtual black model who has worked with labels such as Balmain, and Brenn, a virtual plus-size model. The Digiitals also recently presented the world to Kami @itskamisworld, the first virtual influencer with Down syndrome, in collaboration with Forsman & Bodenfors and Down Syndrome International. (Natividad, 2022)

Cameron James-Wilson, the founder of the Digiitals and a previous fashion photographer recognized for his perfect retouching, is well aware that what consumers see on Instagram might not always correspond to reality. That is why he has made it his job to create virtual models that represent actual bodies and to avoid even more severe beauty standards from being established as a result of these non-existent pixel-perfect individuals. As a result, virtual influencers might assist the business in moving toward inclusion and the exposure of non-normative persons. (Zwieglinska, 2022)

For some, it may just be an immersive experience, whilst for others, it may determine the next phase in their social networks and work environments expansion. The metaverse will provide a platform for virtual influencers to communicate with their public and other creators, as well as share experiences. Many fashion labels, including Prada and Puma, have already created their own virtual avatars to stand alongside Shudu or Miquela, and many more are intending to do the same. They all have the same goal: to be mission-driven and community-led. (Chitrakorn, 2021)

Furthermore, companies will humanize their virtual influencers by portraying them flawed in order to make them more approachable to the audience and so connect in a more personal way. (Lal, 2022)

Virtual influencers will also quickly enter the NFT market in the near future, pursuing market opportunities to increase fan engagement in their virtual narratives. There are currently some NFTs dropped by virtual influencers, but the number is expected to grow exponentially in the future years as both the NFT and Virtual influencer industries are booming. (Hiort, 2021)

Companies began to invest in virtual reality and artificial intelligence in order to improve their customers' shopping experiences and tackle the challenges that the pandemic could cause. (Kidecha, 2022) Try-on technology came to symbolise the future of the beauty business, and companies understood that by combining it with the power of data, they could provide the client with a highly customised, cutting-edge, and safe experience. (Ughetto, 2021)

As much as this trend appears innovative and post-pandemic, corporations like Lóreal, which purchased the augmented reality tech company Modiface in 2018, were already on board. (Petroff, 2018)

The French company sought to become the world's leading Beauty Tech company, reinventing the beauty sector and creating a more inclusive, tailor-made, ethical, and transparent beauty. (L'oreal, 2022) Since, as Jean-Paul Agon, Lóreal's CEO, noted “I think the future of beauty will be more and more about technology, about quality, about formulation, about individualization, about digitalization, about responding to specific needs”. (Brown, 2021)

Nevertheless, digitalization in beauty is more than just implementing tech-powered experiences; it is about understanding how tech can address client problems and help companies reach their objectives. Furthermore, tech has the power to strengthen consumer confidence by allowing clients to know with certainty that a product is appropriate for their needs.

(Chang, 2021)

In the previous year, beauty brand Il Makiage acquired multispectral imaging computer-vision firm Voyage81; Estée Lauder carried out AR try-on across its whole range; Ulta Beauty established a virtual-try on collaboration with Google and invested in AI retail tech business Adeptmind; and Clinique developed a cosmetics lab in the metaverse to introduce a new serum.

These are just a few instances of how beauty firms are employing cutting-edge technologies to provide consumers with hyperpersonalized experiences and services. “When we first went to the Consumer Electronics Show, there were no beauty companies there…now it’s flooded with so much” stated Guive Balooch, the head of L’Oréal’s technology incubator. (Kennedy, 2022)

And it is that the metaverse, in combination with virtual reality and artificial intelligence, offers endless possibilities and utterly immersive experiences such as virtual try-ons, AI-curated beauty routines, and even the chance to create your own avatar. It is a platform where you may be whatever you want to be and appear as you choose to look, without any of the limitations that you could have in real life. (Thorpe, 2022)

Estée Lauder's Jon Roman, SVP, global consumer marketing and online, said: “The metaverse is essentially limitless in terms of how one can express themselves through things like their avatars and it's this that will unlock more surreal beauty looks, new areas of inclusivity and abstract self-expression”. (Vallis, 2022)

It is also projected that as the metaverse becomes more accessible to consumers, small beauty brands wishing to capitalize on new chances to engage with their audience will have more access to it. Furthermore, in the coming years, the techniques and tools employed in the metaverse will evolve, making the experiences even more individualized and immersive. (Morosini, 2021)

The inclusive fashion movement grew over time, but understanding remained limited. It extended to race, gender, sexual orientation, size, and even religion, yet the mainstream fashion business continued to overlook disabled people. (Farra, 2021)

It wasn't until 2014 when model and psychologist Danielle Sheypuk made history by being the first woman in a wheelchair to walk the runway at New York Fashion Week. The public's awareness of the adaptive fashion increased dramatically after that moment. Danielle was able to give voice to a group that numbers over one billion individuals and accounts for 15% of the world's population, according to the World Bank Group. (O'Connor, 2019)

During the same year, designer Mindy Scheier founded Runway of Dreams, a non-profit that encourages inclusive apparel design. 

Furthermore, a slew of actors began to open up about their disabilities, like Selma Blair, who boldly declared her MS diagnosis. The actress also made a Red-Carpet debut with a walking cane at a Vanity Fair Oscar Party, and added that she would love to collaborate with someone like Christian Siriano on an adaptable clothing line that is functional yet chic. (Kim, 2019)

According to Coresight Research, a retail data insights business, the worldwide adaptive fashion industry is estimated to reach $349.9 billion by 2023. Since the disabled population has incredible brand loyalty, it is a one-of-a-kind and smart opportunity for marketers.

Ariella Barker, a disability campaigner who uses a wheelchair and has spinal muscular atrophy, stated: “The moment that we find a store or designer that works for us, we don't shop anywhere else because we are hyper-sensitive to companies that take us into consideration.” (Liever, 2019)

For reasons like this, famous companies like Tommy Hilfiger are jumping on board. The brand owned by PVH Corp’s created an adaptive adult apparel line in 2017 with adjustable seams and openings that enable caregivers to dress the person. Magnetic closures were also included in the collection to allow for one-handed dressing. (Bloomberg, 2017)

Nike also announced two years later that it was investing in Utah-based Handsfree Labs Inc., a business that specialized in step-in shoes, which are laceless and easy to put on and take off. In recent years, the firm has prioritized developing goods for a broader range of athletes and removing obstacles to make sport more accessible to more people. (Bloomberg, 2019)

It is also expected that in the future, the disabled community will be given the attention and respect it deserves, and that adaptive collections will be the rule rather than the exception. Adaptive fashion is the next step in making the world more inclusive and varied. 

3D printing is one of the most promising technologies that will be utilized for adaptable clothes in the future. This allows the items to be painstakingly personalized to the wearer, down to the smallest detail and measurement. Furthermore, the designs may be saved to be utilized more than once. (Cherry, 2022)

Nowadays, the adaptive clothing industry is worth $300 billion in 2022, with a 16% worldwide growth forecast by 2024, according to Statista. Labels like as Christian Siriano, Nike, Target, Chromat, and Collina Strada are already making visible efforts in the adaptive market, and it is projected that the number of brands with adaptive collections will expand by 36% over the next ten years. (De la Garza, 2022)

 

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Most beauty and fashion firms will embrace artificial intelligence and augmented reality in the near future to deliver a distinct and personalized client experience. 

Innovation will remain at the forefront of both industries, and the rate at which trends emerge and develop will become increasingly rapid.

Customer expectations will rise as well, and firms will have to adapt and satisfy them at the same rate.

The fashion and beauty industries are always evolving, and the ever-expanding digital world presents them with a limitless number of new unexplored opportunities that will emerge over time.