So, girls, we know social media gives Jasmin and Aladdin vibes since it can show us “a whole new world” and give us “a new fantastic point of view” …. but no magic carpet can get you a front row seat at fashion week sippin’ pornstar martinis with Anna Wintour…. But with virtual reality we have “new horizons to pursue” (lyrics- Disney, 1992) So, we all know that virtual reality/AI and fashion are the Iconic duo we never knew we needed, but now that we do, we just can’t get enough! We’ve even seen the likes of artificial intelligent models & Influencers such as Lil Miquela and Noonoouri emerge and become an incredible success. Masterkey studio is a fashion house in the metaverse, they provide a 3D fashion experience like no other! They understand that each industry faces unique obstacles during the digital transformation process, and they provide personalised optimal solutions to help brands achieve their goals. They are committed to offering our customers with seamless, efficient, environmentally responsible, and long-term technology solutions. Physical examples aren't necessary anymore! They can virtualize your design collection with only the completed sketches and pattern designs prior to being actually manufactured. (Masterkey, 2023) You can test your designs in any colour and style you wish, with accurate materials and embellishments. there is also a virtual fashion show service where you can order your one-of-a-kind garments, which they will create specifically in 3D, alongside other enhancing features such as a runway, sound, colour, light, camera angle, catwalk, and virtual model (avatar). (Masterkey, 2023) it really is like having your own magic Genie! You can sell your 3D digital products before they are manufactured by linking them into internet shopping systems. Imagine how this will revolutionise the reduction of waste caused by the fashion industry! (Masterkey, 2023) Honestly, Slay. As previously said, designers can save money on expensive physical samples while also impressing clients before manufacturing begins. Products may be turned into 3D models and share them with your customers directly through the virtual showroom, which is accessible through tablet, web, and mobile applications. On a protected infrastructure, customers can express all of their criticisms about the products. You can use this platform to make your company's product development procedures more efficient and faster with the virtual showroom. So there ya go, you don’t need to shed anymore tears over not being Invited to the top fashion shows! You can create your own with Masterkey Studios and the possibilities are endless!!
Until next time, Becky x
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HEY Y’ALL, Nia is back and better than ever! I am here to tell you girly whirlies about AI Influencers. So, like what is this? Who is this? Well Artificial intelligence (AI) Artificial influencers are a recent development in the field of social media marketing that is rapidly growing by the minute. These influencers are designed to mirror the behaviour and personality of real influencers and were created using cutting-edge artificial intelligence algorithms. As a Content creator myself these scares me a bit as one day they could take my job!!😱 A dread of robots taking over the world first began because of science fiction movies and got the world thinking. With revolutionary advancements in science, engineering, and artificial intelligence, it has now transitioned from a far-fetched concept to a somewhat reality. Ah sure look we move, have ya heard of that AI influencer Miquela? She's an absolute gas ticket, like. She's a fake person made up of computer code and she's on all the social media sites like Instagram and TikTok. It’s insane. This is what she looks like. 🤩 You honestly would think she is a real person. Shes great and everything but let me tell ya, she's more popular than a packet of Tayto crisps at a GAA match. She's got millions of followers and she's always posting about her life, her music, and her fashion. And I have to say, her style is always slayingggg. She was created by a company called Brud, and is designed to look like a 19-year-old girl from Los Angeles. Wait Nia how are these virtual influencers important for marketing? Oh, I’m so glad you asked😅 The ability of AI influencers like Miquela to provide customers a more genuine and personal experience is one of the main advantages of utilising them. Miquela had an engagement rate of about 2.35%, which was greater than the typical engagement rate for real-life influencers, according to a Hype Auditor analysis. To prove my statement, I compared Miquela to a real-Life influencer ‘Danielle Bernstein’ @WeWoreWhat who has the same number of followers and in my research, I found that Danielle’s engagement rate is 0.11% which is significantly low. This may indicate that viewers are enjoying her material and seeing her as a real person. I found a survey from ‘The Influencer Marketing Factory’, and it stated that 58% of respondents followed at least one virtual influencer on social media and 35% bought something one of these AI In influencers promoted on their channels. {The Hustle} I rest my case 😅 Another marketing benefit is that these AI influencers have a bigger and more varied audience. They may appeal to customers from many areas and backgrounds since they are not constrained by physical restrictions or cultural obstacles. I would have never of thought of that 🤯 For instance, Miquela has worked with companies like Calvin Klein and Prada, which has allowed her to build a worldwide fan base. {Rock Content} For a digital ad campaign advertising their new line in 2018, Calvin Klein teamed up with Miquela. A number of Instagram pictures from the campaign featured Miquela wearing items from the line, which greatly increased social media discussion and engagement. The campaign was very scandalous as in the photos Miquela and Model Bella Hadid share a kiss. How in the world did they do that? {The Cut} Additionally, marketers may save time and money by utilising AI influencers like Miquela. They don't need cosmetics, clothes, or travel expenditures because they aren't human!! Which may greatly cut the cost of a marketing campaign. Also, they are able to work nonstop, producing material and interacting with their audience without taking breaks or vacations. ☀️ In summary, AI influencers like Miquela have grown to be crucial in marketing because they provide a distinctive and cutting-edge method for businesses to interact with their target market. They may help companies reach a larger and more varied audience, save time and money, and provide customers a more genuine and relevant experience. Brands can effectively use AI influencers to promote their products and increase engagement on social media, as evidenced by real-world examples. Hey Girls, maybe we should hire one to help us write our blogs😉 Dermot will never notice 😂 {NeuroFlash} Overall, Miquela's definitely one of the top AI influencers out there, and she's only getting' more popular by the day. Who knows, maybe one day she'll be runnin' the whole internet! Bye for Now Queens 👸 Nia 💜 Reference list
Arnold, V. (2023). AI Influencer - the future of marketing? [online] neuroflash. Available at: https://neuroflash.com/blog/ai-influencer-the-future-of-marketing/ [Accessed 11 Mar. 2023]. Casarotto, C. (2021). How can AI Influencers Help your Digital Marketing Strategy? [online] Rock Content. Available at: https://rockcontent.com/blog/ai-influencers/ [Accessed 11 Mar. 2023]. HypeAuditor.com. (n.d.). 𝒟𝒶𝓃𝒾𝑒𝓁𝓁𝑒 𝐵𝑒𝓇𝓃𝓈𝓉𝑒𝒾𝓃 (@weworewhat) Instagram Stats and analytics - HypeAuditor. [online] Available at: https://hypeauditor.com/instagram/weworewhat/?from=suggester [Accessed 11 Mar. 2023]. HypeAuditor.com. (n.d.). Miquela (@lilmiquela) Instagram Stats and analytics - HypeAuditor. [online] Available at: https://hypeauditor.com/instagram/lilmiquela/ [Accessed 11 Mar. 2023]. Mosley, M. (n.d.). Virtual Influencers: What Are They & How Do They Work? | Influencer Matchmaker. [online] influencermatchmaker.co.uk. Available at: https://influencermatchmaker.co.uk/news/virtual-influencers-what-are-they-how-do-they-work [Accessed 11 Mar. 2023]. Nast, C. (2022). Virtual influencer Miquela is back. This time, brands are metaverse ready. [online] Vogue Business. Available at: https://www.voguebusiness.com/technology/virtual-influencer-miquela-is-back-this-time-brands-are-metaverse-ready [Accessed 11 Mar. 2023]. Petrarca, E. (2019). Calvin Klein Apologizes for Bella Hadid and Lil Miquela Campaign. [online] The Cut. Available at: https://www.thecut.com/2019/05/bella-hadid-lil-miquela-calvin-klein-apology.html [Accessed 11 Mar. 2023]. Rasmussen, M. (2021). Brud, Creators of Virtual Human Lil Miquela, Announce a New Direction. [online] www.virtualhumans.org. Available at: https://www.virtualhumans.org/article/brud-creators-of-virtual-human-lil-miquela-announce-a-new-direction [Accessed 10 Mar. 2023]. Rylah, J.B. (2023). These influencers are so fake… no, really. [online] The Hustle. Available at: https://thehustle.co/02172023-virtual-influencers/ [Accessed 11 Mar. 2023]. The Influencer Marketing Factory (2022). Virtual Influencers Survey + INFOGRAPHIC. [online] Influencer Marketing Factory. Available at: https://theinfluencermarketingfactory.com/virtual-influencers-survey-infographic/ [Accessed 11 Mar. 2023]. www.instagram.com. (n.d.). Login • Instagram. [online] Available at: https://www.instagram.com/weworewhat/ [Accessed 11 Mar. 2023]. Now that we have enlightened you to the fashion space in a digitally and technological advanced environment, this idea shouldn’t shock you as much. Or at least I would hope not. Keep up besties 💃🏻 This market is only going to continue to grow and gain more momentum over the next few decades. And what baggy shirt and basketball short wearing fashionista do we know that has already shaped the internet to what it is today? The one and only Mr. Mark Zuckerberg! 🧍🏼♂️ Who cares about Emma Chamblerlain and Bella Hadid, Mr. Zuck knows what’s up. The Metaverse is now reshaping the fashion industry and its future too. The Metaverse is allowing brands to use digital clothing for sampling, modelling and marketing, in addition to giving consumers more freedom to try more options with no normal real life limitations. This is more cost-effective for companies and efficient for customers. More pennies to spend on our lashes and more time to scroll through Instagram! This convenience is more environmentally friendly too with emitting 97% less CO2 and 3,300 litres of water less than normal for per item (Jagati, 2022). The future of fashion is being rewritten as we speak, like how Abby changed her future in 16 wishes. Only this time we don’t need 16 wishes as it is evolving in so many more different ways. Younger generations are the key market demographic too (Jagati, 2022). We are more accepting of these ideas and let’s face it, we are the future. The digital representation of ourselves is so important to young people nowadays. The online space is just as important as our real life selves. This narrow relationship is becoming more blurred. Only a matter of time that we are in a Black Mirror episode… It probably exists already. With Markie Zuckie kickstarting the existence of the metaverse, it has launched this idea into the limelight. One of the most popular metaverse environments like Roblox already had a luxury brand deal. Ralph Lauren debuted an exclusive gender-neutral digital clothing line in the game. As if kids know what fashion is (Stych, 2021). But this is the start of building brand awareness and loyalty. Let’s be real, the fashion in Stardoll was top tier when we were younger but this time around, you can actually buy the clothing. This is changing the way we shop and drop. The Gucci’s Queen Bee Dionysus virtual bag recently sold for 350,000 Robux (Jagati, 2022). A tech start-up collaborated with Google to develop DressingRoom by Gap. This augmented reality allows shopped to wear the products in the metaverse exactly on their body shapes and types. This is only available on Google’s augmented-reality platform (Perino, 2023). So these tech companies are already building an ecosystem to take our money from home, and I won’t lie, I am here for it!
This innovation is only the start and it is a matter of time when all these robots start having a conscious and then they will take over and it’s the end of humanity!!! Apologies, I suppose Will Smith have trained us on this already. Decentralised technologies will refine our creative futures and open up endless opportunities for us. How we will interact and communicate with fashion brands will only advance and it’s a matter of time the robots will rule over us! I’m going to go have an existential crisis now. Talk to you guys soon. Michelle xoxo References: Jagati, S. (2022) How the metaverse can revolutionize the fashion industry, Cointelegraph. Cointelegraph. Available at: https://cointelegraph.com/news/how-the-metaverse-can-revolutionize-the-fashion-industry Perino (2023) Technology leads us to the future of the Fashion Industry, Perino Yarns. Available at: https://perinoyarns.com/technology-future-fashion-industry-2/#:~:text=Technologies%20are%20changing%20the%20way,an%20over%20catered%20fashion%20world. Stych, A. (2021) Ralph Lauren debuts digital collection on Roblox to engage with next-gen metaverse consumers, Bizjournals.com. Available at: https://www.bizjournals.com/bizwomen/news/latest-news/2021/12/ralph-lauren-roblox.html?page=all Welcome back girly whirlies TODAY I will be introducing you to top two girl bosses in fashion tech to watch out for. 👀 Each of these women individually are pushing the boundaries of fashion technology as well as improving sustainability efforts. They The first Boss Queen I will be introducing you to is Emily Binder💅 In the area where cutting-edge technology and fashion collide, Emily Binder is a well-known figure. She has over ten years of expertise in this sector and has emerged as a leader and supporter of using technology to change the fashion and tech industry. What a dedicated Queen. 👑 She developed a fascination with the potential of fusing technology and fashion together, which inspired her to concentrate on wearable technology for her thesis project back in college. Binder worked as a consultant, designer, stylist, and other positions in the fashion business after earning her degree. {Kapfunde, M. (n.d.)} Binder believed technology may alter the way we see clothing and accessories. In 2011 we saw the birth of Binder's "Wearable Style News" blog, which soon established itself as a go-to source for information on the rapidly developing industry of wearable technology. {Binder, E. (2020)} She utilised the forum to research the most recent advancements in the industry and to offer her own ideas on how wearable technology may be used to the fashion industry. Since then, Binder has developed into a highly sought-after speaker and consultant on cutting-edge fashion technologies. She has delivered speeches at conferences and gatherings all over the world, Misses Worldwide for sure.😉This includes the Voice of Money. It’s an in-person event, focused on best practices in this emerging area of financial technology. Binder has collaborated with several fashion and technology firms to help them create and implement new products and strategies.Major brands like Nike and Intel, as well as start-ups and smaller businesses eager to enter the wearable technology industry, have been among her clientele. {Binder, E. (2010)} According to Binder, smart textiles have the power to alter how we perceive clothes by enhancing their personalization, interactivity, and responsiveness to our needs. She envisions a day in the future when our clothes would be able to talk with other gadgets, monitor our health, and even adjust to changing weather conditions. This is definitely a must have for us here in Ireland☘️😅 Overall, Emily Binder is a pioneering voice in the developing industry of fashion technology. Her knowledge and skills have influenced how we view wearable technology, and her work continues to motivate entrepreneurs, designers, and innovators all across the world. I’ve been listening to her podcast for a long time now and I’d encourage you all to give it a listen 🎧 My next Boss Bitch in the fashion and technology world I will be introducing you to is Clarabeth Smith 🤩 She is an entrepreneur who has made significant contributions to the fashion technology sector with her zero-waste school uniform initiative. As soon as she finished her masters in the Paris campus of School of Design, she joined the non-profit Style Her Empowered (S H E ). It's an organisation that aims to give girls in Togo, Africa, new school uniforms, full-tuition scholarships, year-round training, tutoring, and assistance. (Refinery29) In many African countries where ‘SHE’ operates young girls don't have the option to go to school as uniforms can cost the equivalent to three weeks wages. It’s also the fact that young kids are constantly growing and will eventually outgrow every uniform.This means a lot of the time families will send their boy to school and the girls unfortunately must stay home. This led Smith to pitch to her team the idea to create a school uniform that grows as the wearer grew, in efforts to keep these young girls in school. What a cool concept👏(Newschool.eu) Smith once said, "as a woman, you typically become a teacher or nurse,” so she opted for a career that had social impact but included fashion as she loved it. Definitely a gal I can relate to. 💃 (Newschool.edu) It took Smith a long time to get the idea up and running and get approval from the girls themselves. However, after a year of designing the garment and testing it they got the ‘‘OK, we prefer this; we'd like that” from the young schoolgirls. They also give the girls reusable menstruation pads and blackboard erasers made from all of the left-over fabric they produce from the making of these school uniforms. Such Recycling Queens♻️ “Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without”- New England Proverb In November 2019, the SHE Uniforms were granted patent pending status. Below is a summary of the impact SHE has made to the young girls and woman in West Africa. As of 2022 they have provided more than a thousand uniforms to girls in West Africa as well as employ 30 women. These two influential women have completely turned the fashion and tech world on their side. As a girly whirly who LOVES fashion and tech I'm very excited to see their names a lot more in the coming years. If this is the first time you've heard of them, it will not be the last. Keep an eye out😉♻️👩🔬 Ciao Besties 👋 Nia 💜 Reference list
Banks, E. (2019). How To Turn Your Creative Energy Into REAL Social Change. [ online] www.refinery29.com. Available at: https://www.refinery29.com/en-us /art-design-prompting-creative-social-change [Accessed 4 Mar. 2023]. Binder, E. (2010). Emily Binder: Voice Marketing. Consultant, Founder, Speaker. [online] emilybinder.com. Available at: https://emilybinder.com [Accessed 3 Mar. 2023]. Binder, E. (2020). The Voice of Money 2019 - Emily Binder Speaking Clip. [online] Vimeo. Available at: https://vimeo.com /383621142 [Accessed 2 Mar. 2023]. Binder, E. (n.d.). Voice Marketing with Emily Binder. [online] Spotify. Available at: https://open.spotify.com/show/1OIm6luTnCphaqIkDq7bkJ [Accessed 3 Mar. 2023]. Kapfunde, M. (n.d.). The 5 Women in Fashion Tech To Watch in 2020 and Beyond | FashNerd. [ online] Available at: https://fashnerd.com/2020 /01/the-5-women-in-fashion-tech-to-watch-in-2020-and-beyond/ [Accessed 13 Mar. 2023]. Kapfunde, M. (n.d.). The 5 Women in Fashion Tech To Watch in 2020 and Beyond | FashNerd. [online] FashionNerd. Available at: https://fashnerd.com/2020/01/the-5-women-in-fashion-tech-to-watch-in-2020-and-beyond/ [Accessed 4 Mar. 2023]. Smith, M. (2022). Flipgrid Live Event: Hear from designer Clara Smith. [online] www.youtube.com. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v =aJmSNvdppmY [Accessed 4 Mar. 2023]. Style Her Empowered. ( n.d.). Impact. [online] Available at: https://www.styleherempowered. org/impact [Accessed 3 Mar. 2023]. Style Her Empowered. ( n.d.). Meet the Team. [online] Available at: https://www.styleherempowered. org/meet-the-team [Accessed 3 Mar. 2023]. www.newschool.edu. (n.d .). Clarabeth Smith ’19 | Parsons Paris. [online] Available at: https://www.newschool.edu/parsons -paris/profile/clarabeth-19/ [Accessed 4 Mar. 2023]. So, girls, I am a former fashion student and what scared me the most was -trends-. They change too fast and having to predict the trends before you design your collection is probably the hardest part because you can’t practice this skill you just have to know, and even when you think you know, it will change again thanks to our bestie, social media 🤳🏻 Trend forecasters also make bank because you’ve to pay mad money for the tea on what the girlies will be wearing next season 👀 But I didn’t just come here to chat shit about trend forecasting I’m here to fill you in on an emerging tech obviiii 😘 So, we have Heuritech to thank for this STUN-ning development, according to a survey published by GWI in 2022, the Gyals use social media most for ideas for things to do and buy ( 27.7% of you haven’t got a single original thought Awh ) 26.3% use social media for shopping purposes (Mélanie Mollard, 2022). 23.1% of the stunning Girlos in this poll wanted to see content from their favourite companies. (Mélanie Mollard , 2022) But at the top of the pyramid… going three for three….Maddie! oh wait no I meant keeping in touch with the besties ❤️ That’s so adorable it’s almost as if that’s what social media was made for! These figures are particularly valuable for businesses because they indicate actual consumer involvement that extends beyond sales. On social media, consumers look to their favourite businesses for not just new items, but also inspiration, entertainment, and essential values. Instagram, in particular, is an important route for younger customers, with women aged 16-34 and men aged 16-24 citing the platform as their fave social channel. If consumers can gather so much info from their favourite companies on Instagram, there really is no reason brands shouldn't do the same with their followers. (Mélanie Mollard, 2022). Heuritech will learn more about their audience's region, age, hobbies, style, and more by using data from social media. Heuritech go a step further by extracting patterns and products from the information that’s gathered on Instagram. This data gives major edge to brand portfolio creation — thanks to the popularity of social media. After that, the consumer panels are improved, and the photographs are evaluated to identify trends, styles, and products. Heuritech does this through the use of their computer vision technologies developed by the two co-founders. Moreover, to maintain precision sharper than Taylor Swift’s cat eye, the technology is always being improved...it’s giving “that girl” energy 👑 Every colour, shape, and texture is analysed using the computer vision technology, over 3000 features may be extracted from any given image. Heuritech uses their forecasting toolkit, which is simply a big daddy algorithm that is a collection of 7 distinct forecasting algorithms, to translate the data into relevant insights. With 90% accuracy, Heuritech’s machine learning forecasting system can anticipate how trends will react up to an entire year. (Mélanie Mollard, 2022). Social media is a disruptive force for fashion manufacturers in terms of customer awareness. Instagram is growing steadily and is soon expected to cross 2 billion active users by 2023. (Swadhin Agrawal, 2022). The sheer amount of users worldwide is proof enough of the wealth of data contained inside these platforms, which offers new, uncensored information every day. Girls I’m actually in awe of this emerging tech, we have our whole lives on social media it only makes sense that though it can perfectly assume what we will want to wear next! 💋 Anyway, I found it fascinating, Right signing off xoxo -Becky x References:
Agrawal, S. (2022) Instagram statistics 2023: How many people use Instagram?, DigitalGYD. Available at: https://www.digitalgyd.com/instagram-statistics/#instagram-demographics Mollard, M. (2022) Trend forecasting based on social media: How do we do it?, Heuritech. Available at: https://www.heuritech.com/articles/social-media-based-trend-forecasting/ Who wants today's TEA!! on Virtual girl groups? Okay good I have got you covered. Sit back and give this a read. Virtual girl groups and their fashion have been an emerging trend in the entertainment industry, especially in the music and fashion sectors. Virtual girl groups have been a growing phenomenon in Asia, especially in Japan and South Korea, where they are known as "virtual idols." These virtual girl groups are composed of animated characters with distinct personalities, backstories, and their very own fashion styles. One of the technologies that have been driving the virtual girl group trend is motion capture. This technology involves using cameras to record the movements of human performers and transferring them to digital models. This allows the virtual girl group characters to dance and perform like real-life performers, giving them a sense of realism and making them more relatable to fans. Similar to the JUST DANCE game but elevated!!💃(CHO, S. (2022) Another technology that has been instrumental in the development of virtual girl groups is artificial intelligence (AI). AI has enabled the creation of virtual girl group members with unique personalities, traits, and characteristics. This allows fans to interact with the virtual characters in more meaningful ways, creating a deeper sense of engagement and emotional attachment. 🤗 Fashion of course is a significant aspect of the virtual girl group phenomenon, as the characters' costumes and outfits play a crucial role in their identity and brand image. The use of virtual fashion technology has allowed designers to create and experiment with a wider range of styles and designs. Virtual fashion technology involves the use of 3D software to create virtual clothing designs that can be worn by the virtual girl group characters. One of the most popular virtual girl groups is K/DA, a South Korean girl group that was created in collaboration with the online video game League of Legends. K/DA is composed of four members, each with their own unique style and personality. The group's music videos feature the characters performing in elaborate and stylish outfits, which have become a significant part of their brand image. (Park, G. (2020) "The advantage of having virtual artists is that, while K-pop stars often struggle with physical limitations, or even mental distress because they are human beings, virtual artists can be free from these." (BBC News) The use of virtual fashion technology has allowed K/DA to experiment with a wide range of fashion styles and designs. For example, the group's debut music video featured the members in black and gold outfits inspired by the game's characters. The video's success led to the creation of a virtual fashion line, which featured K/DA-inspired clothing and accessories. Here is a screenshot from Etsy!! 😆 Virtual girl groups and their fashion have become an increasingly popular trend in the entertainment industry, with many companies and artists embracing the technology to create new and innovative experiences for fans. The use of motion capture, artificial intelligence, and virtual fashion technology has allowed virtual girl groups to create unique and engaging content that has captured the attention of audiences around the world. 🌎 In conclusion, virtual girl groups and their fashion are an emerging trend in the entertainment industry, driven using innovative technologies such as motion capture, artificial intelligence, and virtual fashion technology. These technologies have allowed designers and artists to create virtual characters with unique personalities, traits, and fashion styles, which have become a significant part of their brand image. As technology continues to evolve, it is likely that we will see more virtual girl groups and fashion lines emerge, creating new and exciting experiences for fans around the world. As virtual girl groups continue to gain popularity, it is likely that we will see more advances in virtual fashion technology, leading to new and innovative ways for designers to create virtual fashion for these digital stars. AND THAT my friends is the tea...☕️ All we need now is to have K/DA in the 3Arena or at Electric Picnic!! Should we create a petition? 😉 Love from your bestie, NiaGall💜 Reference list
Andrea Sim (2021). The Very Real Stardom of Virtual Idols K/DA. [online] ELLE SINGAPORE. Available at: https://elle.com.sg/2021/01/07/very-real-stardom-virtual-idols-k-da/ [Accessed 26 Feb. 2023]. Cho, S. (2022). Kakao Entertaiment To Launch Virtual Girl Group Survival Program. [online] Soompi. Available at: https://www.soompi.com/article/1541427wpp/kakao-entertaiment-to-launch-virtual-girl-group-survival-program [Accessed 27 Feb. 2023]. Etsy. (n.d.). Kda. [online] Available at: https://www.etsy.com/market/kda [Accessed 27 Feb. 2023]. K-pop: The rise of the virtual girl bands. (2022). BBC News. [online] 12 Dec. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-63827838 [Accessed 27 Feb. 2023]. Park, G. (2020). ‘League of Legends’ K-pop group K/DA is about setting, not chasing, the trend. Washington Post. [online] 6 Nov. Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2020/11/06/kda-league-legends/ [Accessed 27 Feb. 2023]. Wang, Y.Q. (2022). A Brief Analysis of the Development of Chinese Virtual Idol Industry Empowered by 5G+Motion Capture Technology——Taking the Virtual Idol Group A-SOUL as an Example. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 2278(1), p.012011. doi:https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/2278/1/012011. Growing up, we were raised on fashion magazines, headlines, store mannequins, and old movies like Clueless, Legally Blonde, Mean Girls and Princess Diaries 🥂 Usually how this goes is that the lesser desired girl gets a make-over based on magazines or the popular girl’s aesthetic 🙄 This was the foundation of how we consumed fashion. However, with the internet and technology began to evolve, this has also shifted how the fashion industry is perceived. Don’t act like you don’t enjoy having 24/7 access to online shopping. The fashion industry is now projected to rack up to $3.3 trillion by 2030 (Kochar, 2022). I don’t even know how many zeros that has! 😭 We have been trained into having constant access to trends, online shopping, and next day shipping options. What more would I ask for? But guess what besties, this is only the beginning 😜 Many brands and companies are trying to adapt to the ever-developing technology and juggling to keep up to date with the younger generation that cycles through trends as fast as Nicki Minaj verses. These technologies are across the entire process. From manufacturing, production, marketing, and blockchains (Kochar, 2022). Brands are trying to reimagine the real life world blended into the digital environment. Which I am totally here for! Fashion technology is moving online, getting smart, getting faster, driven by artificial intelligence, and getting personal (Williams, 2018). Wait… Should I be scared? Someone get me my margarita please! 🫣 We all know what technologies because we are all smart women here, although do we actually know what brands are doing? Vue Smart Glasses. These smart glasses is revolutionising the eyewear space. How fun is it making such a boring everyday item into something exciting! These stylish eyeglasses is packed with technology. The frames have streaming wireless audio through speakers, it can track your steps, track your calories, and send notifications! (Kapfunde, 2019) It’s so technically fun and stylish too 😎 Emel + Aris Smart Coat. In 2015, we had the second coming upon us! The luxury brand of Emel and Aris founded by Rana Nakhal released the tailored unisex coats that were technologically smart. Now, you are probably wondering how in the world can a coat be smart? They developed a revolutionary hearting technology built into the coat. The coat uses inert polymer instead of wires and far infrared heat energy (FIR) that is aborbed by the wearer to heat muscles and increase blood flow. This is also known as FIR therapy (Kapfunde, 2019). So not only are you looking fabulous, you are being mindful and boosting pain relief and immune system! The cold winter mornings and evenings in Ireland doesn’t sound so bad anymore ⛈️ Smart Nadi Leggings.
Talking about mindfulness, what’s more hot girl summer than yoga! Yoga has been becoming more and more popular thanks to lockdowns provided by Miss Rona. Nadi was created by Wearable Experiments! This yoga pants is far more techy compared to Gymshark or Lulu Lemons. Not only are they as cute, these yoga leggings are your new yoga instructor! Using technology, the leggings will communicate and help correct your form and yoga poses (Kapfunde, 2019). It has ana accessible user interface. This human and computer interaction has never been this para-social but it is so cute so we will allow it ❤️ These are some of the trendiest and fun technological advancements made in technology I have seen! Now book your yoga classes with your protein smoothies. Wear your self-heating coat after! And don’t forget your glasses! Until next time, Michelle xoxo. References: Kapfunde, M. (2019) Top 10 Brands Translating Fashion and Technology into Must Have Buys, FashNerd. Available at: https://fashnerd.com/2017/01/brands-merging-fashion-and-technology/ Kochar, S. (2022) Top 9 technology trends reshaping the Fashion Industry, Techpacker Blog. Techpacker Blog. Available at: https://techpacker.com/blog/design/top-9-fashion-technology-trends/ Williams, J. (2018) How smart technology is disrupting the fashion industry, StartUs Magazine. Available at: https://magazine.startus.cc/how-smart-technology-is-disrupting-the-fashion-industry/ Girls, guess what I just found out? The Gucci sunglasses I thrifted are 100% real! No, I don’t have any documentation, I don’t need it with entrupy! What do you mean you’ve never heard of entrupy?? Once again, I’m on these trends before you losers…... So basically, Entrupy uses artificial intelligence (our fave) to provide easy peasy lemon squeezy experiences centred on authenticity and traceability. Look we’ve all been there before, we’re not willing to re-mortgage the gaf for a louis bag…. (As if anyone in our gen is ever getting approved for a mortgage but that’s a discussion for a different day) but imagine you did only to be scammed! Every boujee bad girls’ nightmare! According to the guardian “As many as 10% of all branded goods sold may be counterfeit” whether the consumer is aware of that or not” Luxury goods sales have skyrocketed in recent years, but knockoffs have expanded even faster: one study claims that fakes have multiplied like rabbits by 10,000% in the last twenty years. Within one French customs inspection, enough phony Louis Vuitton material was seized to span 54 tennis courts. A raid on a seller on the Chinese online shopping site Taobao resulted in the confiscation of 18,500 counterfeit bags, jackets, and shoes. An investigation in Madrid seized 85,000 pirated products headed for the Black Friday and Christmas markets. (Alice Sherwood, 2022). Ocean’s 8 could never. But back to the tech aspect which we love ❤️ Even though there have been a multitude of technologies such as holograms and customised barcodes, taggants and PUFs, their hashtag influence on the counterfeit market has been shocking bcuz of clonability, budget, or implementation difficulties. Entrupy is slaying with their new technique for differentiating authentic and imitation renditions of the same merchandise by using machine learning algorithms on nanoscale scans of the real stuff (Dont worry i dont fully undertsand it either lol) The entrupy system's core premise is based on the assumption that microscopic features in a genuine product or a class of items reveal intrinsic commonalities that may be utilised to differentiate real products from their counterfeit counterparts. (Ashlesh Sharma, Vidyuth Srinivasan, Vishal Kanchan, Lakshminarayanan Subramanian, 2017). Nothing a bit of facetune can’t hide. A crucial part of the entire system is an expansive microscopy device that can be used with a mobile device to obtain a microscopic image of a vast region of a tangible item. Based on the captured microscopic images, we demonstrate that using machine learning algorithms, you can then generate a highly accurate analysis for distinguishing genuine from counterfeit versions of a product; this property also applies to mega knock offs found in the industry that are not easily distinguishable by the naked eye. The precision of the authentication is more than 98%, and entrupy works using a cell phone to check the authenticity of ordinary goods. (Ashlesh Sharma, Vidyuth Srinivasan, Vishal Kanchan, Lakshminarayanan Subramanian, 2017) So even though we have the tech now to not get scammed remember there's no shame in wearing a dupeee that's not the message we’re trying to convey here Lots of love see ya next Wednesday x Becky References
https://www.entrupy.com/ (Ashlesh Sharma, Vidyuth Srinivasan, Vishal Kanchan, Lakshminarayanan Subramanian, 2017) https://www.kdd.org/kdd2017/papers/view/the-fake-vs-real-goods-problem-microscopy-and-machine-learning-to-the-rescu (Alice Sherwood, 2022) https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2022/may/10/spot-the-difference-the-invincible-business-of-counterfeit-goods So, we are no strangers to internet images, videos, gifs, and audios that can be viral memes, tweets, or posts. We all know how quick the girlies move online, literally quicker than the FBI to find your new boyfriends ex hubbies 👀 However now with the help of crypto bros taking over, NFTs are now the hottest new thing on the block. Although we are disappointed it’s not Jenny on the Block, but let’s get into it 🥂 NFTs are unique, one of a kind digital token that has an individual ownership that is supported and tracked by blockchains. This means that NFT authentic ownership is backed by a digital public ledger and can be traded safely online. NFTs can exist as images, videos but now evolved into physical goods like artwork and real estate (Baukh, 2022). NFTs first jumped to popularity within recent years especially on websites like Reddit and Twitter. Even though websites like that aren’t girly pop, you will be pleased to know that NFTs have streamlined into the fashion community! 😜 Fashion NFTs can be virtual clothing that we can wear digitally, interact within digital contents, or have digital twins of physical products. The first ever fashion NFT was the Fabricant’s iridescent dress that sold for $9,500 in May 2019 (Baukh, 2022). THANKS to Miss Corona, many of the normal facilities of the fashion industry adapted to the online space. The pandemic revolutionised how we interact with fashion in a digital world. Also, Mr. Zuck is rapidly expanding the metaverse (even quicker than I change my boys). NFTs allow for a more interactive method of cultivating fashion culture and relationship with brands. As if I can’t enjoy shopping anymore. NFTs are capitalising on the new wave of tech-savvy consumers like Gen-Z. Catering to fashion shopping and digital content, what more could young people want? 🤭 This is used across from luxury to small businesses. From creating hype to help online shopping through Nifty Gateway, it’s worth spilling your pink gin over! (Baukh, 2022) Consumers and fans can now wear virtual brand clothing that they can buy on different platforms which is a deep dive into the Metaverse! Block chained worlds like Decentraland. The metaverse marketplace is so new and wide, fashion brands are solidifying their share such as everyone’s favourites like Nike, Gucci, LV, Ralph Lauren etc (Baukh, 2022). Fans can show off their fashion brand clothing through fan generated virtual spaces, like in Fortnite. But in the real-life world, brands are developing NFTs physically. Such as Tiffany's Cryptopunk pendants to Nike-owned RTFKT's "Cryptokicks" (Baukh, 2022) which is so fetch it will give you fanny flutters! This is pivoted by the creation of digital twins which can be produced at any given point in the manufacturing or sales cycle. This only fed my rich girl boss mindset! We can have it whenever! But we need to be smart girl bosses here, and not just the delusional manic pixie dream girls. There are a few issues with NFTs, like property rights. What rights do we have? (Because let’s be for real, us ladies could do with a few more unfortunately). Women in stem should document and safeguard any digital assets to prevent unauthorised usages and reserve all royalties (Baukh, 2022). Listen to Miss RiRi when she says B**** Better Have my Money! Instead of ending my first blog post on a sad note, I will end with my favourite fashion NFT which happens to be the first ever one to exist within the luxury brands. Gucci’s NFT Aria collection at Christie's in June for $25,000 where all proceeds were donated to UNICEF USA. It was a rather cute short film to commemorate their collab with Balenciaga (Baukh, 2022). See you soon besties,
Michelle 💋 Reference List: Baukh, O. (2022) What is fashion NFT and how brands are capitalizing on it? Techpacker Blog. Techpacker Blog. Available at: https://techpacker.com/blog/design/how-fashion-brands-are-taking-advantage-of-nfts/#:~:text=in%20this%20industry.-,What%20is%20an%20NFT%20in%20fashion%3F,a%20decentralized%2C%20digital%20public%20ledger |