Introduction
In real life, you go to a department store to buy clothes. However, it’s branded or locally stitched. Depending on your preference, you have many options in the store rack, buying one or more of them. But now people are talking about virtual reality, and many brands are involved in virtual reality and producing unique collections. “You can only wear these online!”
“The Fashion That is Code, not Stitched “
- So how does this work?
- Is this just another gimmick?
- And why would anyone pay thousands of dollars for something like this?
Well, let me tell you: It’s not just another gimmick! Virtual reality technology has been making headlines lately because its potential for immersive experience is exciting to see applied elsewhere besides gaming. So if we’re talking about wearable technology here—It can be any VR headset like Google Daydream or Samsung Gear VR to Augmented Reality platforms like Hololens by Microsoft Hololens. These sorts of projects could be hugely lucrative ones down the road as people begin using them more frequently than ever before in their daily lives.”
It’s a dress you can only wear if you’re in virtual reality.
You can only wear this dress if you’re in virtual reality.
It’s a piece of clothing for your HTC Vive headset, and Japanese fashion designer Kei Ishikawa designed it. The VR-only dress has been called “the most cutting edge thing ever” by industry experts who have seen it in action—and now it’s available at high-end boutiques like Selfridges and Colette Paris (that’s where I bought mine). The price tag? Approx.$5,000 (£4,700).
The Verge explains why: “The main reason why this particular garment is so expensive? It doesn’t exist outside of virtual reality.” So there you go: If someone tries to steal your virtual reality dreams from you by wearing this dazzling garment elsewhere, they’ll look silly instead!
Studio XO created this experimental fashion piece
This experimental fashion piece was created by Studio XO, the “techno couture” company founded by Nancy Tilbury and Ben Cooper. The team has been working on virtual reality since its origins in 1994, when it released its first virtual reality item for Sony’s PlayStation VR headset. Since then, they’ve gone on to create clothing that can wear with HTC Vive VR headsets or Oculus Rift headsets, and now you can see all the fuss!
The dress features a textile pattern repeated over multiple images of Nancy Tilbury wearing different outfits. Each image is projected onto an app running on your phone or computer as though you were standing next to her in real life (except she’s wearing nothing). As she moves around inside these projected visuals, different parts of her body move accordingly, so you feel like your own movements are causing those same movements in hers, too—it’s almost like magic!
The team at Studio XO created the dress to be worn with the HTC Vive VR headset
If you have an HTC Vive headset, the dress is available for purchase in virtual reality.
The team at Studio XO created the dress to be worn with the HTC Vive VR headset. However, if you don’t have access to this type of technology or would rather not spend thousands of dollars on a new piece of equipment that may or may not be necessary (the HTC Vive costs $599), you’ll still be able to experience it through an app called dressvr.
Meant to communicate that it could make people feel unique or empower experience
“The dress is meant to communicate that it could make people feel special or empowered (or both) because it communicates that they are part of a special experience,” said Tilbury.
The concept of wearing the dress in virtual reality is not new: there have been several attempts at creating clothing that can wear in VR, but none have been as successful as this one.
The price tag is aimed at a market of wealthy collectors who will pay for something unique and cutting-edge.
The dress is also expensive because it’s new and cutting edge, which makes it stand out from all other dresses on the market. If you’re looking around online and seeing an image of this very same design but without the VR headset, chances are there isn’t much difference between the two versions—and if so, why would anyone pay more?
Fashion designers are beginning to experiment with digital clothing, but it’s unclear whether it will catch on
Virtual reality is the future of fashion, and many designers have begun experimenting with digital clothing. But it’s not yet clear whether this trend will catch on: most people can’t afford to buy $5,000 dresses that they’ll only be able to wear in virtual reality.
The dress was created by British artist Anouk Wipprecht, who spent two months digitally designing the dress and then 3D printing it out of plastic resin. The result is a one-of-a-kind piece that is only available to people who own a virtual reality headset—even if they’re willing to pay thousands of dollars for it (it retails for $6,500).
Conclusion
We think that this dress is an excellent example of how fashion designers can use virtual reality to make a statement. It’s also interesting to see how technology will change our lives in the future. The world is one step closer to having an immersive experience that can transport people anywhere without leaving their homes. Still, we have yet to see whether these changes will make us happier or more comfortable with life.
