New York Fashion Week, with the help of FTL Moda and Samsung, is transforming the runway into a digital experience for the first time.
On Feb. 14, both companies are debuting the First Ever All Digital Fashion presentation for NYFW at Samsung Gallery 837 in New York. The runway show will include first-ever virtual interaction with collections, futuristic mannequins showcasing designer pieces and Samsung Tablets with end-of-aisle product details. For the first time ever, guests will be able to use virtual reality to experience the NYFW collections of several apparel designers shot in both digital and 360 digital.
Dreaming of Italy is the guiding concept for the digital fashion show. Using a Samsung Gear VR headset powered by Occulus, viewers will be transported to the location of the Milan-based shoot via a 360-degree view. During the interactive virtual fashion show, VR shopping platform Obsess will enable viewers to browse each look from the collection and obtain design detail information. Featured brands and designers will include first NYFW modesty line Filumae’, Italian label Invicta, Israeli bridal luxury designer Lamour Ben Yosef, Indian label Premal Badiani and German couture designer Sonja Tafelmeier.
As consumer demands increase and technology sweeps the apparel landscape, NYFW and other industry celebrations are changing the way people access high-end fashion.
Luxury labels like Burberry and Tommy Hilfiger have expanded NYFW into personalized experiences, with instant fashion collections and beyond the runway events. With the expansion of VR devices, NYFW becomes an exclusive experience for everyone, not just the individuals present at the week’s various shows.
“The see-now, buy-now change in the fashion industry is leading brands to open up their fashion shows, and VR technology can truly democratize the runway,” Obsess CEO and founder Neha Singh said. “With VR, anyone can experience a fashion show as if they were sitting in the front row, and soon they will be able to purchase off the virtual runway too.”