We are all well aware that fashion is the least-bit stagnant and forever shifting and evolving. Predicting the future of fashion isn’t as difficult as one may perceive, as the future is not as far ahead as you may think. “Future fashions” are referring to upcoming trends of 2018 and the year after that and maybe even 5 years from now, but as technology grows we are able to view prototypes years before they are released into the market. Social media and the internet as a whole, continues to be a magnetic force, connecting all of us to a hub of freely accessible information on technologic advances and the latest in fashion trends. Incase you’re wondering, the future of fashion isn’t only directed toward high-tech and newness… fashion revivals and borrowing from the past will always have a place in the fashion world. We’ve compiled this list of predicted fashion trends, based on research into the development of products and services said to be released in the near future and the effects they may have on our everyday lives and fashion choices.
- Digital Stylists
You may read this title and think that this is far out of reach, but there are already prototypes of these products being tested and if you own a smartphone, I’m sure you’re aware of voice activated technology that assists you with navigating through your apps and even answering all your bazaar questions with the help of the internet... your personal digital assistant. Digital stylists will be voice activated technology that can assist you with searching the latest trends, taking full-length photos of you wearing your favourite outfits and comparing them to the latest in fashion, as well as making alternative garment suggestions. Also, your photos will be stored into an outfit inventory, so that you are able to view what you wore and when you wore it, to eliminate the fear of wearing the same outfit too often.
2. Responsive High-tech Garments
Wearable technology has become one of the most popular trends at the moment. Products such as smart watches that connect to your smart phone or jewellery that is able to measure your heart rate and other fitness goals, have paved the way for various possibilities of wearable technology. Prototypes of responsive clothing garments which allow you to receive and make calls, get directions, track your fitness goals, heat up, cool down and interact and connect with friends without even being in the same vicinity. This is all made possible with the help of technologically functional and responsive fabrics.
These fabrics are able to light up and receive information and respond to commands with the right programming. Shoes that are able to lace up by themselves or change their graphics according to settings allocated by you. This will be a technological breakthrough.
3. Technological Advances in Sustainable Design
Sustainability has become as popular as fashion trends and almost a competition amongst high rollers in product and service technology. The human race’s concern for the Earth is predicted to grow in the near future, requiring designers to rethink their method of production and materials used, which will directly affect trends. Concepts such as, waterless dye, bio-degradable fabrics, systems which assist with repurposing old garments on a large scale, services that collect unwanted garments and replace them with new trends, in order to keep us up to date without having to discard various clothing items.
4. 3D Printing
Yes, we are well aware that this is a technology that already exists, however, the 3D printing of textiles, clothing items, accessories and shoes, is a market which is yet to be tapped into, but a couple of well-known brands are already well on their way to making this a possibility in the very near future. This concept may assist in speeding up various production processes and several other concepts, concerning sustainable design.
5. Robotics
We have all watched sci-fi movies that provoke the fear of a robotic invasion and smart technology taking over our way of life. Robotics is a constantly evolving industry and there are so many variants of this technology. The near future proposes fully robotic production lines for clothing items, which will require absolutely no human intervention. Secondly unmanned stores, which is already making it's appearance in China, is a concept which allows a small store to provide optimal customer service utilising robotics and smart technology to assist the customer with their entire purchasing process. Some may protest this idea, as it lacks social and human interaction, which is often much needed in department stores.
6. Augmented Reality and Online Shopping
Online shopping has been around for years, however it’s popularity has skyrocketed over the past couple of years, as consumers are beginning to trust the system and technology continues to iron out the kinks in the online purchasing processes. The convenience of online shopping is the quintessential ingredient to it’s success. Augmented reality on the other-hand is a fairly new technology, compared to online shopping, and is constantly being developed and improved. The future of online shopping sees the integration of augmented and virtual reality, allowing the shopper to experience the gratification of department store shopping from the comfort of their home. Viewing products in virtual life-sized imagery. The shopper will be able to “try on” the garments with the assistance of augmented reality, virtually dressing your silhouette. One of the biggest concerns of online shoppers is the fact that they are unable to view their product before purchasing which often results in the purchasing of incorrect sizes or misleading imagery on online stores. With the help of augmented reality, shoppers will never experience these downfalls again and the experience will be as realistic as the real deal.
The future is as near as next year, next month, next week, tomorrow or even 10 minutes from now. We need to come to terms with the fact that technology is becoming a quintessential part of our everyday lives and will soon become a part of fashion, how we select trends, shop and the process of manufacturing these garments. We are excited about the future of fashion and what it has in store for us.
And so our ‘History of Fashion’ blog series comes to an end. If you’ve missed any of our blogs, you are able to read them on our website.
A fresh, new blog will be posted week!
Happy shopping xx