Tech studio Beyond, which specialises in virtual fashion [experiences], has launched phygital fashion items – three hoodies with physical and digital elements.
“Working with fashion and luxury brands has inspired us to design and produce our first capsule collection,” wrote Beyond.Studio founder and creative director David Robustelli on Linkedin.
There are three sweatshirts in the capsule collection. The clothing was entirely developed and altered digitally by the company. The company has been able to fully optimise designs without wasting time by utilising immersive technologies, customised 3D avatars, and fashion design software. Typically, designed garments are sampled, or actually produced, so that fashion brands can review, refine, and adjust the designs they have created as needed. To see how the sample clothes sit, fall, and fit, they are literally put on.
Beyond.Studio emphasised in a press release, “We could look at and improve the fit and fabric without the need for a physical garment.”
The actual sweatshirts will have a QR code and NFC [Near Field Communication] chip that will provide a virtual experience. When the chip is turned on, it will connect to Snapchat Lens and add augmented reality (AR) components to the real hoodie. A limited edition of the Tech Hoodie’s first physical iteration has already been made available.
Robustelli stated, “One hundred jumpers for press, influencers and fashion tech enthusiasts.” According to the founder, sales of the following two jumpers will begin in the second quarter of 2024. The cost is still undetermined.
The hoodie’s virtual form has been customised by Snapchat to function as a virtual try-on (VTO) in real time and as digital marketing collateral. There are campaign photos floating around that show the virtual hooded jerseys in places all over the world, like London’s Tower Bridge and Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum.
