For Generation Z, as “second lives” become more important, fashion will play a key role in creativity and self-expression in a parallel world.
Futuristic knitwear brand Nanknits is breaking the traditional rules of knitting by combining technology with true craftsmanship, transforming its work into digital format for the first time at Shanghai Fashion Week.
The AW22 collection “Future Era of Love” is inspired by science fiction settings, where artificial intelligence also has human feelings.
The brand calls the basic concept of NanKnits “knitwear”, which contains three meanings : First, technology. By adopting advanced knitting techniques, they have created a new type of knitwear, where the fabric is significantly different from traditional knitwear commonly found on the market.
The second meaning is vision: Nanknits hopes to change the common stereotype of knitted fabrics, by realising that these fabrics can have a huge variety of shapes.
Finally, the last meaning is spirit. The brand aims to create knitted garments in a futuristic context, “demonstrating the traditional technological innovation of knitting in a scientific form similar to 3D printing”, says Nan Hu, CD of NanKnits. Sustainability is a core value of the company and for this reason it invests a lot of energy and resources in reducing the environmental footprint of fashion.
Kornit Digital, a partner in this motion design, envisions the future of expansion towards an efficient system operating in the fashion ecosystem, across various supply chains. Metaverse technologies (3D, AR and VR) are key trends in the fashion industry. Kornit explores digital, social networking, e-commerce and gaming, which are sustainable and non-wasteful in terms of water and energy resources.
“Creating a metaverse environment avoids hoarding, and we hope to extend this to an extended virtual world that meets reality. That’s why we are working with NanKnits in CGI fashion,” says Ms Mani Chen, Managing Director of Kornit Digital Asia Pacific.
The value of the metaverse then lies in enhancing audience participation. In terms of creativity, brands will be spoiled. They will be able to create memorable and truly customer-centric virtual experiences. Moreover, it will also be a fully functional economy.
On-demand production, zero-waste manufacturing and new marketing methods will lead fashion brands to challenge traditional methods and move into a phy-gital world, where the real and the virtual meet !
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