The digital age has turbocharged fashion trends, redefining how they are produced and consumed. Tech's impact is today hard-wired in the ecosystem, which once underwent a gradual evolution, The tech tailwind is facilitating the industry to come out with an array of styles, spoiling customers for options, and in turn, spurring growth and demand creation.
Intriguingly, currently, social media (SM) has virtually become the runway on the back of the digital highway, awash with influencers and crazy fashion fans paving the way for pivotal trendsetting with no sense of deja vu in real-time.
Aspirations are driving consumers nuts, and the instantdom syndrome is soaring on the popularity chart like never before based on transactional behavior. Fundamentally, fashion is skin deep, and technology play is yet to scratch the surface as we are still in the early days.
The real success lies in making tech-enabled fashion aspirational so to say digital darlings, replacing the next hot item spurring this rapid cycle and throwing traditional fashion seasons into disarray, demanding brands to be agile in design and production only to fall back on technology footprints.
At this juncture, is it any surprise that sustainability has entered the scene in a major way? Is there any doubt that tech will remain behind the curve and not sweep the fashion coasts?
The ever-changing trend cycle is meant to fuel mindless consumerism as a fad becomes a fashion to fuel aspirations, driving consumers of the day crazy. There is a fierce debate today about whether there is merit to the argument that to counter this demand frenzy, progressive brands are championing "slow fashion"—in other words, timeless designs and high-quality craftsmanship over mass production.
Changing reality
There is a case today that, technology is fundamentally transforming how we connect with clothing, refreshing the way we were habituated to produce, and it's no longer an optix but is mechanics, certainly more than mere fabric and buttons. It's about shared experiences, pooled resources, and seamless integration in the digitalized global village.
The debate is settled now that the future lies in achieving a balance between innovation and sustainability aimed at ensuring that both fashion and culture stay relevant as platforms for artistic expression and cultural exchange in the digital age.
