Gary James McQueen, ex-Head of MW Textiles at the House of McQueen and nephew of the late Alexander McQueen, is the latest artist & designer to tap into the world of digital-only fashion. Gary’s eponymous brand - Gary James McQueen - has partnered with DressX, the world’s leading E-commerce site solely for digital clothing.
Upon entering the ‘Guiding Light’ showroom, fashion lovers are invited to discover each of the 20 digital looks. Each runway item is also downloadable in augmented reality, so potential customers can view the garments in 360-degree within their own environment.
“I have been working in digital for the last 20 years so it felt like a natural progression, with the advancement of recent technology. My interest was amplified by the endless opportunities a digital fashion show can provide and especially when working with Unreal Engine [another partner in the project],” Gary tells INTERLACED. “The new luxury consumer is very tech savvy and that is an indication of a generation brought up with technology. I can only see the interest in this market growing as the technology evolves and luxury brands are investing in this space.”
Making fashion history in his own right, Gary has made the digital garments from the collection available for purchase straight off the runway through DressX. “The collaboration with DressX came about after we purchased a digital garment from their site and were impressed with the speed and quality of their digital dressing. We wanted to tap in to their audience who were already well versed in digital dressing and the collaboration allowed me to sell my collection in a scalable way straight off of my digital runway,” says the designer.
This allows for inclusivity in fashion, in a way that has never been seen before. Customers can now choose digital items from the ‘Guiding Light’ collection, uploading pre-existing photos of themselves to DressX and have the image sent back to them, after purchase, wearing Gary James McQueen’s latest design of their choice.
And, as you may have guessed, digital fashion (yes, even luxury items) is much more accessible to the public than physical high end clothing. Items from the collection range from $32 to $350. “By putting on a digital only fashion show I am hoping to educate the traditional fashion industry by showcasing new tools which allow for a more sustainable and productive work flow, which can be implemented into various stages of the design process. I also want to encourage inclusivity in fashion as digital collections are more accessible, affordable and offer solutions to a more diverse audience,” explains Gary.
An outfit from the Guiding Light collection, Before and after
While the collection is purely digital at this point, the pieces will be made into physical garments on demand, in an effort to reshape the manufacturing process of fashion in a more sustainable way. “The feedback has surpassed my expectations and I have been overwhelmed by the positive reactions to my show. The audience was surprised to learn that my Guiding Light collection is entirely digital and that the fabrics and garments do not actually exist! There has been an overwhelming demand for me to create the physical pieces too,” the designer tells us.
The ‘Guiding Light’ fashion show is in aid of Mind, the leading mental health charity in England & Wales. Shining light on their essential services and raising funds for the charity which has been impacted by the pandemic and in honor of Gary’s uncle, the late Alexander McQueen.
To learn more about Gary James McQueen, read our previous interview with the designer.
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