Much of the fashion media’s attention – and certainly that of many digital strategy experts – has unquestionably been trained lately on the upcoming London Fashion Week (LFW), for which the dates of Thursday 18^th until Monday 22^nd are firmly penned in the calendar. 

However, a certain other major fashion-week event wrapped Stateside on 11^th September, providing a window for a vision potentially far transcending the spring-summer 2026 season. 

We are, of course, referring to Digital Fashion Week (DFW) NYC, which was centred on the sleek SHiFT Midtown venue. It was a night that showcased animated striding avatars, an XR backdrop designed by Pixel Canvas, and appearances of gamers from São Paulo and Seoul alongside in-person attendees. 

“Digital fashion is not a niche, it is a frontier reshaping culture and commerce alike” 

Those particular comments were made by Hybrid Media Universal’s Lional Chance, who elaborated: “The question is not whether it will redefine industries, but how quickly we are prepared to meet the opportunity.” 

Indications of how this “opportunity” could manifest were provided by workshops such as the one run by DIY AI-agent hub Club Miku, which showed small labels how branded virtual assistants could be created to streamline service or power interactive shopping journeys. 

Also present was Brilliantcrypto, which threw the covers off high-end digital jewellery designed, minted, and sold in physical as well as gaming worlds. The piece in question was an emerald pendant that existed on a blockchain and a player’s avatar, while also being anticipated to eventually grace a real-life neckline. 

DFW NYC provided ‘food for thought’ for digital strategy experts 

It may seem to some observers that as a discipline or field of creative endeavour, digital fashion has been continually “arriving”, while not necessarily having “arrived”. 

However, there was evidently plenty of excitement at DFW NYC about how the category is shaping up. Tapestry’s Brandon Keeney and CLO Virtual Fashion’s Marz Klimaszewska might have summed it up best, with their declaration that “digital assets are more than design. They are business enablers for marketing, ads, and campaigns.” 

Nonetheless, a note of caution was sounded by Yevgeniya “Yay” Yushkova, who stated – in a reminder of the importance of strategy and sustainable growth over great-looking numbers – that “the biggest pitfall for young brands is chasing revenue instead of profitability.” 

Looking ahead to festivities in the UK capital 

Come 18^th September, Digital Fashion Week will be back – this time at London’s Epic Games Innovation Lab and, as was the case with the NYC event, in the metaverse. 

It is this edition of DFW that will host the world’s first live multiplayer motion-capture runway show. Epic Games engineers are set to work alongside Pixel Canvas to transform multiple players into live avatars on a shared runway, via the magic of camera technology.

As for you, in your position as a decision-maker for a luxury, lifestyle, or fashion brand in the UK, it might be an opportune moment to reach out to Skywire London’s own digital strategy experts. We would be pleased to hear from you, and to explore together how our professionals in the UK capital could join forces with your personnel to empower your brand’s sustained growth.

Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash