Winner of audience award of the Fashion Makes Sense Award 2019, with a collection of virtual clothes, the young designer Iris van Wees was invited to develop the campaign for FASHIONCLASH Festival 2020. In this interview, she opens up her creative process, shares her inspirations for the virtual clothes, and tells us more about the idea behind the campaign.
Article by Júlia Storch
Can you tell us more about your process and your ideas? How you started designing virtual clothes and what are your motivations?
During the last year of my design education, I didn’t feel comfortable anymore using all kinds of materials that ended up in one big pile of waste. The goal of my graduation year was to investigate whether it was possible to create a sustainable design process, that wasn’t limiting to my creative flow. I started the minor 3D Hypercraft, that introduced me to different 3D virtual designing programs. From that moment on, I was able to use my computer to design garments without wasting any physical materials, and I was fascinated by all the opportunities that this new digital world had to offer me. I made my first digital collection, with a combination of physical translations made out of waste PVC banners in collaboration with different festivals and events, FASHIONCLASH was one of them. After analyzing this collection and the way I was working, I missed the connection towards my digital designs. With all the current new technologies you can create the most beautiful and realistic animations or videos, but it wasn’t possible to interact with them. That’s why the main goal of my final graduation project, was to experiment with different ways of interaction. I ended up combining the techniques of Augmented Reality (AR), which made it possible to really set the digital designs alive!
Do you think the process of creating a virtual collection differs from a physical one?
It’s a totally different process, because it’s mainly done behind the computer! But there are also a lot of similarities. All the knowledge of pattern construction, material information and the creation of a concept is based on the ‘old school’ way of designing. The execution is different, because it’s digital, and you see the result right away on your digital 3D avatar. Because of this, there is more room to experiment since you can easily change the shape, colour or materials without using any of it physically.
What do you think are the positive aspects of designing a virtual outfit and what can be the limitations?
As I mentioned the positive aspects are the fact that I can be wildly creative, within a sustainable process. It really saved me as a designer. I almost decided that the fashion world was not the right place for me to be in, because of its negative impact on our planet. The limitation is the fact that it’s not that easy to interact with them, but I see that now as the most interesting challenge for my current projects. When I joined the Fashion Make Sense Award, I applied with my first collection that was interactive with the use of an AR application on mobile device. From now on, I’m working on taking this technique to the next level, with the belief that digital designs can be an extension to our physical life and body.
Some virtual clothes can be made of materials that couldn't be done in physical life, for example, a dress that it's made of water or smoke. When you are designing, what is the result you look for?
One of the main design elements of my concepts, is the fact to surprise people. This has been an element for quite some time now, and fits perfectly within the whole 3D design world. It’s always fun to see people’s reactions when they try out the AR application for the first time. Designing wise, I’m pushing the limits within the digital world. I love to play with super-digital colours like the RGB spectrum, I fell in love with neon green and creating unrealistic shapes, moving prints, ‘growing’ dresses. It is a challenge to keep a good balance between digital-fun, and something that is actually seen as a valuable product. I really believe that people can wear digital clothing in the near future, as for some people it’s still more something like a game.
For the Fashion Makes Sense Award 2019, you made a virtual collection with a selection of physical translations using waste-banners as a material. What was your inspiration for the campaign for the FASHIONCLASH Festival this year?
Together with the organization of FASHIONCLASH, we wanted to visualize alternative ways of designing. By making the campaign completely digital, we didn’t have to organise a physical photoshoot and no materials were wasted! This way I hope to stimulate and surprise people with the possibilities of 3D virtual fashion design, showing the value of these designs. It’s also reflecting to one of my other design elements, to get people out of their daily routines. Sometimes we just have to get out of our comfort zone. Triggering other people to rethink their way of living inspires me.
So, it's more like an art piece because it makes people question it. Do you believe virtual clothes can be an artwork?
In a way it could be an artwork, if you look at the overall context. But the final end-product isn’t, because the products have a clear purpose. To dress people digitally, creating a digital identity, be creative, but be conscious. The campaign shows a garment that is digitally created, and there is also a T-shirt there that links to the project I'm developing, which makes practical physical garments that will extend in the digital worlds.
How was the designing process for the campaign for the festival?
Making the design for the campaign of FASHIONCLASH was a fun and creative process, and I’m happy to see that more people take the 3D virtual fashion industry more seriously. The campaign shows a digital T-shirt that is referring to the project I’m currently working on, which makes it possible to physically interact with the digital designs.
What we can expect from your next works?
I’m currently working on a new exciting project, stimulated by the ‘Stimuleringsfonds Digitale Cultuur’. The project has one big focus point: how to create an interaction with digital garments. Hence, I’m analysing how people behave in their daily lives, and how digital clothing can be an addition to this. Wearing a big fancy dress with endless layers of ruffles, wouldn’t be practical when you are doing your groceries on your bicycle, but if this dress could be digital, it would be possible! These digital designs will be linked to a small collection of physical clothing pieces, that form the functional-base of a free, busy and creative person.
