Tribute Brand
Tribute brand was born out of the digital era that we live in today. They bring together fashion and technology entirely virtually, by enabling their customers to purchase digital clothing that eliminates waste, sizing restrictions and gender stereotypes. Tribute brand works by the customer initially choosing a piece from their online collection. Then through a technological process, Tribute are able to manipulate sent images from the customer in order to virtually dress them in their chosen piece. This concept is acknowledged as ‘cyber fashion’, something that you can expect to see more of in the future as the world is becoming increasingly digital. Read on to hear more from the creators of Tribute brand.
The concept of wearing and buying virtual fashion is new for many people but what influenced you to start your own cyber fashion brand?
It’s a concept we started working on already in 2017. Even though it was not finalised, we decided to put it online. COVID-19 was our initiator, and at once became an indicator of exactly how much people were ready for and open to embracing this kind of idea – entirely devoid of physical production. We realised it was the right time, with isolation and all, to offer them another product – only this time contactless and cyber. We wanted people to understand the main values, that there was no waste, no shipping hassle, no gender or size restrictions. Fashion got another chance becoming available in the virtual space only.
Who is your main customer base?
Our main customer base consists of people who are trendsetters, up to date with tech and who have an affinity for uncovering new trends and trying out different experiences. They want to build new dimensions within the community and are proponents of technological progress. The most amazing part so far have been the orders we’ve received for various projects people want to incorporate cyber clothing into. So you can see how growth possibilities are incessant. Cyber clothing is a perfect way to create great content, and the reactions we’ve witnessed our customers getting on their styles are only a confirmation of that.
The clothes themselves look visually futuristic - can you talk us through the design process in terms of the clothing’s style and aesthetic?
The process itself doesn’t differ much from the ‘classical’ process of creating a physical clothing item. In this case there is no manufacture, but all the pieces are developed from our preexisting cuts. Everything you see was designed and developed from our real-life patterns. The biggest advantage is definitely the freedom that we’ve gained from being able to change those cuts into silhouettes which physically wouldn’t be able to function. Also the types of materials would have made the physical clothes unwearable. It’s all about creating a new experience. The final aesthetics of our virtual-research-end-product is difficult to name at this precise moment, but let’s just say that we are really enjoying creating things that are unsustainable in the real world.
Your Instagram @tribute_brand shows examples of people actually wearing the clothes and each image looks very realistic - what software and design techniques do you use to create such realistic fits on people?
Since this isn’t a fully researched area yet, we had to improvise. We’ve personalised our process, and have subsequently developed our own software. However we are also using the well-known softwares for digital fashion such as CLO3D. We pull everything through the software and the customers then receive CGI images of themselves wearing the desired cyber garment. Naturally, we can combine pieces and create new outfits.
Where do you think your brand fits within the fashion industry when comparing it to other brands that sell physical clothing?
Even though the sole context of physical and virtual is purely contradictory, in this sense they are actually one and the same. We should take note of all the benefits the virtual space offers. Fashion is, after all, only expression, and this doesn’t mean that it necessarily needs to assume physical form – or always take on the same function. We believe that we’re at an advantage here, because we perceive cyber fashion as the only logical, evolutionary step towards a sustainable fashion system. ‘Cyber clothing’ is only a term used in the early stages, so the users can get a better understanding of what we offer. Yet we are not creating clothes here, rather it’s the matter of cyber fashion. The primary role of clothing is physical protection, but fashion was never a physical thing, it just manifested itself through various mediums. Thus, our new medium is an evolved one, zero waste and sustainable.
Do you believe cyber fashion is something that will become more recognised over the next few years?
We actually believe that, given the speed at which technology is developing, cyber fashion might become mainstream soon. Virtual space – it’s our main resource for creating new content really, as well as for creating new knowledge. Fashion has been unoriginal for a while now and this is the new mode of creating. It’s an evolutionary process, and in our opinion it’s only a matter of time. More and more brands are turning to the digital sphere by creating digital showrooms etc. Taking all the possibilities of digital creation aside, this is the only completely sustainable approach to fashion. The times we live in have only accelerated the much needed change within the fashion industry, and this is our chance to switch it around.
How do you see Tribute Brand evolving in terms of its concept and style?
At the moment, this is quite hard to anticipate. However, in only a few months, TB has proven how ready people actually are to accept a new concept, and how satiated they have been with what they’ve known as fashion up to this point. It’s all unfolding really quickly, especially since it’s happening in the digital form. The style is subject to change, and is still in a way unexplored. The concept, on the other hand, is very simple – and technology can only improve it. We plan to update the products on our platform on a regular basis. Our long-term goal is to prompt the users to transfer their identity to the virtual area. We’d like to create a platform that would change their behaviour, manner of thought if you will. We aim to make fashion more accessible, and aspire to lead a change in modes of thought and, subsequently, behaviour. We’ll continue to develop the technology and hopefully together with our users, make an impact on how people see and consume fashion.
interview GABY MAWSON
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