Reflections on “Emerging technologies” by Nick Almond

The lecture I have chosen to reflect on was about emerging technologies in fashion delivered by Nick Almond. We live in a age of a “rapid technological change” that could not be imagined without the role of technology in contemporary life of a humankind. Fashion industry is one of the quickest to adapt by adopting all newest inventions that revolutionized our everyday choices. Nick Almond talked about a theory of utility, which was essential to identify before introducing something completely new to your target audience- the concept has to have a value for a user or a participant and it must be easy to comprehend to be approved by the public. Subsequently he analyzed some significant moments implemented by the industry, such as Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain and Augmented Reality. I found it extremely interesting to hear the idea behind Blockchain technology being modified to track the supply chain of clothes. As many of my generation individuals do, I feel the need for clarity which would help to promote sustainability, especially in a second-hand fashion trade, which is usually full of disinformation or lacks details about authenticity and origins of the clothing. In addition to this technology would bring some transparency in designing collaborative projects what is crucially important for me and my peers as we grew up in the era of an interactive industry. For this reason N. Almond introduced us to Artificial Intelligence, what I found to be a powerful tool to use in the future. “Generative Design” ruled by AI would quicken designing process affecting production.  Since this technology guides itself through various patterns it can “predict what consumers like before the know they like it” (Almond, 2020). For me, as a Public Relations student this can be a valuable service as I have to be up to date with upcoming trends and tendencies. X Reality is one of those trends. Combining it with fashion shows is popularised by the new wave of designers and allows to create multiple new realities where the whole environment, models and clothing pieces could be distorted unrecognisably. As a future industry professional I am mesmerised by a new customer experience it could create- from digital influencers to an in-store immersive experience. Collaborating with influencers is an inseparable part of a fashion industry and it would be exciting to try to work with a digital influencer. However, allowing such technologies manipulate our reality create much room for discussions and controversies whether it is professionally ethical to work with a non-existent human over a real one with a diverse background and history. Also, I believe that we should not let technology to control the industry and our life so much, as it blurs boundaries between a real and a digital world, leaving people questioning what is real and what is not. We are on the barrier of a revolution in fashion, and I am sure my generation will be the ones to shift it into a brighter one.