As we say goodbye to 2023, we are highlighting three designers we think everyone should be watching in 2024. We love showcasing next-gen creatives and brands that focus on the intersection of fashion, technology, and sustainability, aligning with our ethos and mission of disrupting the industry by redefining fashion in the digital age. Take a look at our GLITCH’s one to watch: the December edition.
Metadripps combines 3D design, AR, and digital fashion to create a new vision for cyber fashion. By 2029, digital fashion is expected to have exponential growth and the brand is aiming to facilitate this change by providing designers and creatives a space to fulfill their vision. Specializing in blurring the line between virtual and reality, the brand has created AR filters for Alexander Wang, Vivienne Westwood, Maybelline, and more. Metadripps is also known for creating interactive experiences such as digital runways and helping brands create digital art collectibles. “New tech, especially blockchain, and AI, will help democratize fashion and enable more young creatives to make their own designs, make a living off of it, and inspire others to do the same,” Metadripps told GLITCH. “NOW, more than ever is the time people start embracing their true calling and start being obsessed with their craft. We need to stop ‘hoping’ and ‘believing’ what the future of fashion and art will look like and have to start CREATING the future we want and the future we need.”
slmtk is a digital streetwear brand existing within the physical and digital streets and intertwining the two. The brand’s mission is to “provoke thoughts about modern-day life, fashion, and culture while encouraging future forward thought.” slmtk creates garments for a new future that are cool, fresh, and unique. The GLITCH team particularly loves their Alpine Puffer Vest and Arby Utility Vest which are incredibly detail-oriented and well designed. The brand also created models using generative AI systems to wear the garments (none of them exist irl!). We are really excited to discover this brand, which is acting as a pioneer for cyber fashion and can’t wait to see how the slmtk continues to reimagine streetwear in the digital world.
Selay Yüksel is a 3D digital designer, who studied fashion design at Anadolu University in Turkey. After grasping the fundamentals of this program at school, she began to experiment and enhance her skills by watching YouTube. Yüksel can visualize designs instantly in numerous variations without using any fabric, swiftly transforming the ideas from her mind into virtual prototypes. Yüksel’s thesis at university, META NATURE, was an in-depth look into sustainable fashion asking “Is it possible to create both sustainable and natural yet creative designs?” Yüksel aimed to create a playful and enjoyable ready-to-wear collection. She merged this with 3D fashion design because creating prototypes in a virtual environment helps prevent material waste. Then, selected intriguing and sustainable materials from the market, such as spider silk or mushroom leather, and created them in a virtual space. Yüksel describes how “For some fabrics, I found visually similar alternatives and digitized them by using Vizoo’s xTex textile scanner device. Additionally, I incorporated some fun details into my designs, like sea glass buttons or accessories crafted from recycled glass bottles, modeled in 3D.” The META NATURE collection showcases that sustainability can be both fun and aesthetically pleasing through alternative materials and 3D fashion design. Post graduation, Yüksel is working on creating a virtual bag collection. “I’m actively seeking collaborations with brands and designers that prioritize both sustainability and creativity. The potential of 3D fashion in the industry is becoming increasingly apparent, encouraging many companies to invest in this direction. I believe that just as in many other industries where 3D design has become a primary tool of designing, 3D fashion design programs will similarly evolve as a primary designing tool in the fashion industry.”
Written by Amber Weir from GLITCH Magazine
