3D Rendered Fashion Shows: Spooky or Groundbreaking?
By now, the effects of COVID-19 on the world have changed every industry as we know it. The fashion world was no exception to the impact of the Pandemic. During a time where in-person fashion shows were cancelled, Anifa Mvuemba found a way to make the impossible possible.
The Pink Label Congo Collection
Anifa Mvuemba, Founder of Hanifa
Congolese Designer, Anifa Mvuemba, is the mastermind behind Hanifa, a women’s clothing label. Hanifa’s feminine designs are inspired by the women that Mvuemba grew up admiring, with designs meant to illuminate the many different natural curves of a woman’s body.
Mvuemba was set to hold her first runway show at New York Fashion Week until the Pandemic hit and complicated things. In May of 2020, against all odds Mvuemba held her first fashion show digitally via Instagram Live. 6 different garments were displayed on what seemed to be ghost-like, invisible models. The 3D rendered models provided for a very striking show, displaying realistic movements of the way garments would look if they were to be worn by actual human models.
The Kinshasha Pleated Mini-Dress
Retrieved from: https://poshmark.com/listing/HANIFA-KINSHASA-BACKLESS-MINI-DRESS-5f77532329e698a0152dd375
Before the start of the show, Mvuemba brought awareness to the negative impact of mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Pink Label Congo Collection was a tribute to the Congolese women that Mvuemba admired growing up. Named after the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the opening look was the Kinshasa pleated mini-dress. In an interview with British Vogue, Mvuemba explains the meaning behind the three colors of the dress. Mirroring the flag of Congo, “The red represents the blood, suffering and oppression that the Congolese people have gone through,” “The blue is the peace and the yellow represents the hope and future of the Congo.”
A Striking Display
Mvuemba had been studying digital animation many months before the strike of COVID-19, making the Pandemic the perfect time to launch her fashion show. Anifa taught herself how to take her designs and precisely fit them onto the body of an avatar, making the 3d invisible models appear freakishly realistic.
One of the six Pink Label Congo Collection designs paraded by a 3D model
Retrieved from: https://www.indiatimes.com/technology/news/designer-holds-3d-fashion-show-without-models-due-to-covid-19-fear-515351.html
Over 10,000 viewers tuned in to the fashion show, expressing many different reactions to the invisible bodies strutting the runway. Some viewers voiced concerns about the permanence of the technology used in Hanifa’s fashion show. Mvuemba is among a very small group of designers that use predominantly black models, and the transition to 3D shows may take opportunities away from these models.
The choice to hold the show on Instagram Live was a very smart decision. Every viewer had a front row seat to the tantalizing display. Most reactions to the fashion show were praise to the designer for the uniqueness of the 3d models. Without the distraction of human models and a plain black backdrop, viewers of the Instagram Live fashion show were able to truly take in the fine details of the garments. With the garments hugging every curve of the invisible models, Mvuemba was able to show diversity in the natural movements of a woman’s body.
Is This the Future?
In-person fashion shows are more than likely to remain popular in the future, but 3D fashion shows offer viewers more intimate access to the clothing that is on display. For designers who want their audience to focus on the details of the garments they create, a 3D virtual fashion show with invisible models eliminates the distraction of the model, giving the viewer the ability to fully admire the designs up close.
Mvuemba gained a tremendous amount of exposure through broadcasting the fashion show on Instagram Live. Hosting a fashion show on Instagram Live gives people that wouldn’t normally be invited to such an exclusive event the chance to feel like a VIP. Since the launch of the Pink Label Congo Collection, Hanifa has received great feedback from viewers of the fashion show. Many people commented that Mvuemba should copyright the idea before it gets stolen by a bigger brand.
Based on the immense positive reaction to the fashion show, other brands will likely try and emulate the fashion show in things like video advertisements, or clothing previews when online shopping. Hanifa’s 3D rendered show is certainly eyecatching, and sets the pace for future virtual advertising.
References:
At This Designer’s Futuristic Fashion Show, Everyone Sits Front Row. (n.d.). British Vogue. https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/hanifa-anifa-mvuemba-digital-fashion-show
Hanifa. (n.d.). Hanifa. https://hanifa.co/
Penrose, N. (2020, May 26). Hanifa’s 3D Fashion Show Sets the Pace for the Future of the Runway. ELLE. https://www.elle.com/fashion/shopping/a32668939/hanifa-3d-pink-label-congo-fashion-show/
Segran, E. (2020, June 9). Hanifa’s virtual 3D fashion show is haunting, beautiful, and brilliantly executed. Fast Company. https://www.fastcompany.com/90513959/hanifas-virtual-3d-fashion-show-is-haunting-beautiful-and-brilliantly-executed
