Virtual mode: the manufacturer, virtual fashion pioneer

Since 2018, Finnish entrepreneur Kerry Murphy, specializing in visual effects for advertising, and Dutch digital designer Amber Slooten have been exploring the endless possibilities of virtual fashion with the company they created, The Manufacturer. Entirely digital showroom and catalogs for Under Armour, spectacular advertising campaigns for Puma, or digital transition for Tommy Hilfiger… The Manufacturer stands out as the pioneering design studio in a booming field. In 2019, they created Iridescence, the first virtual dress, which will be sold at auction for $9,500, and since then their futuro-streetwear clothes have continued to seduce customers who are fans of 100% virtual creations. Number interviewed The Fabricator, on virtual fashion and its impact on contemporary fashion.

ISSUE: How did you come up with the idea of ​​launching a virtual fashion brand?

The Maker: Kerry has seen how technology increases creative freedom and reduces waste in the film industry. He saw the opportunity to do the same in fashion, one of the latest creative industries to embrace digitalization! As everyone knows, music, cinema, photography, etc. all have deeply established digital cultures. Kerry spent two years developing the concept for The Manufacturer before building the company into the world's first digital fashion house. From the beginning, The Manufacturer's philosophy has always been that digital-only fashion is a place of freedom, fantasy and self-expression. Our credo is to help brands and individuals explore this world and its limitless creative possibilities.

How many people work for the brand and what are their skills and jobs?

Today, we are a team of 25 Manufacturers, which is only growing as our projects diversify. We have virtual fashion designers, digital ecosystem designers, 3D artists, software technicians, specialists in visual effects, creative strategy, branding, communication, marketing and business development.

What is your ambition with this brand?

The Manufacturer is a fashion brand that lives at the intersection of fashion and technology, with a mission to show the world that clothes don't have to be physical to exist. The Manufacturer returns to the heart of what fashion was always meant to be – an exciting and playful arena for exploring and expressing our identities and individuality. Virtual fashion is a vast and untapped creative ground, where what was once physically impossible becomes possible. There are no limits to what we can be in the non-physical world. We describe ourselves as “fashionauts” not fashionistas, and we are committed to exploring the potential of this new space through our digital couture. While we, of course, need clothes to protect our bodies, we also need fashion to be a source of inspiration and allow us to explore and express our identity. When most of our social interactions happen through digital channels (especially right now), why would we need physical things to express ourselves? More than ever, screenwear is becoming the new streetwear.