Fashion Designer Starostyuk Igor talks sustainability & NFTs
Meet IGOR aka Future Deconstruction: the digital fashion designer merging tech and fashion to create eco-friendly designs. He envisions a future with NFTs and hopes to contribute to the evolution of digital fashion.
What do you hope to achieve with your digital fashion designs, and who do you see as your audience?
I have been interested in technology and fashion since early childhood. During university, I spent 90% of time studying graphic design. A few years later, I learned about digital fashion and began to explore this area.
I'm concentrating on creating affordable digital clothing now. How digital designers can generate a digital item, and then mix it with real objects. This gives me the opportunity to work with real people and with digital influencers too.
Do you envision your digital fashion art becoming wearable in augmented reality and the metaverse, and how do you think this will impact the future of fashion?
Of course, I think my digital items should be able to fit for people and avatars. There are different virtual fitting rooms for digital outfits today like DressX or ZERO10. But at this moment I'm not focusing on AR. I’m currently working on digital avatar apparel for metaverses like our project “DOM WORLD”. But digital form is only one way. We would like to create some of these items in a phygital format. It would be a great new experience in production and usability.
How do you see the intersection of technology and art evolving in the future, especially with regards to NFTs and digital fashion?
We will be able to see a big increase in the popularity of digital fashion when AR becomes more familiar for all people. I don't want to use my smartphone every time I want to see digital clothes on someone. Glasses would be a more convenient tool. You choose your outfit in the app and after this put on glasses. This will allow people in the same AR cloud to see their virtual outfits at any time.
As these technologies become more accessible, we may see a democratization of the creative process, allowing more people to explore their artistic potential. This opens up new possibilities for creativity, sustainability, and inclusivity.
Can you share a memorable experience or achievement in your NFT and digital fashion journey, and what you learned from it?
I've been working with various brands, gamedev companies and startups all these two years that I've been creating digital clothing. And after that I joined the DOM WORLD team. This is one of the important achievements over the years, thanks to which I got the opportunity to gain experience from other people.
This is a professional international team with their own concept which is based on the idea of hosting architecture and community spaces around the world, which are designed to promote collaboration, creativity, and sustainable development. These spaces are seamlessly integrated with digital channels to create a Phygital experience that allows people to work, learn, and socialize in a way that is both convenient and sustainable.
How do you incorporate your personal values and beliefs into your digital fashion vision and the NFTs you create, and what inspires your creative process?
I think that the possibilities for inspiration are endless, and digital clothing designers can find inspiration in a variety of sources to create unique and exciting designs. But I am inspired by the development of technology and my personal experience. This always helps me to create innovative designs that incorporate new materials, fabrics, and functionalities which reflect my own unique experiences and perspectives.
How do you see the NFT market evolving, and how do you think it will impact the traditional fashion industry?
NFTs allow designers to create unique digital garments and accessories that can be bought, sold, and traded like physical items. This opens up new opportunities for creativity and revenue streams, particularly in a post-pandemic world where virtual events and experiences have become more prevalent.
Global fashion brands are actively exploring the virtual space. We see how brands integrate their clothes into computer games, metaverses and create their own virtual fitting rooms. All this gives them more opportunities to interact with the audience. The global pandemic has greatly contributed to the development of online commerce, and the emergence of NFT and digital clothing has only intensified this effect. We will see more digital representative offices and showrooms, work with artificial intelligence, new projects with virtual influencers and partnerships with virtual brands.
However, it's important to note that the NFT market is not a panacea for the fashion industry's sustainability challenges. While virtual fashion may be more eco-friendly than physical garments, it still requires energy and resources to create and distribute. Furthermore, the hype and speculation around NFTs may not be sustainable in the long run, and we may see a shift in the market as the novelty wears off.
What sets your NFTs and digital fashion art apart, and what message do you hope to convey through your work?
I feel my digital clothing art as a form of self-expression. These designs can allow me to express myself in ways that may not be possible with physical clothing. Think about how you can create pieces that allow people to showcase their personality, culture, or values.This is my way of reflecting the world around me.
I think that digital clothing can offer an escape from reality and a chance to indulge in fantasy. Your designs can transport people to other worlds or allow them to leave out their wildest dreams. Consider creating pieces that are inspired by science fiction, anime, fantasy, or other imaginative genres.
What message do you want to convey to the digital fashion community, and how do you hope to inspire others in this field?
The digital fashion industry is very young now. Each of us can make an impact and bring our vision to this digital world.
The use of digital technologies, such as virtual and augmented reality, 3D printing, and blockchain, is revolutionizing the fashion industry and opening up new possibilities for creativity and sustainability. I believe that the whole digital fashion community has the potential to inspire others in the fashion industry to embrace innovation and sustainability. By collaborating and sharing ideas, designers, technologists, and entrepreneurs can create a more vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable fashion ecosystem that benefits everyone.
What is your biggest dream for the future of digital fashion and NFTs, and how do you see yourself contributing to this vision?
One of the biggest advantages of digital fashion is its sustainability. With the rise of fast fashion and its negative impact on the environment, digital fashion offers a more eco-friendly alternative. By creating virtual garments and accessories that can be worn in the digital realm, designers can reduce waste, production costs, and carbon footprint.
NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, have the potential to revolutionize the way we think about ownership and authenticity in the digital world. By creating unique digital assets that can be bought, sold, and traded like physical items, NFTs have opened up new possibilities for creators and collectors alike.
My hope for the future of digital fashion and NFTs is that they will continue to evolve and expand, creating new opportunities for innovation and creativity. I see myself contributing to this vision by providing information and insights on these topics, helping people understand the potential and possibilities of these emerging technologies.
