Monday, April 25, 2022

Fashion In An Animated World

The fashion industry is becoming more prevalent in the world of animation through film and video games.

In today’s world, the fashion industry becomes interconnected with just about every commercial sector, which includes the digital industry. With developments in technology, especially CGI and other animated software, companies like Disney and online gaming brands such as The Sims are in hot pursuit of fashion illustrators and animators.

In the 1950s, animated films such as Cinderella had characters and their clothing sketched out by hand. Now, Disney animators use technology such as computer programs like Marvelous Designer to create characters’ garments. This innovative technology can produce details as intricate as seams or woven materials. While viewers may overlook some of these details, they are an integral part of making animated films come to life. Brittney Lee, an animator for Disney’s Frozen, told Vox, “Something that is meant to be a velvet shouldn’t be moving as if it was tulle or if it was cotton. We run a whole bunch of tests until we can get it moving in a way that is believable and that is also hopefully true to the fabric that we’re trying to represent.”

The innovation of fashion technology in animation has garnered numerous jobs between the sectors. Amelia Giller an illustrator and animator told Toon Boom, “There are more spaces than ever for those of us wanting to work in both animation and fashion. Companies and publications are beginning to want branded content with animation front and center!”

Giller also mentioned that the internet is to thank for the marriage of fashion and animation. Video games such as The Sims 4, Fortnite and League of Legends, have paved the way for virtual designers. Amateurs and professionals alike have been creating trendy items for the digital world. This digital merchandise has been often labeled as “skins” which have been used to customize the outward appearance of avatars.


Sites like The Sims Resource and LOL Skin Shop are major platforms for designers to upload their work and where game players can buy or download new items for free.

According to an article on PLM, there has been an increase in designer brands investing in digital fashion throughout the past few years. During the summer of 2019, Moschino partnered with Electronic Arts and produced a line of digital clothing for the Sims 4.

Other brands such as Louis Vuitton have partnered with League of Legends, allowing gamers to dress in luxury in the digital world as well as real life. The luxury brand released a collection of skins for avatars along with clothing and accessories for the gamers themselves.

With the rise of e-sports, virtual reality and animated films, the fashion industry is destined to continue to thrive both on and off the screen.

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