Utrecht Lokaal: from Pattern to Polygon

The fashion industry has some explaining to do, according to the fashion designers at Studio PMS. At the end of every season, collections are sold off in stores and online at rock-bottom prices to make way for the next one. We seem oblivious to the far-reaching consequences of this frenzied overproduction and overconsumption. Puck Martens, Merle Kroezen and Suzanne Mulder of Studio PMS believe things need to change. They have turned to digitalisation as a way to tackle the overheated production and consumption of clothing. After all, if an outfit can be designed and presented entirely digitally, there is no longer any need for excess fabric—or even stores. And if garments are only produced once they have actually been ordered, the downward spiral could be broken. There is just one small problem: you cannot feel digital clothing, and that is something we all want to be able to do. For their project ‘In Pursuit of Tactility’, Studio PMS is working with experts to explore ways of making digital fashion tangible. Together, they are using 3D photography, animation, VR and soundscapes to create a virtual world that presents an entirely new clothing collection interactively—with the option to feel the pieces.