Norway – Retailer Carlings has partnered with digital influencer Perl.www to create a fashion collection that expresses creativity without harming the environment.
To create the Neo-Ex collection, which only exists digitally, Carlings worked with digital tailors and Perl.www, a CGI model who found fame on Instagram. Shoppers can browse the brand’s 19-piece collection online and have a piece of their choice digitally fitted to a photo of themselves by a group of 3D designers for up to $20 (£15.50, €17.50), allowing them to share the piece on social media. Carlings is also using Neo-EX to raise awareness of water consumption in real-life fashion manufacturing, with proceeds from the collection's sales being donated to WaterAid.
The digital collection exists as a reaction to the detrimental impact of fast fashion on the environment, which is being exacerbated by Instagram’s fleeting influencer culture. With many consumers already buying fashion simply to share across their digital platforms, Carlings believes that the future of personal expression will be achieved by buying Immaterial Fashion.