Digital Fashion: Culture, Practice & Sustainable Future (5cr)

Objective

After completing the course, the student will be able to • critically analyze the socio-cultural, economic, and technological conditions that have enabled the rise of digital fashion and contextualize its emergence within contemporary fashion culture and post-digital society • valuate the environmental, social, and ethical implications of digital fashion practices—such as virtual garments, NFTs, and AI-generated content—and formulate responsible approaches to sustainability in digital fashion • analyze the functions of digital fashion within XR, metaverse, and virtual platforms from user experience, branding, and marketing perspectives, and design strategies for impactful and ethical digital presence • assess the roles of artificial intelligence, data-driven processes, and platform governance in shaping digital fashion ecosystems, with particular focus on labor, equity, intellectual property, and algorithmic ethics • create and communicate responsible future visions of digital fashion that demonstrate ethical foresight, systems thinking, and creative engagement with socio-technical change, working individually or collaboratively in international and interdisciplinary contexts.

Content

1. Introduction to digital fashion culture & context 2. Digital fashion & sustainability 3. Digital XR fashion in metaverse – practices, experience & marketing 4. Ethics of AI, datafication and platformization of digital fashion 5. Future visions of responsible digital fashion

Qualifications

The course is most suitable for students who have previous higher education studies, a university of applied sciences degree, or a bachelor's degree in fashion, technology, or other related fields.

Assessment criteria, approved/failed

Assessment criterion at the 'pass' level: • The student demonstrates an understanding of the cultural, economic, and technological backgrounds of digital fashion and is able to contextualise it within contemporary society. • The student is able to identify and assess the environmental, societal, and ethical impacts related to digital fashion and presents well-founded proposals for responsible modes of action. • The student analyses the operation of digital fashion on XR, metaverse, and virtual platforms from the perspectives of user experience, brand, and marketing, and proposes related ethical solutions. • The student evaluates the roles of artificial intelligence, data, and platform economy in digital fashion, especially from the perspectives of labour, equality, ownership, and algorithmic ethics. • The student formulates and communicates a responsible future vision for digital fashion, demonstrating ethical foresight, systemic thinking, and a creative approach to socio-technological change. • The student participates in the course’s learning tasks independently and/or in groups and demonstrates active and purposeful work in an international and interdisciplinary context. • All required assignments have been successfully completed.

Further information

This is a Master's level course (EQF 7). The course unit was created within the U!REKA network and in collaboration with the Amsterdam Fashion Institute (AMFI) / Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences.