“Fast Fashion is Dead. Long Live Tech Fashion”, says Antwerp Industry Insiders

As Antwerp’s fashion tech pushes the fashion industry forward here is an overview of the major directions by Antwerp designers embracing technology and innovation.

Our clothes say something about us: who we are, what we find important, what we like doing. Most people think that they are opting for hyper uniqueness that makes a statement, but the truth of the matter is that fast fashion has everyone wearing the same uniform. When it comes to fashion tech, it explores the limits of the fashion industry and pushes those boundaries. The latest fashion is looking for a solution to the challenges facing us: the fast technological advancement, sustainability and the demand for transparency.

In Antwerp a new generation of fashion designers like Jasna Rok and Flora Miranda are turning to technology and even developing the technology themselves. The rise of Antwerp designers experimenting with technology has meant that they have been discovering the endless possibilities that come with digital innovation.

Sustainability, From Hype to Necessity

Unfortunately, only a small percentage of the clothes we throw away is recycled. Luckily more and more fashion designers are aware of this: they often design from a circular perspective or design and use new materials that reduce waste and make clothes that last longer. What are examples of this from the fashion industry in Antwerp? The innovative vegan shoes by Mats Rombaut, are made from stones, bark, natural rubber, cotton-cellulose or coconut fibre. HNST – with HQ in Plein Publiek – is the first brand that produces jeans out of more than 50% recycled denim. W.r.yuma, world’s first 3D printed sunglasses from plastic waste, turning old dashboards, soda bottles and fridges into quality sunglasses.

Rombaut’s Vegan Lettuce Sandal | Image credit: Vogue

You do not only make a statement with your clothes; the brand’s vision also radiates from the person wearing their clothing. Honest By from Bruno Pieters was the first brand that communicated completely transparently about all the steps involved in their supply chain. This transparency model also inspired other fashion brands, much to the delight of consumers. Thanks to the platform from the tech start-up COSH! you can now find information about the sustainability efforts of clothing brands in all of Antwerp’s shops, made-to-measure and within your budget.

Are you curious about other innovations coming out of Antwerp’s fashion industry? Then be sure to keep an eye of FashNerd.com this week , because we are going to be focusing on how Antwerp’s fashion tech designers/makers are pushing Belgium’s fashion industry forward.

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Founding Editor in Chief at FashNerd.com | editor@fashnerd.com | Website

Founding editor-in-chief of FashNerd.com, Muchaneta is currently one of the leading influencers writing about the merger of fashion with technology and wearable technology. She has also given talks at Premiere Vision, Munich Fabric Start and Pure London, to name a few. Besides working as a fashion innovation consultant for various fashion companies like LVMH Atelier, Muchaneta has also contributed to Vogue Business, is a senior contributor at The Interline and an associate lecturer at London College of Fashion, UAL.