The vocabulary of digital fashion in the days of Covid-19

Since the current Covid-19 pandemic forced the fashion world to redefine all its operating modes, a series of new terms, often related to the world of digital experiences, has begun to appear more and more frequently in industry publications. These are terms that existed before but that now, in a world where physical contact must be avoided, have taken on a new importance, both because they have become the conceptual basis of a new way of understanding the work of the fashion industry, and because they have come to define concrete experiences, and thanks to the technological update to which the industry has been forced by the circumstances , will soon enter the lives of all industry insiders.

This is why nss magazine has decided to compile a short vocabulary of essential terms to know in order to better orient itself within an ever-changing industry jargon.

DIGITAL FASHION VOCABULARY

AR	An acronym for Augmented Reality, this term refers to the enrichment of human sensory perception through the use of digital information. When we talk about AR in fashion we refer to the ability to display non-existent objects lowered into reality on a screen, by overlapping a virtual image with the real one.
Brand value	The result of the sum of different elements, not only the trademark of the same brand and the properties associated with it, but also intangible assets, first of all reputation, brand awareness (recognition), brand loyalty , the improvement of perceived quality, and positive associations related to the brand. All these elements, emotional and experiential, are those that guide the consumer to the final purchase.
Co-Ed	A term derived from the university world, originally used to refer to institutions where students were both male and female. Today the term, referring to the fashion shows, indicates a show in which the collections for men and women are presented at the same time.
Digital Fashion Week	A digital event, which takes place on an official platform and according to an articulated calendar, which replicates, through the sharing of digital content, the format of physical fashion weeks, but offering more insights into the work of individual designers and making available to a wider audience those same content.
Direct-to-Consumer Market	A type of market that, thanks to digital support, allows the consumer to buy directly from the manufacturer without retail mediation.
Phygital	A term of marketing, derived from the union of physical and digital, which indicates the union of digital experiences and physical experiences, such as the use of augmented reality through viewers and apps.
See-now-buy-now	Sales format characterized by the immediate availability of products seen in presentations and fashion shows. The format was widely used during Shanghai's Digital Fashion Week and is used by some brands such as Burberry which recently established the Runway Made To Order service.
Virtual Try-On	A declination of AR through which the image of a garment can be superimposed on the physical image of the customer, who can thus see an image of himself in real time with the products of a brand on him/her.
VR	Acronym for Virtual Reality; a broad term of meaning that, in the field of digital fashion, refers to an immersive experience that simulates reality through the use of special viewers.
Wholesale	When a brand sells large stocks of products to retailers, who in turn will sell them to end consumers.