“The technology is here and we are ready” – these are the words of Billy Berlusconi, the founder of Igoodi, an Italian avatar factory founded in 2015. The company now has 21 employees. The challenge lies in the fashion industry and specifically in the fields of “made to measure”, e-commerce, 3D prototyping and fashion shows in the metaverse. There are many areas where the avatars created by Igoodi, faithful digital replicas of people, a real “smart” version of ourselves, so to speak, or our “virtual twins”, can accompany us in everyday life and make our lives easier.
Space for “Avacollection” – these are virtual collections that are designed and manufactured on the virtual body. Instead of going to the tailor’s to have a tailored suit made, we can “send” our avatar; instead of taking measurements to order a jacket online, we wear it directly on the avatar. In fact, the platform developed by Igoodi can tell us immediately if the garment fits our body, advise us on the right size and identify any critical points. And if we become models in real life, we can walk the runway in the metaverse and walk the runways at Milan, Paris and New York fashion weeks at the same time.
The difference from the Second Life avatars of the early 2000s, which were conceived as our alter egos and protagonists of another life that we consume exclusively online, is the purpose and functionality of these 3D soulmates – who are identical to us and have all our measurements stored on one screen of the Igoodi app, from wrist to armpit, ankle to shoulder, elbow to wrist, waist to knee – real world life to us facilitate. “These avatars are intelligent bodies with our anthropometric measurements intended for use in medicine, fitness, fashion and education. They can be used in 3D modeling, birthmark mapping or custom tailoring,” explains the founder of Igoodi. In short, the real me benefits from the digital me.
Even though the Covid-19 pandemic has given a powerful boost to digitization, few fashion companies are currently able to fully exploit the potential of these avatars and there are many variables influencing the development of the so-called “avatar economy”. able to combine design and advanced technologies to enhance the uniqueness of each person and offer him or her a perfect integration of himself in the universe of digital services.
To get an avatar you have to make an appointment in one of the two Igoodi showrooms
To get an avatar it is necessary to make an appointment in one of the two Italian showrooms: in Milan, on Via Negri, or in Turin, at the Lingotto, in the Green Pea Building, a green shopping center dedicated to the theme of respect. The scan costs 69 euros.
Once in the showroom, the staff will help customers download the QR code that gives access to the “Gate”, a kind of giant egg that is nothing more than an innovative, automated scanning booth, characterized by a technology that allows to one of the most advanced in the industry, allowing a complete 360° scan of a person to be performed in seconds and with the utmost precision. Once in the cabin, you undress and put on a special tight suit supplied by Igoodi. Then you stand in the middle of the gate so that the 128 cameras can record all data and body measurements. Igoodi avatars aim to be a new technological tool at the service of the person, capable of completely replacing physical presence in a variety of digital contexts. To achieve this goal, the avatar company integrates a smart body into the avatar in every detail, in addition to the virtual and photogrammetric 3D copy of the person.
Within a maximum of 72 hours, the avatar is available in the app with a data record containing the body measurements and the associated size table, the wellness index with the percentage of fat and lean mass, the indication of the body shape and the associated style suggestions and clothing items for improvement of one’s own physicality. From that moment one can use it for some of the functions described above or buy products in the avatar e-commerce app.
With the avatar it is possible to buy the perfect piece of clothing, avoid returns and protect the planet
“In this way it is possible to buy the perfect garment, avoid returns and protect the planet,” emphasizes Berlusconi, nephew of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and son of his brother Paolo. For industry, digital prototyping on avatar models can also bring tangible environmental benefits in the form of time, material and energy savings. “Today’s young talents are increasingly using digital prototyping,” adds Berlusconi.
The global green fashion market will reach $8.5 billion by 2023
According to Sustainable Magazine, the global green fashion market will reach $8.5 billion by 2023 (+7 percent vs. 2020), thanks to the use and availability of new sustainable materials and the adoption of new technologies. In the next three years, the value will grow to $9.8 billion and $15.2 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 9.1 percent. So there could be more and more room for Avacollection. That is, for virtual collections designed and developed on virtual bodies and worn by avatar models on the catwalks of the metaverse. This is an innovative approach for the fashion industry that could reduce carbon emissions by 97 percent for every garment produced.
The aim of this initiative is to create unique digital products that reduce waste and resource consumption both during production by brands and when purchased by individual consumers. In fact, the latter have the opportunity to choose and buy clothes and accessories that fit their body measurements from scratch, without the inconvenience of returning them. Of course, conditioning is a must at the moment as companies need to rethink, at least in part, the approach to production. “The big international corporations are certainly at the forefront,” Berlusconi observed. After all, many brands have commitments to protecting the planet in black and white, and this is one technology that is helping move in that direction.
Even though the Covid-19 pandemic has given a powerful boost to digitization, few fashion companies are currently able to fully exploit the potential of these avatars and there are many variables influencing the development of the so-called “avatar economy”. able to combine design and advanced technologies to enhance the uniqueness of each person and offer him or her a perfect integration of himself in the universe of digital services.
