Digital Fashion from a Techno-Artistic Perspective: KJ from LOW POLY MODELS

In the vibrant world of digital fashion, 3D artist KJ from Low Poly Models is making her mark. With her unique blend of technology and artistry, she's helping shape this exciting landscape. Today, I am sharing an interview where KJ sheds light on her creative journey, her process, and what she envisions for digital fashion's future. KJ also discusses her recent collaboration with Union Avatars and Droffo. She gives us a glimpse of how technology has reshaped her design process, offering a unique perspective on the intersection of fashion and tech.

KJ, tell us a bit about yourself and how you entered the digital fashion space.

Hey there! I'm KJ, a 3D artist at Low Poly Models. I’m fascinated by both technology and art, which led me into the exciting world of creating digital content for the metaverse, including wearables. I found that 3D modeling for virtual worlds was the ideal fusion of my interests. It allows me to explore the intersection of design and technology, experiment with different techniques, and express myself creatively.

What's your creative process like?

When it comes to my creative process, it begins with a client’s brief or an idea / feeling I want to convey. I explore the concept and look for interesting ways to represent it visually. As I brainstorm, you'll often find me blocking in shapes in Blender or jotting down ideas in a notebook. Then it's time to dive into the 3D modeling, texturing, and weight painting, making sure the end result meets all of the platform's requirements.

How do you envision the future of digital fashion?

Digital fashion is already closely intertwined with traditional fashion. Nowadays, many garments go through rigorous digital processes, including design and printing. The future of digital fashion presents exciting opportunities to tackle issues like fast fashion waste by providing a way to try on garments virtually before they are physically created or shipped. It has also become a fashion genre in its own right, tailored to the digital world we live in today. Virtual environments are becoming an integral part of our personal and professional lives, with our identities expressed through profile pictures and 3D avatars. Digital fashion plays a significant role in shaping our online identity, much like physical garments do in real life.

Tell us more about your creations for Union Avatars. What was the idea behind them, and what was your process?

For Union Avatars, we wanted to bring the Low Poly Models TechWear collection to life on more platforms. After the original launch of the collection in Decentraland, our team started sending wearable airdrops to collectors. Being advocates of interoperability, the idea of making these outfits available on another platform like Union Avatars was a natural next step. Before proceeding, we made sure to involve our collectors in the decision-making process. We asked for their input through a poll, and their enthusiastic response confirmed that bringing the collection to Union Avatars was indeed a no-brainer. In terms of the process, we adapted the previously created TechWear wearables to the Union Avatars guidelines.

How have technological advancements influenced your designs? Are there any specific technologies or platforms that have significantly impacted your creative process?

Technological advancements have had a profound impact on our designs. Without the evolution of computer science in the past couple of decades, the platforms we create wearables and scenes for wouldn't exist. Similarly, the software tools we rely on, such as Blender, Substance Painter, and Photoshop, have greatly advanced enabling us to bring our creative visions to life. It has also been exciting to incorporate cutting-edge technologies like Midjourney and Chat GPT into our creative arsenal. These tools have revolutionized idea generation and comparison, allowing us to explore and refine concepts in ways that were previously unimaginable.