Newformat: The studio that pushes fashion image into the future

Fashion imagery is changing course, rapidly accelerated by the pandemic. The boundary between the virtual and real worlds is becoming increasingly blurred as client demand for imagery and experiences that utilise new digital technologies grows in the early days of the fashion metaverse. Newformat is utilising an explorative and artistic approach to cater to this transformative demand for new techniques of capturing and communicating garments and belongs to a vanguard of new digital creative practitioners transforming our experience of the fashion image, creating virtual experiences not as a compromise for the lack of physical ones, but rather as entirely new and exciting forms of fashion communication.

Newformat, represented by East London’s Studio Private, consists of a group of four digital artists serving the constantly growing intersection between fashion and technology. Claudia Rafael, Florian Siegmann, Steffen Bewer, and Andrea Avellino converged in Berlin in 2020 to form Newformat as a response to the demand for immersive digital fashion experiences, “we believe we’re much stronger as a unit,” they say, “our skill sets complement each other very well.”  Studio Private is a creative production company providing services in film, 3D motion, Stills, CGI photography, and digital experiences.  The agency has so far created new digital experiences for the likes of Apple, Byredo, and Gucci, to name a few on a long list only set to grow due to their representation of Newformat.

The studio arose at a time when fashion weeks were decimated by the pandemic and its accompanying travel restrictions, and so came to be of much use for fashion brands seeking to utilise digital experiences to replace their cancelled shows. We spoke to the artists about working as a group, the future of the fashion show, and the perks of agency representation

What was behind the decision to come together and form a studio?

With technology and the extension into digital space, we can explore our potential for self-realization in new ways. We can break free from what’s physically plausible and create an augmentation based on the physical world.

Digital tools and the resources to learn how to use them have never been more available. Through the emancipated use of these tools, the digital is understood not as autonomy, but in union with the human experience and enrichment that expands our artistic process.

“What strongly connects us is the belief in the act of experimentation as the most important catalyst for a progressive vision with the power to break new ground.” – Newformat

Fascinated in how digitalism forms new aesthetics and the influence of the digital world on the physical world, we’ve been practicing as digital artists individually, starting to collaborate together more and more on projects of varying scale and complexity.

What strongly connects us is the belief in the act of experimentation as the most important catalyst for a progressive vision with the power to break new ground. So at the end of 2020, we decided to unify our skill sets and founded Newformat together. We believe we’re much stronger as a unit. Our skill sets complement each other very well. With many years of experience working with new media and coming from different backgrounds such as fashion, architecture, art, and culture, united in digital art, each member brings different valuable input.

“Being permanently connected through a strong component advocates the fast and intensive exchange of knowledge.” – Newformat

What does working as a group of four allow you to do that you couldn’t have done as a group of four independent practitioners?

Working as a studio, it’s no longer just about us as individual artists, but about the bigger picture of what we can achieve together. Even when we were working together as independents, we already put a lot of emphasis on the exchange and sharing of knowledge about technological innovations related to the artistic forms of the digital. We pass this knowledge on: in workshops at universities and schools, lectures at design and art festivals, and in the form of papers. Being permanently connected through a strong component advocates the fast and intensive exchange of knowledge and motivates, not only among ourselves but also among other great digital artists within our network.

Does this provide space for larger-scale projects? 

The exchange and connection both in our network and in the community let us scale efficiently and according to the scope of the project. Also, the decision to found Newformat as a group of four helps us to divide tasks according to our way of working and expertise, so that we can support each other in planning, directing, and realizing projects. It also allows us to work on multiple projects at the same time, with one or two of us taking the creative lead, and then overseeing the execution with the teams we built. We all still like to work hands-on on projects and continue to be creative as creators, but as we grow, our responsibilities are increasingly expanding into creative direction and concept development, so we’re trying to find the right balance.

“The pandemic has contributed to consumers becoming more involved with digitization processes and thus exploring the opportunities they offer.” – Newformat

The pandemic pushed almost all real-world experiences into the digital realm. Having formed during the first lockdown, has the virus sped up the development of and demand for digital fashion experiences? 

We certainly have the feeling that the pandemic has contributed to consumers becoming more involved with digitization processes and thus exploring the opportunities they offer. We have also noticed that the solutions we were already working on before the virus have attracted more attention. Especially in the physically rooted fashion world, many are rethinking processes in the last two years, with a focus on the development of virtual fashion presentations. At the height of the lockdowns, this has led labels and event organizers to look for fully digital and hybrid alternatives such as virtual platforms or video-based fashion shows.

“We do not believe that virtual experiences will replace real-world experiences, but we do believe that the digital space has established itself and will continue to do so.” – Newformat

Can you see it slowing down? 

We have to keep watching the development of the market for a while to understand the extent of the disruptions. Nevertheless, at the moment we don’t have the feeling that demand is getting less. Almost everyone now knows something about the terms NFT, augmented reality, CGI and metaverse, and we can see from this that the digital world is increasingly understood and accepted as an extension of life. That’s why the boundaries between different creative fields and industries are becoming more and more blurred, gamers are interested in high fashion, labels want to link their creations to NFTs, place them in games, and secure their places in the metaverses. We do not believe that virtual experiences will replace real-world experiences, but we do believe that the digital space has established itself and will continue to do so. There will be more mixed forms of events, such as physical events with real-time connections, in order to further decrease location-dependency.

“There are virtual platforms being born all around us like mushrooms, each one with its own rules and aesthetics, each one requiring a specific type of workflow for the creation of the assets (avatars, outfits, accessories, and so on).” – Newformat

What is the future of fashion in the metaverse?

The answer to this question is still open to many possibilities. Even though now words like “Metaverse” and “Digital Fashion” are everywhere, this whole dimension is still at a rather early stage of development. There are virtual platforms being born all around us like mushrooms, each one with its own rules and aesthetics, each one requiring a specific type of workflow for the creation of the assets (avatars, outfits, accessories, and so on). This lack of interoperability between metaverses is still a big obstacle to be overcome. The digital wardrobe I own on a platform (like Decentraland) will most likely not work in another metaverse at the moment. But we believe standardization to a certain degree is required and will progressively happen, in order for this market to become more flexible, free, and widespread. In order to give more value to digital apparel, owners must perceive their assets as something they can wear anywhere in the digital space. So if I spend 1 EHT (roughly 2.400 € as of today) on a colorful long sleeve, I want my digital-me to be able to wear it in AR filters, videogames, and multiple metaverses. We think that’s where this world is heading.

“Working with digital is a realm where almost everything is possible.” – Newformat

What would you say are the advantages of being digital creative fashion practitioners compared to working physically such as in photography or styling?

Working with digital is a realm where almost everything is possible. This lack of constraints gives us great creative powers, but it must be wisely used (the Spider Man’s quote applies here very well). It’s not a magic wand, it’s a medium just like the others, and it can’t do the job if it is not backed up by a good creative concept.

Of course, it has advantages. In these years of the pandemic it has been the main go-to solution for the brands to bypass the issues of traditional practices that required gatherings of people making and consuming the products in the same environment (eg. shootings, fashion shows, expos, and so on).

“The price of creating something digitally is usually more cost-effective than giving it shape in the real world and there are also many environmental benefits.” – Newformat

Yet, we do not see digital as a replacement for photography or styling, it’s an addition to an already powerful community of fashion creatives, we like to work with live footage within our process and indeed we also believe there’s an opportunity for teams to be formed and for Newformat to collaborate with creative directors, stylists, and hair and makeup artists much like photographers do.

The price of creating something digitally is usually more cost-effective than giving it shape in the real world and there are also many environmental benefits. These are the reasons why this market is growing exponentially.

Newformat recently gained agency representation from London’s Studio Private, will this affect the sorts of jobs you take on or the work you produce?

With Studio Private we’re making exciting plans. There’s a lot on the table and they are showing interest and trust in us, as well as a tireless dedication. Our aim is to consolidate Newformat as an established brand where different disciplines converge and merge, a point of reference for high digital fashion, and a space where creativity flows without constraints, always propelled by experimentation and non-linear thinking. We aim towards flourishing as artists, evolving as a studio, working on bigger projects, while keeping our soul and vision untouched.

What are the advantages of agency representation for a group of four digital artists? 

It can extend Newformat’s reach, by expanding awareness of who we are and what we do across the creative community and brands. What makes Studio Private a good match for us is that they are also a production company and strong in strategy, so we can count on their help not only for strengthening our connections and communication but also for backing us up on projects that might require practical expertise and post-production.

“The digital realm will augment the real world as a juxtaposed layer of meaning, information, and aesthetics, as well as create an opportunity for a wider reach and for people to experience the event’s many sensory and emotional qualities.” – Newformat

How does Newformat envision the future of the fashion show?

We see a lot of experimentation in the fashion world, countless visionary talents are emerging from fashion schools and even the big established brands are embracing new radical designs and technologies, which makes us quite excited. We will make our part with our own research and creations, both stretching our branches towards the real and the digital world. And this is precisely how we see the future of fashion shows: the digital realm will augment the real world as a juxtaposed layer of meaning, information, and aesthetics, as well as create an opportunity for a wider reach and for people to experience the event’s many sensory and emotional qualities.

“Our recommendation to those who are just starting is to back up their technical skillset with a good knowledge of art history, research of what’s out there as well as (and mostly) research within one’s self. ” – Newformat

How did you get into digital creative computing, is there a path a young person interested in the field should follow? 

We all come from different disciplines. Someone met CGI at university while studying architecture, someone comes from graphic design, from fashion, and communication. It’s always a good time to start learning these tools, as long as you are passionate about it and willing to learn. The market is exploding and job opportunities are multiplying, digital craftsmen will be needed more and more in the next few years. Our recommendation to those who are just starting is to back up their technical skillset with a good knowledge of art history, research of what’s out there as well as (and mostly) research within one’s self. Finding a vision and a reason is an essential first step toward a fruitful creative process.

What software do you use to produce these digital creations?

It really depends on the output. We have different pipelines (and toolsets) for different productions (full CGI video/hybrid video/virtual garments/digital platform…). Luckily there are some amazing pieces of software out there that are free to use for anyone who’s keen on learning. Blender is a great example. It is a super powerful free 3D modeling software that we use extensively for our productions.

“It’s elementary for us to talk about projects together beforehand, to plan for any possible complications in advance, and to make decisions based on the team meetings.” – Newformat

What has been the most challenging project you have taken on so far as a collective?

Going through the administrative process of founding a company in Germany was definitely one of the biggest challenges we had to face so far. Besides that, it’s hard to label one specific project as the most challenging, but rather there are always challenges to overcome, especially when dealing with new technologies or going down uncharted paths. In general, it is always difficult when the timing is tight when you have to manage without a buffer and there is no room for errors. That’s why it’s elementary for us to talk about projects together beforehand, to plan for any possible complications in advance, and to make decisions based on the team meetings.

What’s next for Newformat?

We’ve been working for years with Italian brands and over time we strengthened our bond with them. Especially with Milan, where we’re just about to plant a seed. Our plan is to create a new headquarter there and be operative in both countries.