Digital Fashion Week Returns to NYC: Where AI, AR, and Phygital Runways Rewrite Fashion

Mark your calendar: September 11, New York Fashion Week won’t be business as usual. Digital Fashion Week™ (DFW) is back, and it’s bringing AI fashion, AR-powered runways, metaverse shows, and phygital experiences that turn style into something you don’t just watch—you live.

For one day, SHIFT Midtown transforms into fashion’s version of a tech lab. Models, avatars, and algorithms share the stage, while audiences get pulled into the action instead of sitting passively in their seats.

Breaking Down the Digital-Physical Divide

Clare Tattersall, the founder of DFW, says it best: “Digital Fashion Week is about tearing down the walls between digital and physical. Alive and interactive, it’s built for how we live today.”

That’s the core idea. DFW isn’t here to compete with traditional fashion week. It’s here to complement it, giving designers, tech founders, and style obsessives a space to experiment. New York kicks things off, and then London follows on September 18 at Epic Games’ Innovation Lab.

What to Expect on September 11

Think of DFW as a playground where tech meets style.

• Metaverse runway by PixelCanvas. Live motion capture turns IRL model walks into avatar performances in real time.
• Blockchain jewelry by Brilliantcrypto. Guests design and wear digital gemstones that live in the Metaverse, a potential new model for luxury brands.
• Neuono, the AI-led fashion label. Generate your own made-to-measure outfit in-app, delivered in weeks.
• Miragé, the talking mirror. A sassy AI stylist with fashion critiques sharp enough to sting.
• Right Direction’s 3D-printed accessories. Designed and produced on-demand, in minutes.
• ClubMiku, the viral AI agent. Blurring the line between influencer and digital celebrity.
• Stephen Vineburg’s AR/XR pieces. Expanding wearability into the surreal.
• Duo Design Studio’s digital product creation. Showing how 3D design can cut waste and push sustainability forward.

The vibe is less “sit still and clap” and more “step in, interact, and play.”

More Than a Show: Talks That Matter

DFW doesn’t stop at spectacle. The talks are where the industry’s future gets debated out loud.

• 1:00 p.m. Brandon Keeney (Tapestry) and Marz Klimaszewska (CLO Virtual Fashion) discuss why digital assets are becoming the backbone of fashion’s economy.
• 1:45 p.m. Brilliantcrypto digs into what it means to create luxury on the blockchain.
• 2:30 p.m. Jana Delamarter (Meta Reality Labs) and Jackie Berado (Designer Fund) explore how designers thrive in the creator economy.
• 3:15 p.m. VLGE.com’s Tracy Greenan and Evelyn Mora unpack fashion’s growing crossover with gaming.
• 4:00 p.m. Astrid Pilla, the mind behind ClubMiku, runs a workshop on building your own AI persona.
• 5:00 p.m. A fashion film screening sets the mood for…
• 7:00 p.m. The finale runway, featuring collections from Neuono, Right Direction, Loreine, and Stephen Vineburg.

Why It Matters

Digital Fashion Week is more than hype. It forces tough but necessary questions.

• How do we design in ways that connect people instead of overwhelming them with consumption?
• How do we use blockchain and AI to serve creativity, not just churn out gimmicks?
• How do we make sustainability rewarding in a way that sticks?

By highlighting projects like Duo Design Studio, DFW makes a strong point: digital tools aren’t just for cool visuals. They can streamline production, cut costs, and reduce the industry’s massive waste footprint.

Global Lens: Beyond New York

New York is the launchpad, but the global reach matters. By heading straight to London, DFW proves it isn’t a niche event—it’s a growing platform for where fashion and technology intersect. Running alongside heritage fashion weeks, DFW signals that the future isn’t about replacing tradition but expanding it.

The Bold Takeaway

Fashion is no longer limited to fabric and runway shows. It’s pixels, data, avatars, and algorithms woven together with human creativity.

Digital Fashion Week™ shows what happens when tech doesn’t sit on the sidelines but takes center stage. Whether it’s blockchain jewelry, AI couture, or phygital catwalks, the future of fashion is not about choosing digital or physical. It’s about living in both at once.

On September 11, New York Fashion Week meets its wild, futuristic cousin—and if you’re paying attention, you’ll see fashion’s next era unfold in real time.