resetting defaults of embodiment in virtual fashion
(2025)
Part introspective, part proclamation: this manifesto is dedicated to a wide audience – the curious, the learned, and those yet uninitiated in the fabric of virtual fashion[1]. It is an invitation to unpick the stitches of our assumptions and to sew anew.
I call myself a virtual fashion designer and researcher. My journey started as a bespoke tailor, followed by fashion design studies, specialising in 3D software and virtual fashion. My practice now is situated at the interfaces between tradition and technology, weaving the tangible with the intangible.
At first, Clo3D[2] entered my practice for sustainability’s sake – patterns without paper, adjustments without waste, and garments without fabric. It allows for rapid experimentation and promotes creative freedom from concept to production. Now, my research revolves around virtuality, and the great question above all: How, and if at all, can virtual fashion be critical?
Virtual Bodies, unlike their flesh-and-blood kin, are not made of skin, bones or tendons. Their outlines are unbounded by biological substance, free to defy the limits of the physical.
Yet, instead of soaring into this boundless freedom, these bodies are often tethered to the familiar – rendered as reflections of human forms, polished to conform to ideals of beauty and symmetry. They are made to be relatable, yes – but why are they trapped in binary notions of gender and the pursuit of perfection when there are endless possibilities available?
What I call “the body issue” begins long before the rendering of these forms. It is rooted deep in the software itself. Tools like Clo3D come with default avatars that embody narrow ideals: tall, slim, young and flawless. Female avatars wear high heels as if on command, while their male counterparts stride in trainers. Customisation is possible, but always within predetermined limits; both faces and bodies resist meaningful deviation from the norm.
Over time, I realised that these idealised defaults are more than just a convenience, they are an inscription of values etched into the structure of the tools we use. And so the question remains – how do we unpick these defaults and stitch a new vision of what virtual bodies can be?
In technology, ‘default settings’ are preset conditions, a starting point that quietly shapes outcomes unless consciously overwritten. These defaults, like invisible blueprints, become norms. In virtual fashion, these norms dictate the bodies we encounter.
The term borrows from CSS[3], where a default <body> margin of 8px ensures uniform spacing. A reset overrides this:
`body {
margin: 0;
padding: 0;
}`
Resetting Default(s) <Bodies> proposes a metaphorical intervention in virtual fashion, questioning the standartised and idealised bodies – to ‘reset’ the software defaults to create more diverse virtual bodies. To intentionally ‘reset’ the default settings, there is the need to employ another software, such as Daz3D[4]. The strength of Daz lies in the wide range of options for modifying body shapes, sizes and attributes. Bodies can be aged, heavier, muscular, or asymmetrical. Faces, too, are infinitely adjustable, from proportions to the smallest irregularities. It transcends the binary, allowing gender attributes to blend.
Unlike Clo3D’s numerical rigidity, Daz uses percentage-based morphing, encouraging a visual, intuitive exploration of form. This subtle shift prioritises creativity over constraint, celebrating what feels authentic rather than clinging to metrics of perfection.
Representation matters in virtual spaces as much as in physical ones. As designers, we wield the power to shape these worlds, to reflect the full, messy, beautiful diversity of human existence. This is not just a responsibility; it is an opportunity – a call to create virtual bodies that defy the confines of the default.
[1] Virtual fashion is clothing and accessories that only exist in the ‘digital realm’. Unlike physical fashion, which can be touched and worn in ‘real life’, virtual fashion is created using computer software and exists in virtual spaces such as video games, social media or the metaverse. Virtual fashion can take many forms: It can resemble clothing such as jeans, dresses or trainers, but it can also go far beyond what is possible in the physical world, it can glow, be made of water or even defy gravity.
[2] Clo3D is a 3D fashion design software for creating virtual fashion with real-time visualisation. For more information, visit: https://www.clo3d.com/en/
[3] CSS, ‘Cascading Style Sheets‘ is a language used to describe the presentation and visual design of a webpage. While HTML provides the structure and content (like headings, paragraphs, and images), CSS defines how those elements should look and behave.
[4] DAZ3D is a free 3D software for creating 3D scenes and characters. For more information, visit: https://www.daz3d.com/