The following article was originally published in the March issue of SPUR magazine in my Tomorrow column. I write each column 2 months in advance as my Tomorrow Column is exclusively in print and needs time to be produced. This encourages work that is anti-hype and focuses on longer impact.

Following last month’s column on Regeneration, we dive into 2025’s focus on Digital Transformation with our set of pioneers sharing their perspectives on new technological ecosystems. You’ll see that sustainability takes a back seat in favour of technologies centred around the user’s benefit, combining artificial intelligence, ethical oversight, inclusivity, personal expression and authenticity. In the last of our 2-part series, I have also included my humble take on emergent technology set to gain traction in 2025.

On Inclusivity within Artificial Intelligence in the fashion industry by Stephanie Thomas, Founder and CEO Cur8able A Fashion Tech Company

I’m focusing on the continued growth of AI as a Service (AIaaS) in the fashion industry, and its negative impact on shoppers with disabilities, chronic illnesses, and injuries. Although “cost effective”  AIaaS’ use of biased sentiment and toxicity models in Natural Language Processing (NLP’s) is not only unfair, it’s unethical. Unfortunately, this ableist trend will most likely continue to permeate disability-related data collection, training and deployment next year. 

There will eventually be a shift, but not an immediate one since the organizations hiring AI-Specialists, Data Scientist and Engineers are not currently prioritizing the $18 trillion USD global disability market. As I shared in my TEDx Talk (2016) You can’t design for someone you don’t see and you can’t see someone you don’t value as a fashion customer. Fashion brands and Retailers must be diligent about vetting their technology partners as well as developing ethical guidelines for the implementation and maintenance of their own technology teams. 

(Reference: The Return on Disability Group, Inc. (2024, September 24). Unlocking the value of the disability market with new 2024 report. PR Newswire. Reference here)

On Sustainability and Digital Fashion by Olga Chernysheva, DRESSX Chief Sustainability Officer

The fashion landscape in 2025 is set for significant shifts, with sustainability evolving into a more measured priority for many brands. While some luxury players continue to champion environmental initiatives through lifetime warranties and sustainable practices, the industry overall is showing signs of retreat from bold sustainability commitments. Instead, brands are focusing more on navigating economic pressures, scaling back environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives to meet immediate market demands.

At the same time, the rise of AI and digital technologies is reshaping consumer experiences, but digital fashion may remain niche, mostly appealing to Gen Z and early tech adopters. Virtual fashion, powered by platforms like Roblox and the metaverse, is growing in importance but still struggles to gain widespread mainstream acceptance.

In sum, 2025’s fashion trends will likely see a balance between traditional practices and emerging technologies. Sustainability will play a role but won't dominate the conversation as it did in the past. Brands will increasingly focus on staying competitive and relevant in a tech-driven world while keeping costs under control.

Evolved Digital ecosystem that place users at its core by Leanne Elliott Young, Multi-award-winning tech founder, 2023 “Number 1 Woman in Web3 Europe”, CEO and co-founder of the Institute of Digital Fashion (IoDF)

In 2025, the fashion landscape will be radically shaped by an evolved digital ecosystem that places users at its core, shifting from abstract tech jargon to meaningful, tangible experiences. Web3 will be a catalyst, but only if simplified—ushering in frictionless co-creation and authentic consumer engagement, rather than complex onboarding. For instance, think of platforms where fans create and own capsule collections with designers, redefining ownership and loyalty.

AR mirrors in stores will be foundational, not novelty. These mirrors will bridge IRL and URL experiences, merging physical and digital realms in ways that amplify, rather than replace, traditional retail ( powered by IoDF). Expect B2C-focused white papers to surge, guiding fashion houses through accessible digital tools and community-driven models. 

We’ll see brands investing in real campaigns, sidelining AI-generated imagery to re-establish authentic connections and celebrate individuality. In-platform sales will dominate, with social media and immersive environments providing the full shopping experience, TikTok shop dominating. Like, share, need, buy!

Customers want an ecosystem that’s seamless—an all-in-one, co-creative universe where fashion is participatory, meaningful, and deeply connected to their identity.

The future we’ll see a role out of DPP (powered by IoDF)  reshaping how we interact with consumption, it being mapped, tracked and tokenised, championing inclusivity, sustainability, and genuine engagement at every touchpoint.

My take on Digital Transformation: keep your eye on wearables

As more and more information on the internet becomes synthetically produced by AI and bots, technology companies will find it increasingly hard to harvest ‘real’ data about us humans, that very same data needed to power their economic success as they monitor and influence our buying decisions. This is one of the reasons why Meta or Apple are investing in wearables. So although in 2025 we won’t all be walking with Augmented Reality glasses, I expect the year to mark an incremental rise in the efficiency and mainstream acceptance of these items.

Some innovators such as Dr Cindy Hsin-Liu Kao, who runs the Hybrid Body Lab at Cornell University believe some day wearables won’t be devices you wear attached to your body, they will be more like your own skin. We are not quite there yet but what we will start seeing in 2025 is that wearables embedded with AI will get better at understanding and executing complex commands, in a bid to change the relationship between humans and machines. This is a very slow yet visible shift to moving away from screen towards more intuitive voice and biometrics-based interfaces that can understand, communicate and predict everything about an individual, for better or for worse. In the future (not yet in 2025 perhaps), we may see the introduction of these wearables in the workspace, with workers being tracked, or for example for commercial use in the pet industry, to communicate with our pets.

Parting Thoughts

In 2024 the theme for Amy Webb and the Future Today Institute’s Technology Report was Supercycle. Citing the convergence of artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and a burgeoning ecosystem of wearable devices for people, The Future Today Institute’s analysis insists  “understanding this tech Supercycle is paramount.”

Just as paramount is advocating for technology as a tool for change, not unjust power dynamics. In 2025, as machines, Big Tech and AI integrate ever more seamlessly into our daily lives, we will continue to redefine the very nature of being human. The question remains: who is in the driver’s seat of this change?

By Geraldine Wharry