Abisola Olanubi Highlights the Growing Connection Between Physical and Digital Fashion

Abisola Olanubi, founder and Creative Director of 7R Studio, has highlighted how fashion designs can exist in both physical and digital forms, creating opportunities for designers to develop garments that serve multiple purposes across different environments.

According to Abisola, developments in digital technology are expanding the possibilities of fashion design, allowing a single creative concept to be produced as a wearable garment while also taking shape as a 3D digital asset.

“Digital technology is changing how fashion is created, experienced and valued. We are moving into a period where a design does not have to exist only as a physical garment. The future is not about choosing between physical and digital fashion. It is about understanding how one creative idea can exist meaningfully in both worlds,” Abisola said.

Her position highlights the multidimensional nature of modern fashion, where a garment can maintain its design identity across physical and digital formats while serving different functions.

A physical outfit, for instance, can be developed alongside a 3D version that retains its original design elements. While the physical garment serves its conventional purpose, the digital version can be used for virtual presentations, digital fashion experiences and other creative applications.

The ability to adapt digital garments for different virtual environments also introduces questions of interoperability, particularly how fashion assets can function across platforms with different technical requirements.

Although a digital garment cannot automatically move between every virtual platform, compatible formats and design processes can make it possible to adapt the same creative work for multiple digital applications.

Abisola said the relationship between these formats allows designers to extend the usefulness of their work without limiting a fashion concept to its physical production.

“A strong fashion concept does not have to end with one physical product. A garment can still be made and worn, while the same idea continues in a digital form. That gives designers another space to develop their work and gives people another way to experience it,” she said.

The connection between digital fashion and physical clothing is already influencing consumer behaviour.

According to Roblox’s 2025 research, approximately 84 per cent of surveyed users said their physical style was influenced by their digital identity, while 88 per cent reported using digital fashion to preview clothing before making physical purchases.

The findings indicate that digital fashion experiences can influence how consumers discover, evaluate and interact with clothing in the physical world.

Abisola’s work at 7R Studio explores this relationship through the combination of traditional fashion production, Artificial Intelligence, 3D digital design and cultural expression.

Drawing on her background in fashion, humanities, creative entrepreneurship and research, she develops fashion concepts that can take different forms while maintaining their underlying creative identity.

The studio has also explored the commercial applications of this approach through ready-to-wear clothing, made-to-order garments and digital fashion assets.

According to Abisola, the business has generated revenue from both physical and digital fashion products, providing a practical example of how designers can commercialise their work through multiple formats.

“We have generated revenue through ready-to-wear and made-to-order pieces, alongside 3D garments and digital fashion assets. This shows that fashion is already creating commercial opportunities across both physical and digital environments, with further possibilities through collaborations, licensing and digital applications,” Abisola said.

The development also presents opportunities for fashion businesses to explore additional uses for their designs. While physical garments remain important to the industry, digital versions can support creative collaborations, virtual experiences and other commercial applications.

Abisola believes this expansion should also preserve the cultural significance of fashion, especially when designs are inspired by heritage, identity and personal expression.

“There is a cultural side to this as well. Moving fashion into a digital space should not mean removing the story that shaped it. Technology works best when it gives the designer more room to carry that story forward while exploring new ways for people to experience the work,” Abisola said.

Her perspective places cultural identity alongside technological development, with physical and digital garments functioning as different expressions of the same creative vision.

As fashion businesses explore new applications for Artificial Intelligence and 3D design, Abisola maintains that the opportunity lies in developing creative work that can retain its identity, serve different purposes and generate commercial value across physical and digital environments.