Pioneering Manchester Fashion Institute (MFI) has launched a virtual trade fair for fashion-buying students.

Claiming digital fashion events are a “step towards sustainability in the industry”, the inaugural ‘Virtual Trading Fair’ is the result of Manchester Met’s fashion buying students working with BrandLab360 to develop an immersive buying experience.

It enables participants to “virtually attend and collaborate from any location in the world”. Buyers can virtually walk from room to room and view the designs, “a direction that experts at MFI believe the fashion industry will be heading towards in the future”.

MFI noted the lack of physical trading during the pandemic “helped accelerate the innovative technologies needed to develop virtual buying and retail experiences.

“Digitalising key functions such as buying and retailing has been lauded as a method to make fashion more sustainable. The development and research into virtual fashion events are a key step in contributing to a fully sustainable fashion industry”, it said.

Anita Mitchell, MFI’s Digital Strategic Lead, said: “Virtual Reality and the Metaverse continues to be an important focus within our concurrently refreshed curriculum.  This digital partnership with BrandLab360 is integral in supporting the digitalisation of our fashion curriculum by further extending our vast experience in this area.”

The event will support graduate employability and sustainable fashion practice by ensuring students have the practical experience of solving real-world industry challenges with the latest digital tools and skills.

Dan O’Connell, co-founder of BrandLab360, added: “Through our ground-breaking technology we have enabled the students to be the first in the UK to create a fashion buying experience that is both more sustainable and inclusive.”