Routledge Extended Reality and the Fashion Industry: Driving Engagement through Immersive Experience (Routledge Studies in the Fashion Industry)

Extended Reality and the Fashion Industry: Driving Engagement through Immersive Experience offers a comprehensive and forward-looking exploration of how immersive technologies are transforming fashion. Covering virtual, augmented and mixed reality, the book examines how XR reshapes design, storytelling, retail, identity, and consumer psychology. It traces the historical evolution of fashion technologies, unpacks the emotional and behavioural dynamics of immersive environments, and analyses real-world case studies from leading brands experimenting with digital fashion, avatars, metaverse activations and phygital experiences. By bridging theory, technology and practice, this book equips readers to navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of immersive fashion. It highlights strategic pathways for innovation, offers tools for evaluating consumer engagement, and demonstrates how XR can deepen emotional resonance and brand value. Readers gain insight into key theories – including presence, embodiment, flow, and narrative transportation – while also engaging with critical issues such as privacy, inclusivity, sustainability, digital labour, and algorithmic influence. Written for fashion researchers, students, educators, digital designers, marketers, technologists, and industry innovators, the book provides a clear, accessible framework for understanding the opportunities and challenges presented by XR. Ultimately, this book empowers readers to design, implement and critique immersive experiences in ways that are creative, ethical and future-focused.