Zyler Launches 'Guilt-free' Christmas Jumper... Made of Pixels, not Plastic

Love them? Or loathe them? Christmas Jumpers are a divisive topic of conversation. But, just in time for official Christmas Jumper day - Thursday 12th December, UK-based fashion technology company, Zyler has released a digital Christmas Jumper which anyone who visits their website or social media can ‘wear’ for free using their fun AI-powered virtual try on tool.

The alternative sweater was digitally designed by Zenaida Ossana , a talented 3D Artist and Fashion Designer with a rapidly growing following on Instagram. Zenaida created the magical design using new AI platform Neural Fashion and was inspired by seascapes and mermaids in her creative process. Zenaida comments “It was really fun to work on this design knowing that many people might be able to see it and experience the potential of digital fashion for themselves”.

The origin of the Christmas Jumper tradition can be traced back to 19th century Scandinavia where thick warm and brightly coloured jumpers were worn to escape from the cold. More recently, Statista reported that on average 47% of consumers worldwide enjoy ugly Christmas jumpers. However, that is not what motivated this project.

Zyler collaborated with Zenaida after being made aware of the shocking stats of the overconsumption of Christmas jumpers. True Origin reports that 12 million jumpers are purchased each year in the UK alone and 25% of those are only worn once.  Research by environmental charity Hubbub found that 95% of jumpers are made completely, or considerably from synthetic materials. Generally they are acrylic, and this means that they take over 200 years to decompose.

Zyler’s innovation consultant and digital fashion expert Karinna Grant who led this project explains: “We think this is a fun use of AI tech, combining VTO and digital fashion to offer consumers an alternative way to participate in this phenomenon. We do also acknowledge that these technologies have an environmental footprint, however we believe that responsible use of AI and digital design considerably outweighs the negative impact of overproduction and discardment of physical clothing.”

Consumers can try the jumper experience by visiting Zyler’s flagship Digital Dressing Room™ here. In less than 90 seconds you can see yourself wearing the distinct design. All it takes is one click on the jumper, followed by adding a profile photo and a few measurements. Consumers are encouraged to share on social media with hashtag #Pixelsoverplastic. If however, people do need or want to buy a physical Christmas jumper, at the same link Zyler lets you try on several options. Please remember to choose and use wisely though, as that Christmas jumper just might be around for many, many generations.