IFA Paris › The School › Blog ›

Immersive Tech Expert & Lecturer Simone Malan on Virtual Reality in Fashion Designing

Background and First Steps into Immersive Tech

Q: Could you tell us a bit about your background and how you became interested in immersive technologies and fashion? 

Simone Malan: My background sits at the intersection of digital design, visual communication, and artistic research. I hold aMaster’s degree in Communication Design from Politecnico di Milano and a Bachelor’s in New Technologies for Art from the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera, with part of my studies completed at the Limerick Institute of Technology in Ireland.

My interest in immersive technologies began while working at the Department of Learning Innovation atPolitecnico di Milano. One of my tasks was to explore the potential of VR for teaching and simulation. I was immediately fascinated by the expressive potential of these technologies. That experience pushed me to buy my first headset and continue exploring the medium independently, especially its applications for design ideation and remote collaboration. 

My interest in fashion developed gradually, especially once I started teaching graphic design. As a child, I was always intrigued by the manual skills of my grandmother, who used to sew and restore garments, and later I became fascinated by the projects of friends who studied fashion design.

When I joined IFA Paris to teach graphic design, I discovered that the school already had VR headsets available, though they were mostly used for occasional workshops. After sharing my research and insights, focused on immersive sketching and 3D modelling, we began integrating VR into the curriculum. The following year, I started teaching the first VR courses within the school’s master programs. 

Working in this field has come with challenges, mainly because VR evolves extremely quickly: new apps appear, others disappear, and tools are constantly replaced by more effective technologies. But over the last three years the possibilities have expanded dramatically, especially with the introduction of Mixed Reality and AI tools.

Today, my teaching at IFA Paris focuses on exploring how immersive technologies can meaningfully support creativity in fashion and communication, emphasizing not just how to use the tools, but when and why they truly add value. 


Q: Why do you think it’s important for first-year fashion students to be introduced to VR? 

Simone Malan: I believeit’s important for students to be aware of creative possibilities beyond traditional methodologies. Early exposure allows them to understand whether and how they might integrate digital tools into their personal design process, or to be prepared to use them in professional environments where such skills are increasingly valued. 

Introducing VR in the first year also opens the door to deeper exploration during the following years, enabling students to combine immersive tools with other software, workflows, and experimental research. It expands their creative vocabulary and gives them time to develop confidence in a field that is growing rapidly. 
 

A Hands-On Module to Spark Creative Thinking

Q: What are the main objectives of the “Oculus Quest Focus” module?

Simone Malan: The module is designed to give students a concrete, hands-on introduction to immersive design. Its mainobjectives are: 

• Understanding the differences between various “realities”: AR, VR, MR, andXR
• Experiencing a real Virtual Reality environmentfirsthand
• Discovering spatial drawing, animated brushes, and full-scale design as tools for immersive conceptcreation
• Learning how to sketch on a virtual mannequin to explore silhouettes, proportions, and creative atmospheres through simple environmental settings. 

The goal is not only to teach students how the technology works, but to show them how it can enhance their creative thinking. 


Q : How do you think VR tools can support the creative process in fashion design? 

Simone Malan: Open Brush is a tool that is particularly powerful during the ideation and sketching phase. It is one of the few tools that allows designers to draw directly on full-scale models from any point of view, creating both static and dynamic sketches. While the interface feels familiar to anyone who has used Photoshop, it also introduces unique interaction logics that belong exclusively to immersive environments. 

One of the biggestinitial challenges is learning to think and draw with depth, something we’re not used to when working on a flat surface. VR is one of the best contexts in which to develop this spatial awareness. 

Open Brush also supports collaborative drawing sessions, allowing multiple users to work together in real time as if they were in the same room. This enables remote collaboration and shared exploration of ideas. 

Beyond Open Brush, a wide range of immersive apps now support 3D modeling, environment design, interface prototyping, collaborative reviews, and even virtual presentations. These tools weren’t created specifically for fashion, but they can be adapted to many design workflows with excellent results. 

 

Future Perspectives and Advice for Emerging Designers

Q: In your opinion, how will immersive technologies shape the future of fashion? 

Simone Malan: Compared to other industries, fashion is still in theearly stages of adopting immersive technologies. Current 3D software doesn’t yet simulate materials, physics, animation, or tactile qualities with the accuracy the fashion sector requires but innovation is advancing quickly, and many of these limitations are becoming solvable. 

In the near future, immersive tools will especially support ideation and prototyping. Collaboration systems already exist that make team interaction more fluid and intuitive thanks to immersive environments. This has the potential to reduce time, energy, and materials from the earliest phases of development. 

Personally, I adopt hybrid workflows depending on the needs of each project: 

• Starting with sketches in Open Brush for early concepts and mood
• ​Modeling garments in V-Stitcher or accessories in Gravity Sketch
• Generating AI mockups based on 3D models and multi-angle references for coherence
• And, at more advanced stages, creating VR-based mockups and using them as visual references to refine details and explore new creative directions. 

This kind of end-to-end digital ecosystem will play an increasingly significant role in fashion’s future. 


Q: Finally, what advice would you give to students who want to explore these tools further in their own projects? 

Simone Malan: My main advice is to try the devices hands-on and explore the available apps with curiosity. At first,it’s important to get comfortable with the headset and the controllers, ideally with short sessions of 10–15 minutes. The interaction design of modern VR systems is intentionally intuitive, and in my experience, playing a few VR games can help students quickly develop natural, spontaneous movement. This makes the transition to design apps much easier. 

Most VR applications also include tutorials that introduce the essential mechanics. Students can choose between fully standalone apps or PC-connected applications available on platforms like Steam, which require a cable link but offer more advanced features. 

For students who want to integrate immersive tools into future projects, I usually recommend starting with: 

• Open Brush for sketching and visualideation 
• Gravity Sketch for 3Dmodeling. 

Both tools allow users to export images, videos, and 3D models. From there, their work can be imported into V-Stitcher for garment simulation, into 3D printing workflows, or into texturing andrendering software such as Adobe Substance or Blender for communication and advertising purposes. Models can also be used in video, animation, or interactive experiences. 

For those who want to go deeper, collaborating with students in gaming, animation, or digital media canopen up even more possibilities. 
 

Hybrid Skills for the Present

The intersection of fashion and immersive tech is no longer the future—it’s the curriculum. At IFA Paris, the “Discovery of the Tech Lab – Meta Quest Focus” module is designed to give students the hybrid, digital-first skills that today’s industry demands.

Students learn to navigate the end-to-end digital ecosystem, utilizing tools from Open Brush sketches to 3D modeling and AI-powered mockups. This preparation ensures proficiency in digital prototyping, remote collaboration, and the development of 3D assets. Graduates are uniquely qualified to meet the industry's growing demand for digital-first designers, enabling brands to move toward customized, less-standardized production and contribute significantly to reducing waste in the product lifecycle.

To truly compete in the modern fashion landscape, these are the essential competencies required by next-generation designers.