Meet HADEEART: a 3D designer, virtual model creator, and digital fashion entrepreneur

NFTs and virtual social spaces are transforming digital fashion, but the ones driving the changes are the designers. In our Designer Spotlight series, we interview the aspiring designers to share their backgrounds as well as their perspectives on metaverse wearables.

HADEEART ATELIER is a digital fashion brand bringing afro-futurism and XR together. The Hacedor is a startup providing solutions for digital fashion brands. Àwèlé is a virtual fashion model redefining black subjectivity in the metaverse. And behind all of these stands HADEEART, a multi-talented innovator of digital fashion. In an interview edited for clarity, she shares her journey as a digital fashion designer.

M&W: Could you start by introducing yourself and your background?

HADEEART: My name is Idiat Shiole, also known as HADEEART, I'm a Nigeria-based designer who specializes in textile design and 3D garments. While I studied textile design in college and started my career in physical fashion, I always wanted to do something more, given that the textile industry in Nigeria relatively less developed in scale. And that's how I got interested in digital fashion and started learning tools like Marvelous Designer and Clo3D, slowly entering the world of digital fashion and XR.

M&W: Tell us a bit about your brand HADEEART ATELIER and your virtual model Àwèlé.

HADEEART: HADEEART ATELIER is a fashion studio specialized in virtual fashion design, 3D modeling, motion design, and XR technology. Our mission is to redefine fashion with technology and enhance sustainable design thinking as well as future of fashion education. And Àwèlé is a virtual influencer and fashion model I created, and she has transhuman, afrofuturistic characteristics.

M&W: What other digital fashion projects do you lead?

HADEEART: With two other co-founders, I run a startup called "The Hacedor", which provides digital fashion solutions for brands. Specifically, we offer services ranging from consulting for 3D strategy to actual creations of digital garments and immersive AR/VR experiences. I also started a digital asset shop for fashion-related 3D models, where new designers can quickly and easily find high-quality 3D models for their creative work.

M&W: Could you share some of your work you have been most recently working on?

HADEEART: I recently participated in Portion's Afrofuturism Week along with about 15 other artists and were able to showcase my work there. I am currently trying to expanding my virtual modeling work and will be revealing the new digital models in the upcoming months.

You can find HADEEART's work through the links below:

HADEEART Twitter

HADEEART Instagram

HADEEART Shop