3D fashion is making the
supply chain of the future more sustainable and creative
There has been a digital
revolution in the fashion industry since the pandemic. Digital developments
accelerated because of the occurrence of the social distance society. Fashion
brands needed to reconsider their ideologies, because of the new consumer
needs. Consumers are longing for new retail experience in a post-COVID society.
They will value the essence of the material and the product more and therefore
buy less. Consumers want access, connection, insights, and rarity. The pandemic
made the role of social media indispensable for our human connections. The fashion industry can
provide for new consumer needs while making the fashion supply chain more
sustainable in the future. What could this solution be, you ask? Simple, 3D
fashion!
︎︎︎FABIENNE DE BEVER / TECHNOLOGY
Microsoft Augmented Atelier,
designing without physical limitations
Let’s start by reconsidering the design and
development process. Designing, sampling, prototyping, testing materials, and
so on. Microsoft Augmented Atelier has made it possible to take those steps in
a digital 3D program called Azure Cloud. This is a collaboration between
Microsoft and Jaime Perlman, founder of fashion magazine ‘More or Less’. A new digital
and sustainable approach to creating a fashion collection. By creating 3D
digital garments that could be fitted and altered via augmented reality on a
physical mannequin in the room. This tool would empower the creative process by
eliminating the limitations of physical garment creation. Through this
technology, a lot of used materials and shipments can be eliminated. This could
speed up the design and development process strongly. There would be less
physical traveling in the process as well.
The difference between wearing your garment outside and online is that online, many more people can see it and we simply won’t waste any material on it
All Digital Fashion
Collections and 3D design eliminate mass consumption
Non-physical production
process
When using 3D designing programs like Microsoft
Augmented Atelier, the relationship between clothing and consumers will change
completely. Consumers can now choose and personalize their garments in virtual
showrooms. This means we will go from mass production to a ‘made to order’
system. Consumers will be more emotionally attached to the products they buy
and therefore will wear it for a longer period of time.A more extreme example would be the development of all digital collections. In this case, there would be no physical production needed for the clothing you buy online for your digital wardrobe. The Fabricant is the first company that created digital collections for brands like Tommy Hilfiger and Puma. You buy a 3D digital sample of a garment from a brand. This item can be customized as well. The brand will place the 3D garment on a picture of yours. Now you can post this picture on social media.
The new normal in retail
You could visit a virtual showroom to purchase an
all-digital 3D collection. Virtual showrooms with 3D prototypes are also used
for selling physical collections to consumers online. Diesels HYPEROOM is a
good example. It offers an immersive shopping experience that can strengthen
the connection between brand and consumer and therefore creates stronger
consumer loyalty. Designs are being displayed digitally. You can try on the
garments using a personalized avatar. Scan a picture of your face on the avatar
and you can fit garments virtually. Customers can interact with clothing items
in 360-degree displays and product descriptions are available as well. There
will also be information about the inspiration behind the collection. This is
how consumers are provided with their needs for brand insights. The garments
can be customized as well. You now have something rare in possession. Either in
your physical or digital wardrobe. A lot of excess buying, returning, and
wasting resources would be reduced by shopping via virtual showrooms.‘Gigi Hadid could be on the
cover of Vogue, without being physically present on a set.’

3D Avatars and AI, no need for
physical models anymore
Campaigns of the future
In the post-COVID society, fashion photography and
campaigns will be created using artificial intelligence and 3D avatars to
showcase new 3D fashion collections. The pandemic provided us with possible
replacements for physical models. No more traveling or even producing physical
garments and more creative freedom. Selfridges&Co collaborated with
DIGI-GAL for a new 3D designed campaign. Cat Taylor, founder of DIGI-GAL says:
“We were able to create impossible clothing that could not exist in real life:
garments that defy gravity and walk without bodies.” This means virtual design
opens up a whole new world of possibilities for fashion shoots. There are also
developments in AI to turn mannequin images into model images using an
artificially generated face or digital replicas of existing models. Gigi Hadid
could be on the cover of Vogue, without being physically present on a set.
Digital consultant and academic Karin Nobbs has found that when consumers can’t
tell the difference when a model is computer-generated, it does not affect
their intent to purchase.Reconsidering fashion shows
Due to the pandemic, the fashion industry needed to improvise on digital solutions. The carbon footprint of a digital fashion week is substantially lower than that of the physical one.With 3D fashion collections, fashion weeks could get a whole new, more creative, and sustainable meaning. The fashion industry is collaborating with the game industry. Using virtual reality and artificial intelligence for virtual fashion shows. All digital collections for your game avatars. Reference Festival has created an Animal Crossing fashion show where avatars were dressed up in current season looks inspired by Loewe. This digitized fashion show is not only ongoing in combination with the game industry. There are also 3D avatars, which can be replicas of famous models, walking on digital runways, showing 3D collections in whole new environments.
No better solution, right?
Consumers can get more insights into their purchases
via virtual showrooms. Buying fewer physical garments, but still being unique
through customized all-digital collections on social media or in games. Brand
connection and loyalty is created by the limitless opportunities for creative
digital 3D collections, campaigns, and retail spaces. Providing brands with
more opportunities to showcase their ideologies in different ways. This also
provides new experiences. All this, in a digital supply chain, where material
waste, polluting transportations, traveling, mass production, returning
purchases by customers, and excess buying are being reduced. The solution for a
more creative and sustainable fashion industry is up for grabs!︎
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