3D Technology Benefits For More Sustainable Fashion

sustainablefashion

Dec 20

Written By TAAS DIGITAL

3D Technology benefits for more sustainable fashion

TAAS DIGITAL

December 20, 2019

3D Technology for Fashion

The apparel industry is finally opening up to the possibility of a broader implementation of 3D technologies within the supply chain. The fashion consumer is changing. It is younger and more conscious of global social and environmental changes. Consequently, they demand a response from the leaders of the fashion world about actions that will move the global fashion industry to greater sustainability. Recognition of 3D technology and the benefits it brings to the design and manufacturing process is on the rise. Fashion brands and retailers are acknowledging the inevitability and high potential of 3D technologies. It is not only about speeding up the product-to-market cycle but opening up an opportunity to make apparel product development and manufacturing fully digitized, therefore, more sustainable. It is a small but significant step forward toward transforming the current environmentally harmful fashion supply chain into a greener, more sustainable one.

Traditionally, fashion brands need to create prototypes and fit samples for each developed garment. The quantity and cost of the samples will depend on the type of garments. The basic calculation includes:

-the cost of pattern and sample making,

-the cost of material and trims,

-shipment costs and

-last but not least, the cost of errors in sampling and various alterations.

Using 3D technological attributes such as digital pattern making, 3D sampling, and 3D fit via digital avatars enables fashion brands to streamline and transform product development and production processes into a more efficient, increasingly sustainable way of designing and prototyping clothing. The reduction of physical samples leads to the prevention of excessive material waste and a significant carbon footprint.

Many apparel industry leaders started the implementation of 3D technology on various levels. Recently, Tommy Hilfiger (part of PVH Corporation) announced that all their design process, from sketching through sampling and showroom, will be done with 3D design technology by 2021 and achieve 100 percent 3D apparel design process by the 2022 spring collection. One must note that transformation to all digital clothing production has been an ongoing process for the past two years.

They have already established digital fabrics, patterns, and color libraries as a foundation of their digital raw materials for clothing design and product development. Tommy Hilfiger's brand plans to use its digital library assets to create 60000 product design options in a 3D digital environment.

Fashion digitization will be one of the key trends in 2020. Hopefully, most fashion brands and retailers will pass the "thinking about it" stage, start implementing 3D sampling technology, and step forward into cleaning the fashion industry image plugged with the recent revelation of its environmentally unfriendly and unethical business practices.

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