Afbeelding van iZer0 via Pixabay
Have you heard of Virtual Reality? Smart production and Big Data? Ever questioned which ‘skin’ you should wear in the game you are playing or considered which digital outfit you would wear on Instagram? Did you ever do a 3D full body scan?
Welcome in the digital age, which is also indispensable integrated in the fashion industry. Maybe it all seems still very futuristic and elusive, but digitalisation is intertwined with daily life already and has far-reaching consequences for how we think, act, work, consume and create. Certain developments do not only automate production processes but could potentially play a role in making the fashion industry more sustainable. And that is where we caught your attention! My colleague at MVO Nederland Maartje Janse listed the developments.
Welcome in the digital age, which is also indispensable integrated in the fashion industry. Maybe it all seems still very futuristic and elusive, but digitalisation is intertwined with daily life already and has far-reaching consequences for how we think, act, work, consume and create. Certain developments do not only automate production processes but could potentially play a role in making the fashion industry more sustainable. And that is where we caught your attention! My colleague at MVO Nederland Maartje Janse listed the developments.
100 Different t-shirts
Fashion has always been a way to interpret the zeitgeist and therefore finds its way in digitalisation as well. An example is the Scandinavian fashion brand Carlings, which launched as first commercial fashion brand a virtual collection that is only available online. The virtual collection can be used for your digital identity on Instagram for example. A part of the collection is the ‘Last Statement T-shirt’, whereby 100 different designs can be projected on your t-shirt with an Instagram filter. For that reason, you never have to buy a new t-shirt!
Generation Z
The target group for these digital products is ‘Generation Z’, digital ‘natives’, born in the digital era. These digital ‘natives’ are already used to have different identities en dress these different. The fact that there is a market for this phenomenon is proven by digital fashion house The Fabricant, who sold a 9500$ digital garment last year. Creative director Amber Jae Slooten told that she is working with digital simulation program CLO 3D, created especially for the fashion industry. She is not the only one using digital tools, fashion giant PVC, mother company of Tommy Hilfiger switched already to digital-only showrooms. In which virtual mock-ups of the garments are presented for their buyers.
Time and sample reduction
H&M argues in their Sustainability Report of 2018 that the use of digital simulation programs is used in the design process because designs are quickly and easy to adjust. Resulting in a reduction of sample collections, prototypes, natural resources and transport of garments and staff. Additionally, an extra advantage is the reduction of communication problems and subsequently a reduction of production mistakes. Workwear producer Groenendijk is using similar digital systems in their production process, return policy and cleaning. These techniques are used for reduction of resources and time efficiency. HAVEP is using the Easy Sizing app, scanning a body in 3D and delivering a perfect measurement profile, with again a reduction in resources and an extension of life the garment.
RFID en QR codes for increase in transparency
It is known that transparency is the key to more sustainable supply chains. Tech company Cirmar helps to accomplish that by making insightful how many water, energy and CO2 has been used during the production process. A common method nowadays is the use of QR clothes. Workwear producer HAVEP does that already.
Not only workwear companies introduce these digital tools but also fashion brands use RFID or CR tags such as ByOni but also big players as Ralph Lauren.
The start-up Circular.Fashion introduced this phenomenon as ‘Circular.ID’. These solutions require investments and question existing privacy policy and data protection. Nevertheless, these developments are essential in the path to transparency with regards to social and environmental impact.
On-demand production
The company Twine offers a solution for the problem of surplus in dyed yarns. Twine has developed a machine that dyes the amount of yarns needed in a water-free eco-friendly way. The Berlin based start-up ZyseMe is using Artificial Intelligence personalize and made-to-measure garments and has recently started to collaborate with commercial retailers. The company reports that with the use of their software, the returns on garments and the costs of resources has reduced and the there is no stock.
All in all, digitalisation has been proven to be effective in the change to a more sustainable fashion industry. With effective production, return policy, reduction in (natural) resources by reduction in sampling, increase in transparency an increase in sustainability can be reached.
Got your attention? I am curious what digitalisation can bring for your company.
Fashion has always been a way to interpret the zeitgeist and therefore finds its way in digitalisation as well. An example is the Scandinavian fashion brand Carlings, which launched as first commercial fashion brand a virtual collection that is only available online. The virtual collection can be used for your digital identity on Instagram for example. A part of the collection is the ‘Last Statement T-shirt’, whereby 100 different designs can be projected on your t-shirt with an Instagram filter. For that reason, you never have to buy a new t-shirt!
Generation Z
The target group for these digital products is ‘Generation Z’, digital ‘natives’, born in the digital era. These digital ‘natives’ are already used to have different identities en dress these different. The fact that there is a market for this phenomenon is proven by digital fashion house The Fabricant, who sold a 9500$ digital garment last year. Creative director Amber Jae Slooten told that she is working with digital simulation program CLO 3D, created especially for the fashion industry. She is not the only one using digital tools, fashion giant PVC, mother company of Tommy Hilfiger switched already to digital-only showrooms. In which virtual mock-ups of the garments are presented for their buyers.
Time and sample reduction
H&M argues in their Sustainability Report of 2018 that the use of digital simulation programs is used in the design process because designs are quickly and easy to adjust. Resulting in a reduction of sample collections, prototypes, natural resources and transport of garments and staff. Additionally, an extra advantage is the reduction of communication problems and subsequently a reduction of production mistakes. Workwear producer Groenendijk is using similar digital systems in their production process, return policy and cleaning. These techniques are used for reduction of resources and time efficiency. HAVEP is using the Easy Sizing app, scanning a body in 3D and delivering a perfect measurement profile, with again a reduction in resources and an extension of life the garment.
RFID en QR codes for increase in transparency
It is known that transparency is the key to more sustainable supply chains. Tech company Cirmar helps to accomplish that by making insightful how many water, energy and CO2 has been used during the production process. A common method nowadays is the use of QR clothes. Workwear producer HAVEP does that already.
Not only workwear companies introduce these digital tools but also fashion brands use RFID or CR tags such as ByOni but also big players as Ralph Lauren.
The start-up Circular.Fashion introduced this phenomenon as ‘Circular.ID’. These solutions require investments and question existing privacy policy and data protection. Nevertheless, these developments are essential in the path to transparency with regards to social and environmental impact.
On-demand production
The company Twine offers a solution for the problem of surplus in dyed yarns. Twine has developed a machine that dyes the amount of yarns needed in a water-free eco-friendly way. The Berlin based start-up ZyseMe is using Artificial Intelligence personalize and made-to-measure garments and has recently started to collaborate with commercial retailers. The company reports that with the use of their software, the returns on garments and the costs of resources has reduced and the there is no stock.
All in all, digitalisation has been proven to be effective in the change to a more sustainable fashion industry. With effective production, return policy, reduction in (natural) resources by reduction in sampling, increase in transparency an increase in sustainability can be reached.
Got your attention? I am curious what digitalisation can bring for your company.
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