Recently I was invited to attend a virtual tradeshow on Digital Fashion Summit 2021 which was put on by Fashion 360 Network, Anina Net. This unique event really opened my eyes to the future of fashion, apparel design, technology and I mean this stuff is really amazing. This series I’m sharing with you, to give you insights into the Digital Fashion world. And hang on tight, because this is going to BLOW YOUR MIND!

Let’s just start with topic sessions. and see which words you even know in these titles and what they mean!! THere were over 45 Sessions! I am still watching them all. But the speakers were amazing people who are fighting for change in an industry that is still based on the old model of selecting fabric, cutting a pattern, making a tech pack, making 3-4 pre-production samples to get the fit right, and all the back and forth. Now you can do it all virtually and increase your time to market, or in this case virtually to your clients.
Here is a list of what I found the most fascinating.

3D Fabric printing and modeling. Is she real? What do you think?
  • Acceleration of Fashion tech
  • Dematerialized Style: Tokens, Games, Bots and High Frequency Fashion
  • Digital Fashion Weeks/Success or Failure
  • Decentralization of Everything Transforming The Global Economy and Fashion Lifestyle
  • Robots & Fashion
  • 7 Key Technologies Transforming the Future of Fashion
  • THe Future of Fashion, Ai, and Blockchain
  • The Convergence of Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain in the Fashion Industry
  • How Celebrities are Leveraging Technology to Bringing Fashion and Beauty Brands to their Fans
  • Virtual Models
  • Luxury Robot & IOT Jacket
  • New Business Models in Fashion
  • Opera & Brainwaves (This was actually quite fascinating)
  • New Wearable Tech
  • Prosthetic Designs Fashioning An Altered Identity
  • Interactive Photo, Video and the New World of Online Content Creation
  • Shall I go on??? Ok.. 🙂
  • Gaming and Fashion
  • 3D Printing on Fabric
  • 3D Printing & Sustainable Luxury
  • Creating Future Trends
  • How to create a 3D Collection in One Click
  • Virtual Textiles: the Current Status, Virtual twins and Digital Fashion
  • What is the new Digital Design Workflow?
  • Legal Framework for Ai, Blockchain and Digital Fashion
  • Future of Factorings and Manufacturing
  • Investing in the Future
  • Global Trends in Fashion Tech Investing
  • Macro Scenarios That Will Shape the Future of Retail

So do you know anything about any of this?? Well I have seen the 3D modeling and 3D printing… and that was the extent of any digital fashion background. I have been in the apparel design and manufacturing since 1996 starting with my first apparel job at a global cycling company called Giordana. At the time, we were still sending over pattern pieces 1MB a day!! That was how digital we were on a dial-up internet. SO much has changed. And I’m so excited about what is next.

So a lot of the speakers were very good at explaining these difficult scenarios and also explaining the build-up to how we got here. The pandemic has forced so mnay industries to either change and innovate or fail. As we have seen with a lot of the malls and big retailers who are slow to change to anything, they have died. What is in it’s place is real-time design, virtual 3D modeling and even how we pay into this new global economy.

There is so much to dive into but here are some of my key takeaways. My next article will focus on how Digital Fashion is being used and the future of working with clients.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • The current frenzy surrounding non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and digital art consists of a remix of artistic concepts from the 1960s with cutting-edge technologies that will define the world of tomorrow. The implications for the fashion industry – and all visual arts— are profound and urgent. 
  • Blockchain – new way to sell an item. 
  • The Fabricant: Digital fashion house Develop Skins for all these virtual worlds
  • WAX is making digital shoes rare sneakers – and do a high resolution scan keep the original sneakers you can see them, but what you are trading is the digital twin. 25,000% trading the token.
  • Shu DU Gram – person doesn’t exist has millions of followers
  • Facebook/horizon – virtual world – not released yet
  • Synthetic personalities – Artificial people. Code Miko – character – Vtube, you are a virtual personality representing you – 
  • Beeple – digital artist – forefront of this trend. $13 million. At the last minute sold for $69 million for a digital artwork
  • Augmented Realty (AR interactive experience the object that resides in the real world. $340 Billion market with estimated 810 Million users
  • Virtual Reality -use headset which is connect to a computer and immerse you in a computer generated experience interactive experience that places you in unique situations.
  • Muse – brain sensing headband – interfaces with an app to train your brain for mindfulness 
  • Sensoree’s GER mood – help children with autism, couple therapy, color shows moods
  • Biotechnology is the broad area of science involving living systems and organisms to develop or make products. 
  • MODERN MEADOW – https://www.modernmeadow.com/zoahttps://www.modernmeadow.com/zoa  is a New Jersey based makes a fabric called ZOA is growing animal leather from cell cultures. 
  • Why are we creating so much unnecessary waste? There are companies that are building their business sustainability.
  • Scale materials that are safe and renewable. Fast fashion the garment that are cheap and easy to use. Buy a t-shirt that is cheap won’t last as long, and you  are throwing it out. Materials that are made to last. 
  • Automated sewing
  • 3D images put designs on virtual models to see what it all look like before production.

Fashion is starting to be more innovative and easily accessible. However I still like to meet with a client face to face to get their vibe and their passion for the brand. Clients still want to touch and feel the fabric. And we will need to make the garments and sell them and make money! So how does all of this fit into making money?? Time will tell. You have to be a brand that is innovative, willing to collaborate with like-minded companies to market yourself and open minded.

If you have any questions about this topic or interested in learning how Custom Apparel Source can lead you into the next generation of fashion contact me at mariellen@customapparelsource.net or send me a quick text 704-236-0568.