Why? Consumers want 3D fashion options like virtual dressing rooms and by adding 3D CAD software to operations, fashion design companies can benefit from a myriad of elements.

Automation

Giving up control of steps in a workflow can be scary, but fashion designers who embrace 3D CAD software will actually give themselves more time to focus on being creative and developing ideas for new garments and styles. In 3D CAD workspaces like Clothing Tech’s Garment Digital Twin, patterns are automatically updated in real time while the garment is edited with a few clicks of the mouse. Another automation marvel of this 3D CAD software is the simultaneous update of the tech pack and costing model for the garment. Because your team won’t have to spend time on these details, they can spend more time creating designs that will expand your line in the marketplace.

Efficiency

Thanks to the automation found in 3D CAD software like the Garment Digital Twin, your fashion design company can save time and money while eliminating waste. Fashion industry pollution is a huge concern for the environment. In fact, fashion production currently accounts for 10% of carbon emissions. It also dries up water sources, while polluting rivers and streams. Fashion industry pollution also shows up in our landfills with 85% of all textiles ending up being unused each year.

Not only can 3D CAD fashion design help create sustainability in the fashion industry, it can help your company be more profitable. By reducing the ideation to sample cycle from months to weeks or days, the Garment Digital Twin creates efficiency that results in real dollars in your pocket. Your company’s designs can make it to market in a timely fashion and you won’t have wasted time and money on the sampling process because you relied on 3D renderings complete with automated features like fabric tension mapping and costing models.

Quick Revision

Want to lower the neckline? Drop the hemline? But, you know that this small change will cost you weeks in the revision process and months in getting a new sample. Not with 3D CAD software. You can make changes to a garment in seconds with a few clicks of the mouse inside the Garment Digital Twin’s 3D CAD workspace and while you watch the rendering change in front of you, behind the scenes, the software is automatically updated the pattern, tech pack, and more.

So, now a quick revision to your garment really is quick! What’s better? You can collaborate in real time with a client or teammate inside the 3D CAD software even if you’re in Milan and he’s in LA. This is ideal for trying out a few iterations of the same garment without the typical concerns this would involve. You can gather opinions on your garment revisions and build on them without worrying about destroying your timeline.

Export and Send Quickly

We get it. You have to send accurate information to your vendors and manufacturers to actually create your garments. With Clothing Tech’s 3D CAD fashion design software, this has never been easier. You can export the tech pack, costing model, and finish details all in a few clicks. The tool has several export capabilities, including DXF, AAMA, ASTM, FBX files, so the Garment Digital Twin can easily interface with your current workflows and processes. Because all the details are wrapped up nicely in one file, you can feel confident that your vendors will have accurate information to create your garment. From sampling to production, the speed and ease of the export process creates an additional layer of efficiency that boosts profitability for your fashion design company.

Artificial Reality/Augmented Reality
Artificial Intelligence and Artificial Reality are already being used for online shopping experiences and will now be a more central element of in-store shopping experiences. The high tech trends will help brands bring customers to their brick and mortar locations as well as enhance sustainability of their business models.
AI can help customers narrow down what styles they are interested in or might complement their body best. While Artificial Reality (AR) provides a virtual try-on experience. This high tech fashion trend will be especially relevant for accessories like rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings and more. These AI and AR tools will also take a lead role in the skincare and makeup industries, which are closely connected with fashion.
The AR try-on experience also brings shopping to the customer in a way we haven’t seen before. Sure, consumers have been purchasing clothes and accessories online for years now, but AR technology takes it to a whole new level. The augmented reality experience can be customized to each person with real life effects, allowing consumers to move through various styles and brands quickly from the comfort of their own home and device.

Environmentally Friendly
In a recent Bloomberg article, it was noted that fashion accounts for up to 10% of global carbon dioxide output; that’s more than international flights and shipping combined. Much of this fashion industry pollution and massive amounts of wasted material are related to creating physical samples of garments that consumers never see!
As more and more fashion companies adopt 3D CAD Software, the need for multiple physical samples will decrease. This may sound like a small change, but it can have huge effects. In the non-3D sampling world, the cycle looks something like this:
- Design and pattern are created.
- Pattern is sent to China where one sample is made.
- Sample is sent back to the U.S. where the sample is tried on by a model and the garment is adjusted.
- The edited pattern is sent back to China where another sample is made. Then, that version comes back to the U.S. You get the picture. This can go on for months and months.
Think about how much fashion industry pollution and waste are happening during this process. Not to mention, that often, even after all of that, the garments that are made don’t sell well because the one size of the sample that was made didn’t account for a change that should have been made as the garment’s size changed. Now, all of those garments end up in a landfill equaling more waste and pollution.
With 3D fashion design and editing tools, like the GDT, fashion companies can cut this waste down substantially and decrease the footprint of fashion industry pollution, which is a must to be environmentally friendly.

Influencers
We all have our favorite celebrities and social media followers, but high tech trends in 2023 are bringing virtual influencers to the forefront. Even luxe brands like Prada are embracing this trend with its own virtual muse dubbed Candy. With realistic looks and beauty that rivals supermodels, the virtual muse was used to launch a new fragrance line.
With virtual influencers becoming more popular and advertising brands across channels, will traditional fashion industry pillars like fashion shows and print ad campaigns fall to the wayside? Time will tell, but this is definitely a trend we’ll be watching closely.

3D Printing
While 3D printing of garments is currently limited to samples or show pieces for fashion shows, as the high-tech tool continues to be perfected, could it become a more mainstream way of fabricating garments? The technology itself allows for specific digital designs to be precisely printed, which minimizes manufacturing errors and resource waste. It would certainly streamline the process between 3 CAD design, like the GDT, and editing tools and garment creation. 3D printing can also boost sustainability for brands while allowing for added personalization. This tech-led production style could also lead to seamless garments, which would be a revolution to the way clothes are currently made. 3D printed items are environmentally friendly in materials and production, which also makes it attractive for the fashion industry moving forward. Currently, footwear, accessories, and embellishments like buttons are leading the charge with 3D printing in the fashion industry, but creating comfortable 3D printed clothes is on the horizon in 2023 and beyond. Historically, the fashion industry has been a slow adopter of new tools that other industries like automotive and manufacturing have quickly infused into processes and facilities. Regardless of each specific high tech fashion trend, the important thing to pay attention to is that the fashion industry is seemingly finally waking up to the idea that they must embrace technology to survive. Yes, we all need clothes, but only brands who take notice of what these tools can do to create efficiencies and limit waste will be leaders in the next decade.

In 2023, the fashion industry must pay attention to these high-tech tools and trends to remain relevant in the eyes of consumers who care about environmentally friendly brands and will spend more with those companies than others. People are more in tune with purchasing based on causes they care about than ever before!

· Integrated Costing: The GDT can now calculate the cost of fabric, thread, trims, finishes, and labor for your garments. If you make a change to your design, like adding a collar or shortening the length, the GDT will automatically update the costing spreadsheet, which is part of the tech pack.

· Tech Pack Export: Everything you need to move your garment from design to production, including costing, can easily be exported from the Garment Digital Twin system and shared with vendors and collaborators.

· PLM Integration: This software solution helps you efficiently manage each garment from idea to execution, including various workflows, team members and systems. This back-end boost will ultimately save you money.

· Finish Manager: This simple-to-use tool allows creatives to easily add brand-specific signature finishes to their designs. From hemlines and zippers to pockets and buttons, the Finish Manager helps you do it all.This simple-to-use tool allows creatives to easily add brand-specific signature finishes to their designs. From hemlines and zippers to pockets and buttons, the Finish Manager helps you do it all.

· Points of Measure Capability: The Garment Digital Twin takes the worry out of determining points of measure. With every clickable change you make to your design, our software updates the points of measure within the tech pack for the smoothest ideation to production process available in the fashion industry.

· Updated Garment Visualization: Our 3D renderings look more realistic than ever! The avatar models in the GDT will look runway ready in your designs.

Ready to check out all these amazing features for yourself? Schedule a FREE demo today!