This is a guest post by Oleksii Fedorenko, R&D of Gen Lab. Fedorenko believes that this fusion of the digital and physical realms is set to reshape our very perceptions of style and personal expression.
Technology and sustainable development in the fashion industry
At this important point in its evolution, the fashion sector is realizing how much of an impact it has on the environment, driving a push for more sustainable methods. Addressing textile waste is one of the most important steps in making the fashion industry a more sustainable system. Every year, 92 million tons of textile waste are produced worldwide. In addition, experts forecast a 63% increase in clothing consumption by 2030.
There are ways technology enhances sustainable development in the fashion industry:
- Digital fitting rooms and avatar creation. Utilizing virtual fitting rooms and avatars allows consumers to visualize how clothes will fit without physical trials. This reduces the need for producing physical samples, decreases the number of returns, and lessens waste from ill-fitting purchases. This approach aids in making more conscious choices and reduces the ecological footprint of logistics.
- Digitization of clothing. Technologies that transfer real clothing elements into the digital world decrease the need to create physical prototypes. This allows for experimentation with design without excessive material and resource expenditure, reducing production waste.
- Personalization. Using artificial intelligence to personalize fashion items enables more accurate responses to consumer demands, reducing the production of unwanted products. This approach leads to a decrease in excess inventory, increases customer satisfaction, and contributes to brands’ sustainability.
To sum up, technology is a major factor in the fashion industry’s drive toward sustainability. From digital fitting rooms and avatar creation to personalized fashion items, technology is enabling brands to reduce production waste. In the fashion sector, the convergence of technology and sustainability presents fresh chances for inventiveness and ethical corporate conduct.
What technology is capable of influencing global brands?
To push the limits of production, marketing, and wearability, designers and brands should embrace modern technology. We navigate through life in two worlds: the internal and the external. The internal world is a sanctuary of our dreams, desires, and imaginations, capturing our true essence, ambitions, and personality. Yet, it’s confined to our minds, unseen by others. On the other hand, the external world is tangible and real but often fails to align with our internal dreams, creating a universal human challenge.
Here are a couple of significant opportunities for the fashion industry:
- Artificial Intelligence. Brands use AI to enhance consumer shopping, analyze data, boost sales, predict trends, and offer inventory-related advice. Using generative AI reduces manual work for designers, expedites the creative process, and saves money on materials because AI can reduce fashion apparel production costs by 20%.
- Virtual Reality. Today’s technological advances promise a revolutionary solution — a virtual world that seamlessly blends the internal and external. This innovative space transforms our fantasies into tangible experiences, particularly within the dynamic landscape of fashion. In this virtual environment, fashion brands can craft clothing that perfectly aligns with individual consumer desires. This digital realm enables brands to design, iterate, and adapt with incredible speed and accuracy, providing a fun and efficient shopping experience that directly connects consumer dreams with real-world fashion capabilities. By 2026, the global market for virtual reality in the fashion sector will grow to $36.1 billion.
Virtual reality and artificial intelligence will play a crucial role in the fashion industry’s future advances, influencing everything from trend forecasting to how customers may truly view and purchase things.
Phygital approaches to advertising campaigns and modeling
The fashion business has gone a long way from the old physical ways to the constantly changing modern digital scene. The shift from physical to digital platforms has given brands more effective and efficient ways to promote their products. However, it has also offered users greater discretion over the content they interact with.
Empowered by advanced modeling and virtual reality, this “phygital” world — where physical meets digital — allows for the precise recreation of real-world items in a digital format and vice versa. This fusion not only makes our inner visions tangible but also enhances the way we experience fashion, turning everyday interactions into exhilarating and fulfilling adventures.
The phygital space redefines our engagement with fashion, transforming it into a realm where dreams dictate design and personal fantasies are met with the limitless possibilities of the physical world. This is where visionary ideas come to life, making our lives richer, more efficient, and joyously vibrant.
What is next for the fashion and fashion retail industry?
The outcome of implementing technologies in the fashion industry will be the ability to realize any idea in the virtual world, visualize it on oneself, experience all its qualities, and materialize the look, clothing, and accessories in the virtual space. Ultimately, it will be possible to replicate the same look in the physical world and physically possess it for use in everyday life.
Most importantly, the technology in fashion will lead the world to a more sustainable future given the increasing impact of the fashion industry on the environment. With climate risks worsening all over the globe, the fashion industry cannot hold off any longer on building resilience into its supply chains and helping to reduce emissions. As noted in The State of Fashion 2024 report 73% of surveyed executives expect to prioritize generative AI in 2024 aiming, among other goals, to move toward a sustainable future.
This fluid movement from idea to virtual “phygital” object to a physical object and back will become possible, along with the interaction of our thoughts, digital objects, and physical objects in a shared space where they can interact with each other, influence each other, and enhance each other’s quality. The possibilities will truly become limitless. The only thing that will limit them is your imagination.
