Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/1497119
I t was only a handful of years ago that Fashion Week kicked off the new season, with giant fashion houses dictating trends. Designers used mood boards for inspiration and relied on trend consultants for a color palette. Now, with the rise of smaller brands, disruption of COVID and the immersion of social media, a lot has changed about the way we work. Upon introducing a March 2023 webinar en- titled Digital Fabrics 101, Cotton Incorporated marketing director Megan Peterson stated that "digital fabric development could further rev- olutionize the product development process in the future." Virtual fabrics, or a representation of fabric in 3D apparel design soware, can recreate the physical appearance and drape of a fabric through texture, physics (thickness, stretching) and data (weight, content, finish). Fabric swatches are swapped out for images that can be shared virtually and commented on in real time. Digital prototypes of garments provide a good visualization of graphics on apparel and allow for the ability to change prints, scale or placement. Many mills are working with digital proto- types. "Mills are becoming much more than suppliers, they are like tech partners," said Kate Absher, manager of fashion and digital design marketing for Cotton Incorporated. While some fashion brands digitize fabrics in-house, others rely on services from vendors, mills or factories. You can also outsource to a digital service. "Much of this didn't even exist five to seven years ago," added Absher. Singapore- based mill Ghim Li is able to turn out a virtual sample in 14 days versus the traditional 45 days for a physical sample. Speed to market is also a big consideration, as is less travel to mills and tradeshows, lessened storage costs for excess fabrics and reduced shipping costs. e Holt Co., founder Stacy Holt integrated 3D digital assets into a launch for Clover Athletica during a time when Canada/U.S. travel was restricted. e team jump started their line review using 3D prototypes. "Implementing 3D made initial prototyping more productive and focused, since we gath- ered detailed comments and did revisions DESIGN GOES DIGITAL NEW THINKING EMERGES ON DESIGNING PRODUCTS IN A DIGITAL WORLD. BY SUZANNE BLECHER IN THE STUDIO / 3D DESIGN 22 • Textile Insight ~ Spring 2023 textileinsight.com Studio Eva x Carola – Led by Designers Eva de Laat (right) and Carola Leegwater (left).