3D visualisation was once limited to industries with inflexible and texture-neutral products. But in the last few years, 3D technology for virtualisation of complex flexible materials has been significantly developed and its uptake in the fashion design sector is now allowing for significant progress in the industry.
Digitisation through 3D rendering by X-Rite Pantone
Uptake
While many design teams still rely on the Adobe suite alone for design creation, developments in 3D are starting to influence the way brands not only design but also how they sample.
3D technology can now visualise the drape, weight and comfort of a garment, for example, analysing pressure points of the proposed design on the body. For this to be useful, design teams must have a credible understanding of garment pattern creation, which is sometimes considered a lost art at brands themselves, reliant on suppliers to establish the pattern from the design.
However, where 3D technology is used effectively, it can result in lead time reduction, enabling prototyping to be carried out in virtual space rather than physically. With the average garment going through an estimated six sample runs before it is approved for manufacturing, turn-around times are currently lengthy for most brands. However, they are increasingly being tasked with shorter run times thanks to competitors, like Zara, reshaping the industry with new products released to market every 10 days.
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