ARTICLE REVIEW 1 - the digitalization of fashion

In the article “Fashion in 3D: An Opportunity for Greater Innovation”, written by Cathy Hackl, the journalist criticizes the fashion industry’s lack of initiative in utilizing 3D technologies. Hackl discusses how the advent and continuous refinement of 3D software allows for technological, industrial, and e-commerce industries alike to discover new, innovative ways to interact with consumers and approach their products. 3D technology intersected with E-commerce should not end at the designing stage, which primarily consists of 3d rendering digitized products so that manufacturers have a better idea of what’s to be built. However, this is where the fashion industry is primarily stuck. This is because major fashion companies largely are fixated on the perfection of rendering a 2D version of the product, and now on how the technology can expand their range and creation of a product across various platforms. 3D tech should be considered a realm for endless possibilities for creating and moving product; from making 3D versions of products so that consumers have a better idea of the fit and form of their purchase: to utilizing AR technology to project the product into a space or on your body; to making 3D versions of people’s favorite clothes/brands that their avatar can wear in a gaming space. It would be an immense waste for 3D tech to only make the designers and manufacturers’ jobs easier, especially when so many industries are pulling ahead of fashion;s innovation. With many companies turning to the utilization of 3D and AR technology to bring themselves to a virtual space and reality - such as holding meetings in virtual rooms, or furniture companies rendering products in a person’s living room by holding up their phone - it’s shocking that the majority of fashion leaders are not applying the same creativity shown to clothing creation to the 3D space.

As a creator of fashion and secondhand clothing consumer, I completely agree with what this article is advocating for. What I don’t think they realize is that many small business or independent artists are already utilizing 3D not just for the explicit purpose of selling their work, but also to display it in an accessible manner. I’ve seen and attended fashion shows in virtual spaces like Roblox and Minecraft servers where the artist either created or scanned their fashion on virtual avatars, and had different players do a virtual catwalk that anyone with an account tor the video games could join and watch on their screens. I’ve also seen headdress, mask, jewelry, and body armor artists in particular render imaginary 3D renditions of their work onto 3D models or show off designs on a rendered model’s face and body that they either can’t create in real life or don't intend to. I truly believe that the future of fashion lies in harnessing 3D technology for good rather than being one of the number one creators of waste and pollution on earth. Imagine if fast fashion became a virtual consuming industry rather than the physical and wasteful production of as many designs and products as possible?

Article link: https://www.forbes.com./sites/cathyhackl/2021/10/17/fashion-in-3d-an-opportunity-for-greater-innovation/?sh=cb075fe3ce33