Fashion and Technology

I often thought that a fashion enthusiast and a tech guru could never find common ground. I did not know that they already did and worked together ever since human beings started wearing clothes. This is quite a significant bond as it was the fashion and textile industry that sparked the industrial revolution.

For example, there are now men’s designer clothing brands that work with tech companies to develop limited-edition apparel and accessories. Bespoke pieces can be made to match tech products, or it can be the other way around. If you have a tech that you want to wear, you can easily find fashionable wardrobe items to match. It is even possible to mix up your look by contrasting your clothes and your tech wearables.

Fast forward to our current age of information and technology, and the momentum is only building up. From people looking into options for their wrists on Valuable Watches to more wearable integrated items out there, the market is booming. Here are some of the many ways fashion and technology are and will continue to coexist.

Tech in Fashion Product Design

I break this down into two main features, tech as the product designer and trend driver. Tech is now getting its hands ready to be a lead fashion designer, thanks to AI and machine learning. With project muse by google and other designing types of software becoming common, we will soon do away with pencil sketches. Using software, one can get the exact measurements a new garment will need without a lot of physical contact with a client.

As a trend driver or predictor, tech uses predictive analysis to tell what people will likely want to wear in the near future. Since fashion follows a cyclic trend, it’s easy to predict human behavior, including product response.

Tech and Globalization Through Fashion

We have already seen the shift fashion drove with e-commerce. I believe that soon, fashion will be one of the leading industries encouraging globalization. Aside from e-commerce, virtual reality will bring designers and consumers closer than before. Virtual reality allows designers to interact with consumers as if they were present in the same location, which reduces contact time while still providing the most efficient service delivery methods we have today.

Blockchain in Fashion

Blockchain aims to provide accuracy and security in almost all industries, including fashion. Using a simple digital ID, manufacturers can easily keep track of all their products and historical data related to the same. This is thanks to decentralization in blockchain technology.

RFID and NFC tags plus QR codes use electromagnetic waves, which are trackable from a distance, thus reducing inventory management time. They can also store timestamps, content, and location data, helping consumers track manufacturing ethics, especially when climate experts are pushing for eco-friendly fashion.

Clothing-As-A-Service

I have heard a lot about IaaS, Paas, and Saas, but I didn’t expect that we would soon have CaaS as part of the many services humans are going for. We are selling so many things or exchanging them for coupons and free subscriptions on online platforms in this era. The yearn to keep up with the latest look and trend comes at a high cost, which is where CaaS comes in.

Already we have the likes of Rent the Runway, which allows us to rent out fashion services. If you cannot afford a designer outfit, you can simply hire one on a monthly basis. These services are also moving from physical stores to digital platforms with drop-off services.

Tech in Manufacturing

Customization is another thrilling trend, and thanks to 3D technology, this trend will only keep getting hotter. Producing products on-demand helps manufacturers get particular with clients’ demands, increasing their satisfaction levels. With 3D, it is easy to customize most garments, and fabric waste reduces by 35%. Major brands such as Adidas are already in the spotlight for hiring these services and investing in companies such as Carbon that major in 3D printing.

Still in manufacturing, we are now seeing the combination of hardware and software for automated sewing platforms. I wouldn’t be surprised if advanced robotics and software take over entirely, with Sewbots already on demand in the near future. The robot uses computer vision and specialized cameras to track multiple threads at over 1000 frames per second.

Adidas also opened two speed factories operated by robots. Although the factories faced several challenges, a lot of improvement is quite possible with better planning and efficiency testing.

This is only a sneak peek of what I see and expect when it comes to fashion and technology. I cannot summarize the kind of impact this combination creates here, but we can all wait patiently to see where it takes us. Maybe our kids will forget about owning clothes altogether.