The landscape of fashion is changing and as it should, while every other industry has embraced different technologies to increase efficiency and output, we, the people from the world of fashion, share a fair amount of doubts and fear when it comes to changing the way we work. Let's take an example to understand this.
Illustrator, an infamous software used widely today for fashion and graphic designing, was invented just back in the 80s - so does that mean fashion design did not exist before the 80s? No. It did. Right? But the 80s fashion and graphic designers who were curious enough about this new technology, learned it, adopted it, and saw the benefits of this software so much that the word spread, and right now we live in a world where it's unthinkable to design anything without these designing software.
And just like that, we are again in this era, where new technology is coming and whether you choose to be an early adapter and embrace it or you choose to discard it and continue with traditional methods is completely a personal choice. We'd be discussing digital sampling also known as virtual sampling, what is it, how it can be beneficial for you as a fashion brand, and how you can start with digital sampling for your brand.
You've found yourself here for one of two reasons:
A) You're intrigued by the buzz surrounding digital sampling in the fashion industry.
B) You're already familiar with the concept but want to know more and use it, unsure of where to begin.
Rest assured, by the end of this blog, you'll gain clarity on both fronts.
Let's start by laying down the basics and history.
In a world rapidly embracing digital transformation, especially in the last decade, it's no surprise that every industry is harnessing technology to increase productivity, and efficiency, and reduce environmental impact.
The fashion industry is changing and it's significantly shifting towards the adaptation of virtual designing for various reasons:
Consumer Demand for Ethical Products: A Harvard Business study reveals that when customers perceive a brand as caring about its impact on people and the planet, they're 27% more likely to make a purchase.
Fashion Waste Reduction: Prioritizing the reduction of fashion waste is crucial for all fashion labels. Digital sampling is a key tool in achieving this goal.
Solution for Overproduction: With digital sampling, brands can now test products virtually before production, ensuring that only the most promising designs are brought to market. This approach significantly enhances efficiency during the design phase.
Increased Sales and Marketing: Brands are leveraging technology to boost sales and marketing efforts. By testing products virtually and gauging consumer response, they can optimize designs and produce only what will sell.
Streamlined Production Processes: Digital sampling enables brands to customize fits and streamline production with custom avatars. This not only enhances efficiency but also ensures a more sustainable approach to manufacturing.
Embracing this change early on is crucial. The fashion landscape is evolving, and you're faced with a choice: adapt and thrive or resist and risk falling behind.
Consider this historical precedent for a moment: When printing press machines emerged, there was widespread fear that manual printing would become obsolete. Yet, here we are, with time, it became evident that this innovation democratized access to information. Similarly, amidst today's advancements in AI and digital technologies, it's time to shift our perspective from fearing disruption to embracing the potential benefits for humanity as a whole.
Now, with the right mindset, let's delve into digital sampling and how it can help you grow your clothing brand.
What is digital sampling?
In the fashion industry, the samples that are created digitally, also known as digital prototypes, are virtual representations of products such as apparel made using specialized software. These digital samples provide a comprehensive 360-degree view and can be presented as images, gifs, or videos.
This is a virtually created dress with every detail both aesthetical and technical aspects taken into complete consideration while making this digital sample. The samples help the designers and brands to look at all the aspects of the design before making a physical sample, any alteration in design, color, and fabric choices can be easily altered and only once you're happy to move forward you take the next step.
Let's look at other benefits of digital sampling and consider how it can help you:
Precise Design Patterns
Digital samples, whether created within the software or imported from other traditional pattern-making software, ensure every attention to design patterns. This approach guarantees visual and technical accuracy, ultimately elevating the fit of the garment.
Notably, these patterns are easily alterable, and graded, and can even generate automatic measurement sheets, streamlining the design process for efficiency and excellence.
Accurate Technical Details
Digital samples excel in capturing intricate fabric technicalities with precision. From texture to material properties, every detail is accurately replicated, offering an in-depth understanding of the garment's composition and characteristics. Even delicate fabrics like velvet and organza – including light, weight, and colors – are flawlessly captured in rendered pictures and videos, ensuring an authentic representation.
Customization and Fitting
One of the most compelling aspects of digital sampling is its ability to customize avatars to your exact specifications. Recognizing that one size does not fit all, this feature addresses the diverse genetic makeup of individuals worldwide. Gone are the days of relying on standardized size charts that may not accurately reflect regional variations. With digital sampling, you have the freedom to customize every aspect of the model, from major dimensions like shoulders, bust, waist, and hips to finer details like length, ankle, and neck width. This level of customization ensures that garments are tailored precisely to individual preferences, catering seamlessly to diverse global markets.
By harnessing digital sampling technology, fashion brands can streamline their design processes, minimize waste, and meet evolving consumer demands with agility.
The era of digital sampling presents a transformative opportunity for fashion brands willing to embrace innovation. Stay ahead of the curve, leverage technology to your advantage, and propel your brand toward sustainable success.
How Can You Implement Digital Sampling In Your Current Production Process?
1. Improve Designing Process
Picture this: You're conceptualizing your next spring-summer collection, exploring fabric swatches, and envisioning garment designs. You are not sure if you should go with Pantone Rose Quartz or Senerity, or a combination of both, you want to know how the style will look like both colors, maybe even conduct a market study by leveraging your social media community to take the poll. With digital samples, you can effortlessly visualize dresses in different hues, engaging your social media community for input. By generating hype without physical samples, you organically boost sales.
2. Reducing Errors in Manufacturing
Digital sampling automatically generates detailed tech packs, ensuring accuracy in design specifications, bill of materials, patterns, sizing, and grading. This minimizes discrepancies often found in manual tech packs, leading to fewer errors during manufacturing.
3. Significantly Reducing Fashion Waste
In the fashion industry, sampling often generates substantial waste. Multiple rounds of prototypes and fit samples end up discarded, contributing to environmental harm. Digital sampling drastically reduces this waste, aligning with sustainability goals.
4. Increasing Sales
High-resolution images and captivating videos showcasing garment aesthetics can be leveraged for promotional activities or pre-orders. When utilized effectively, digital sampling can even replace traditional photoshoots, enhancing marketing efforts and driving sales.
5. Becoming a Tech-Forward Company
Embracing digital innovation attracts tech-savvy consumers, especially younger generations accustomed to digital experiences. Brands like Balenciaga and Adidas are setting trends with digital products, catering to evolving consumer preferences and staying relevant in a digital era.
6. Reducing Manufacturing Costs
The transition to digital sampling significantly slashes the expenses associated with traditional sample production. From design to sample stage, the cost is reduced from an average of 20% to merely 7% of total business expenditure, yes, it’s not as expensive as you might think it is.
7. Saving Time
Traditional sampling processes are time-consuming, often spanning weeks or months. This delayed timeline adds pressure on manufacturers and can result in compromised quality, or missing the sales entirely due to production delays. Digital sampling streamlines the process, reducing turnaround time to mere hours or days, enhancing efficiency, and reducing pressure on manufacturers allowing them more time to focus on quality.
8. Entering the World of Metaverse and AI
While the concept of the metaverse and AI may seem futuristic to some, it's an inevitable reality. Embracing these technologies ensures longevity for your brand, leaving a lasting legacy across generations.
How To Get Started with Your First Digital Samples
Option 1: Install and Learn the Software from Scratch
Clo3D stands out as one of the leading design software options. If you're well-versed in pattern-making and have experience with digital pattern-making software like Tukatech, mastering Clo3D shouldn't be a daunting task. However, it does require a solid understanding of design principles. Expect to invest 6 to 12 months in training to become proficient.
Option 2: Collaborate with Professional 3D Design Services
Design and Manufacturing service platforms for global clothing brands such as Zeddwork Studio offer an excellent solution for brands seeking high-quality digital samples without the need for extensive training. Professional 3D fashion designers can create accurate and visually appealing digital samples at an affordable price. With the added benefit of complete privacy and copyright protection for your designs.
Whether you choose to dive into software training or collaborate with experienced professionals, embracing digital sampling is a step towards future-proofing your brand and staying ahead in the dynamic world of fashion.
What to do with your first Digital Samples?
While we have discussed many ways to incorporate digital samples in your fashion brand production ecosystem, how exactly would you use them is your decision and here are some key points to remember as you go on this journey:
1. Gradual Integration
Remember, embracing digital samples doesn't mean abandoning physical ones entirely. Start slow, first by replicating your existing styles digitally and comparing them with physical samples. Notice the differences between the two pictures by yourself first. This gradual approach allows you to familiarize yourself with the technology.
2. Evaluation and Decision-making
Once you're satisfied with the results, consider how you want to utilize your digital samples. You can showcase them to customers for pre-orders or incorporate them into your marketing and promotional activities to generate excitement and anticipation.
3. Advancing Technically
As you grow more comfortable with digital sampling, you can explore more advanced techniques. Consider creating entire collections digitally, reserving physical samples only for final design validation. This approach eliminates the need for multiple rounds of physical samples, streamlining the design process and reducing waste.
4. Customization and Fitting
Leverage digital sampling to its fullest potential by creating custom avatars for each product category, such as kids, women's, and men's apparel. This ensures that garments are tailored precisely to fit different body types, enhancing customer satisfaction and minimizing returns.
5. Streamlined Processes
Implement a seamless system from design to order, where only one physical sample is required for approval before production. This reduces sample wastage and significantly cuts down on time and costs associated with traditional sampling methods.
Ready to revolutionize your fashion brand with digital sampling?
Let us help you understand and implement digital prototypes by gradually integrating digital samples into your design process, and leveraging it for pre-orders, marketing, and promotions, ultimately reducing waste and streamlining processes.
Embrace digital sampling today to elevate your brand's efficiency, reduce costs, and minimize environmental impact. Let's embark on this transformative journey together!
Email us at info@zeddworkstudio.com for more information on apparel designing, sourcing, and manufacturing solutions for clothing brands.