The pandemic has transformed the way people work around the world, forcing people and brands to spend more and more time online. This has accelerated the need for a revamped supply chain that is driving digitalization to new dimensions. This was a key topic at PI Apparel’s Supply Chain Forum Europe, held April 28-29 in Amsterdam.
Part of the event was a panel discussion with representatives from well-known companies such as Zalando, PVH and Timberland, who dealt in particular with digital product development and the associated opportunities. The panel discussion was moderated by Ton Wiedenhoff, Managing Director of the fashion innovation company Alvanon, and Sara Canali, Market Development Manager Italy and Ticino at Alvanon.
Discussing their relationship to 3D implementation, panelists generally agreed that the pandemic has helped push companies to adopt digitization faster than they would have done without the impact of Covid. All pointed out that 3D is most valued in their companies and allows them to connect closely with their supply chains to explore further production possibilities.
Sylwia Szymczyk, 3D apparel specialist at Timberland, said: “What we thought was the future has materialized and become the present – our transition has been much faster. While the digital element was being worked on before the pandemic, Covid has accelerated development – things that happened in two years might have taken longer to be implemented.”
“Brands just had to do something; they were forced to try new technologies and reinvent themselves,” she added.
Digitization of the supply chain depends on customer requirements
A common observation of the participants was that each company had to adapt to the requirements of its specific customer and supplier groups, which led to different degrees of digital implementation. Much has helped streamline supply chain processes and increase their efficiency. For example, Carla Ferreira, senior director for 3D product development at PVH Europe, said the company uses online fittings to reduce the cost and time involved in creating samples.
Dorothea Siano, team leader of product development at Zalando, explained that a key focus of the German retailer is creating visually appealing product images with avatars and optimizing size integration for garments that need to be made for a wide range of measurements, now in what is now a virtual 3D -Adaptation approach is considered from.
Standards was another area Siano addressed, noting that it takes a lot of trust in the process before applying digital standards to a company’s supply chain and delivery operations.
“When it comes to standards, it’s good to differentiate between digital standards and quality standards,” PVH’s Ferriera responded to Siano’s concerns. “Digital standards don’t change drastically over time, so you can set them in stone and move on. Quality speaks more to the aesthetic one prefers, the steps taken to get there, and the skill level of those who must follow it. You have to support that with training and partnerships to build the quality you want.”
The necessary digital tools were also an issue for some companies, as Szymczyk from Timberland addressed, which were often missing in the digital implementation. She also said there is a lack of people with the appropriate digital skills, which is a mandatory part of the process. “We lacked people who were able and willing to implement these changes,” she noted. “There was a lot of resistance to these new technologies, but we also had to move forward because other companies were doing the same.”
Ferreira echoed Szymczyk’s point of view, adding that one of the biggest challenges for PVH is getting people excited about new implementations – a problem Ferraira says continues to this day.
Overcoming distrust in the digital landscape
Ruben Bakker, Chief Technology Officer at Tailored Technologies, who works primarily with made-to-order clothing, was among those hesitant about going fully digital. As part of his presentation, Bakker showed examples of both digital and in-person fitting of suits and pointed out ways in which digital patterns can be a hindrance in the production process, often resulting in ill-fitting garments.
“With the transition to 3D, it was very difficult to trust what we see,” he said. “We ran a lot of calibration tests to compare what we see on screen to what we see in real life. To move away from physical adjustments, you have to be able to trust this process.”
Bakker pointed out that subjective garment requirements based on personal taste – such as comfort – are difficult to implement in the digital environment, leading him to be wary of these technologies in the production of bespoke clothing. For example, some software applications can still provide only basic fit information, and it can be difficult to accurately tailor this to individual design preferences, such as a preference for a loose fit.
Szymczyk countered Bakker’s statement and suggested that 3D need not be viewed as a translation or collaboration between the physical and the digital, something she says Timberland had considered. Instead, Szymczyk said to see 3D “as an extension of the physical, not a replacement.”
Szymczyk agreed that designers need to be sure that the 3D and real-world fit are exactly the same, and stressed the importance of comparing a digital pattern to a real-world pattern to tell the difference.
However, she noted that this digital process would eventually become the norm, adding: “A lot of young people who are now studying fashion use 3D and digitization early in their careers. I don’t think they see it as something strange – they’ll just seamlessly transition between physical fabrics and digitization, looking closely at details.”
Bakker also spoke of another challenge Tailored Technologies faces, namely the representation of fabrics in certain online processes, and explained that he currently believes that the technology available to do so is “not quite mature”. Szymczyk agreed. Bakker said that to overcome this obstacle he tried several fabric simulation tools and now uses very difficult fabrics, such as thin nylon, to visualize 3D patterns, which allows him to see ironing and creases in the design.
Szymczyk added that the tissue simulation methods are not in the final stages of development, but conceded: “We’re almost there, but it’s not perfect yet. I think it’s a matter of time and problem solving. Perhaps digital processes would be possible at all sampling levels and we could process an article completely digitally and sample it in 3D.”
This article originally appeared on FashionUnited.uk. Translated and edited by Simone Preuss.