The Imperative To Transform Designer Fashion Through Digital Innovation

[Featured image: ALTERRAGE Avatar]

This article was originally published in The Interline’s DPC Report 2024. To read other opinion pieces, exclusive editorials, and detailed profiles and interviews with key vendors, download the full DPC Report 2024 completely free of charge and ungated.

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Fashion – especially at the high end – is yet again at a major crossroads. News of declining luxury profits have sent a disconcerting shockwave throughout the industry. Can we solve this as we did before; by cutting labor costs while scaling collection volumes? Or is this a fundamental shift that outdated methods cannot fix?

Creative fashion professionals worry about balancing high performance demands with unstable roles. Their workloads continue to pile up, while access to essential resources dwindles. Layoffs and budget cuts are increasing. Still, they are expected to continue business as usual. They face pressure to drive growth while trying to preserve their craft. Many are striving to make a positive impact in an industry that often feels like it’s sabotaging their efforts.

In 2020, my role as a luxury designer ended due to the pandemic’s hiring freeze. Before that, I worked in fashion studios across Paris, London, and New York. I loved the creative process but was nearing burnout and searching for solutions. That led me into the world of digital fashion and digital product creation, and it also prompted me to ask some big questions about ownership, Web3, and a host of other non-traditional solutions.

I was, in other words, leaving a very analogue world and sidestepping into a digital one.. My goal wasn’t to leave the fashion system. Instead, I felt like I’d discovered transformative tools that could supercharge our design and development processes and solve for a lot of the problems I’d observed first-hand, and that I knew the people left in traditional roles were still struggling with.

The key thing I’ve found: we already have the solutions to solve fashion’s most meaningful challenges. They may not be as seamlessly connected as they should be, and they might not exist in their fully final form yet, but across the spectrum of digital product creation and digital fashion systems and solutions, the keys are there.

So as brands and designers, I believe we have a responsibility to push the industry to higher standards by turning those keys. I know technology can feel intimidating or overwhelming, especially when the risk of being too early is as real as a lot of Web3 and digital fashion advocates think we were. But as I’ve learnt, there’s no such thing as being too early when the key task is preparing for a future that’s going to be defined by digital, and where success is going to be heavily influenced by the maturity of our digital capabilities and digital asset libraries, and by how well we adopt these tools to be both actionable and authentic to our brands.

The Five Cultural Shifts Transforming Fashion

I’ve identified five shifts that we can no longer ignore as we move into 2025, and for which digital product creation tools and mindsets (and the lessons taught by digital fashion) can prepare us. These trends represent fundamental changes driven by the acceleration of digitisation. 

Technology, at its core, is a tool created by people. As an industry, we may believe we shape society through dress, but fashion is ultimately a reflection of the world around us and the people who wear it. To future-proof your brand, staying ahead of these shifts is essential.

Authenticity Is the New Luxury

71% of fashion executives are increasing spending on brand marketing in 2024, prioritising authenticity and relatability to secure their brand legacy.

McKinsey & BoF, 2024

Years of relying on Pinterest for research and rushing development timelines are starting to show their negative effects. In a recent conversation between Kate Moss and Bella Freud on the Fashion Neurosis Podcast, Moss remarked, “I go to brand stores, and everything looks the same.” That homogeneity comes, at least in part, from relying on streamlining existing processes (which only get faster through a process of progressive averaging) rather than being willing to invent new ones.

Even in luxury, which is defined by uniqueness, we have sacrificed brand heritage in favor of chasing trends and sanding down rough edges. Customers are starting to notice.

If you want to build loyalty in the future market, it’s time to reconnect with the core DNA of your brand. Pure acceleration will make it harder for followers to stand out. By staying true to your brand’s history, vision, and story, and using this as the framework through which you approach digital product creation, you can endure the test of time.

I recently attended an exhibition in Paris celebrating 100 years of Maison Lesage, a prestigious Parisian embroidery house, founded in 1858. The exhibition showcased historic embroidery collections created for legendary fashion houses such as Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent, alongside their digital twins meticulously replicated using photogrammetry techniques. Each embroidery piece was paired with a captivating digital narrative, bringing its story to life in stunning detail. To mark this milestone, Maison Lesage also presented an immersive video installation that invited the audience to delve into the very essence of the materials, offering a mesmerizing journey into the heart of their craft.

Transform digitally or risk irrelevance 

Digital-native brands grow 15-30% faster than those that lag in digital adoption.

Doxee

As a tech-positive designer, I believe in the power of digital tools. I also recognise the importance of preserving essential savoir-faire like sketching and construction. These skills are foundational to our craft and should not be overlooked.

The short-term cost of training teams in 3D is significant, and it takes time.  Artificial intelligence models are still generating ugly versions of what we could design better ourselves. But according to Moore’s Law, technology advances at an exponential rate. Performance doubles roughly every two years. In the case of AI, advancements are happening even faster.

As we hone the right combination of AI and 3D tools, we will create and visualize products more easily. This is already happening today, and these tools can help us serve our clients in ways that were previously impossible. 

Ask yourself: Are you serious about building a brand for the future? Isn’t long-term growth more valuable than short-term costs? Especially when it comes to equipping your creative and commercial teams with the right tools to adapt and deepen the relevance of their craft for a new era?

Transparency is non-negotiable 

By 2030, all textile products in the European Union must carry a Digital Product Passport.

Renoon

Technology is sustainability’s new “petite ami.” Greenwashing has long been a threat to our progress in reducing waste. Circular processes are essential to make fashion less polluting. 

Legislative discussions on sustainability have been ongoing since as early as 2009. Now, a digital certificate is mandated for anyone creating textile products. Technologies like blockchain are helping create these new “care labels.” These labels visibly add value for everyone in the product value chain—from brands and producers to consumers.

Customers are becoming more informed. They are increasingly aware of the importance of transparency and sustainability.

Your community is your competitive advantage

Digital marketing with community-focused strategies can increase revenue by 15%.

Doxee

We’ve never been more connected, yet never felt more alone. Consumers want to be a part of something bigger than themselves.

During the pandemic isolation, I experienced an incredible phenomenon. I launched my brand and transformed my career by engaging in a decentralized, online community.

There was no single time zone, yet we united over one mission: to explore the newest technology applications for the fashion industry. Our values were driven by autonomy, contribution, and collaboration. In my time in fashion, these values often felt lacking. This movement was fast, furious, and punk. The level of commitment I experienced was unparalleled.

Community presents a major opportunity for your brand to connect with consumers on a deeper level for continued sales. Create your community on shared values. Unite them through a collection of iconic products. And, as you’ll see below, grow those communities through new channels that meet consumers where they are.

Brands will become seamless worlds

Brands adopting immersive tech like AR and virtual gaming experiences see 20% higher conversion rates.

Harvard Business Review

Digital is fashion, and fashion is digital. In today’s world, there is no longer a clear divide between our physical and digital lives.

In 2007 the term “phygital” was introduced by Chris Weil of Momentum Worldwide. This described the integration of physical and digital experiences.

Customers find your products through social networks and smart search assistants like ChatGPT. New technologies, such as Ray-Ban’s Meta glasses and Apple’s Vision Pro, provide immersive ways for your brand to tell its story.

The challenge for brands is understanding how to link these technologies together. The goal is to create one seamless experience for customers to connect with your brand, which spans digital and physical channels. 

In 2019, I coined “METARALITY” to explain the blend of three realities: physical (“In Real Life”), augmented (“On Real Life”), and virtual (“Larger Than Life”). As a designer, I create for all three spaces.

One product, five verticals

In 2021, we launched the first earrings to be owned and worn digitally – which you can see in some of the images accompanying this article. This product would teach me a huge amount about what it means to create in 3D, to build products for both digital and physical endpoints, and to articulate the stories around those products across all those different avenues. So much was wrapped up in this one project, in fact, that it became our brand’s framework for holistic digital transformation.

Inspired by the issue of e-waste, the E-SHCK Earrings aligned with our ethos of activism. Crafted using recycled e-waste gold, for the physical version, the product raises awareness through storytelling while connecting deeply with our community.

We used Blender 3D to prototype the product. This reduced sampling waste by 70% and cut production timelines by 50-75%. By visualising the design digitally, we avoided errors and streamlined the entire process.

Each pair includes a digital label. This tracks its lifecycle, from sourcing to end-of-life recyclability. The label provides transparency, builds trust, and ensures compliance with upcoming sustainability regulations.

With the data from the digital label, we gain valuable insights into customer preferences. We can engage with our collectors, notifying them about upcoming drops and events. This helps us better understand how to create products that are in demand.

The E-SHCK Earrings exist in three spaces: in real life, on real life, and larger than life. They are wearable in the physical world and produced on demand with 3D printing. Their digital twin powers AR experiences and is compatible with gaming platforms. This blend of physical and digital creates a truly immersive experience for our customers – and it’s also helped to set the template for how digital product creation, traditional product creation, and digital brand-building should coexist.

How to future proof your brand in 2025

Align Your Brand: Focus on building authentic narratives instead of chasing fleeting trends. Today’s consumers are conscious of sustainability and ethical practices. Brands that stay true to their mission will build lasting loyalty.

Digitise Design: Streamline your design process using AI workflows and 3D sampling. The integration of digital tools reduces waste, accelerates production timelines, and helps maintain a consistent, high-quality product. As the fashion industry moves towards sustainability, digital tools are crucial in eliminating inefficiencies.

Authenticate Products: Implement Digital Product Passports (DPP) to provide transparency and traceability. This digital certification ensures compliance and builds trust with consumers by offering insight into sourcing, production methods, and end-of-life recyclability.

Connect With Community Collectors: Secure loyalty by building innovative community initiatives. Use digital platforms, real-time experiences, digital assets, product renders and more across social media and other channels to create a direct line to your customers, keeping them engaged and informed. Consider offering exclusive content, limited-edition products, and other experiences to build a deeper relationship.

Expand Your Reach: Explore hybrid markets such as gaming and AR-enhanced collections. By integrating your brand into virtual spaces and platforms, you can reach new audiences while offering a multi-dimensional experience that blends the physical and digital worlds seamlessly.

The road to high-impact transformation 

Step 1: Identify Strategic Opportunities

Audit areas in your brand where digital tools can have the most immediate impact.

Step 2: Train Your Team

Empower your team through targeted workshops and masterclasses to equip them with the skills needed for digital transformation.

Step 3: Test With Capsule Collections

Experiment with limited-run products and integrate successes holistically for long term transformation.

Step 4: Implement & Partner

Collaborate with technology providers to scale solutions throughout your value chain. 

The result is a seamless integration of digital innovation into your brand’s DNA, creating a more agile, responsive, and sustainable business.

Alter fashion’s future 

The risk of not embracing technology in today’s fashion industry is significant. Working within or owning a designer brand today without leveraging the power of digital tools is nearly impossible. The integration of 3D design, AI, blockchain, and augmented reality has already transformed how we think about product creation, marketing, and customer engagement.

Since the convergence of these technologies in 2019, we have matured past the initial use cases. Early adopters have already seen success with reduced waste, faster production times, and enhanced customer experiences. Brands that fail to adopt and evolve with these tools risk falling behind and losing relevance in an increasingly data-driven, digital-first marketplace.