Released in The Interline’s DPC Report 2023, this executive interview is one of a sixteen-part series that sees The Interline quiz executives from major DPC companies on the evolution of 3D and digital product creation tools and workflows, and ask their opinions on what the future holds for the the extended possibilities of digital assets.
For more on digital product creation in fashion, download the full DPC Report 2023 completely free of charge and ungated.
What do you believe are the greatest opportunities that are realistically achievable, in 2024, through investment in DPC talent and tools?
In 2023/24, the most thrilling opportunity through investment in DPC, particularly AI, lies in its transformative power for the fashion industry. AI’s role is pivotal in accelerating the pace of skill acquisition and production efficiency. The recent advancements in AI, like ChatGPT 4.0, with all those API integrations and App-Store like applications, highlight the actual potential for specialized AI-driven content creation and data modeling, tailored to specific industries. At Style3D, we envision integrating AGI for its speed and general knowledge with our unique industrial datasets. This synergy aims to culminate in a fashion-focused industrial model by 2024, revolutionizing how we approach design and production.
From your perspective, what does it mean to offer full process coverage across the spectrum of digital product creation – from fabric digitisation through design, development, internal collaboration and downstream use cases?
Our vision at Style3D is to forge a digital ecosystem that offers more than mere tools; it’s about infusing fluidity into the fashion industry. Covering the entire spectrum of digital product creation means connecting various stages – from fabric digitization to design, and from internal collaboration to downstream applications. This holistic approach ensures seamless transitions and a richer, more cohesive creative process. Our commitment is to foster an environment where creativity is bolstered by technology, ensuring that each phase of product creation is enhanced by digital innovation.
On top of the functionality you’re directly offering or building, how important do you believe it’s going to be for DPC to remain an open ecosystem? How do you think about your partnership strategy, and about the long-term future of integration and interoperability.
The concept of an open ecosystem is vital to the evolution and success of Digital Product Creation (DPC). At Style3D, we don’t just acknowledge this we actively embody it in every aspect of our operations. Our strategy is grounded in the belief that a thriving DPC environment emerges from collaboration, openness, and a willingness to learn and adapt from various industry players.
Our partnership strategy is a reflection of this philosophy. Take, for example, our acquisition of Assyst GmbH. This move wasn’t just a business expansion; it was a strategic step towards enhancing our digital capabilities, allowing for a seamless connection between 3D and 2D, from design to production. It represents a commitment to interoperability – ensuring our tools can integrate smoothly with existing systems and workflows.
Similarly, our partnership with Fashion – Enter Ltd., led by CEO Jenny Holloway, has been instrumental in expanding our global footprint. This collaboration isn’t merely about showcasing our latest developments; it’s about pioneering a fully digitized process, from design to production. Our joint innovation center serves as a testing ground for these concepts, demonstrating the practical application of our vision in a real-world setting.
Looking ahead, our strategy remains steadfastly focused on being open and adaptable within the digital fashion world. This means actively seeking partnerships that complement and enhance our capabilities, ensuring our tools and processes remain versatile and compatible with a range of platforms and systems. We believe that a truly functional DPC ecosystem can only be achieved through this kind of openness and collaboration, which fosters innovation and drives the industry forward.
In essence, our approach to DPC is to create a network of synergistic relationships that not only advance our capabilities but also contribute to the larger goal of transforming the fashion industry through digital innovation.
There’s a lot of focus in this report about the right way to scale digital product creation to become an engine for enterprise-wide digital transformation, and one of the keys to unlocking that seems to be ensuring that users have the right level of trust in the tools and the assets that are available to them at every stage of the product lifecycle. How do you approach building that trust?
Trust in our tools and services is paramount. We achieve this through comprehensive pre-sales and post-sales support, ensuring a smooth transition for our clients. Our approach is consultative; we view feedback as an opportunity for co-growth. We also offer a robust knowledge center with 24/7 access to learning materials, tutorials, and webinars. This repository is supplemented by our experiences and lessons learned, shared openly with our clients. It’s about creating a community where knowledge is accessible and collaboration is encouraged.
In Style3D, our integration of 3D and generative AI is guided by a data-centric and iterative approach to fashion design. We understand that the essence of clothing creation lies in the iterative verification of designs, heavily reliant on data analysis. Our objective is to utilize Advanced Generative Intelligence Computing (AIGC) alongside 3D technology to lower entry barriers for enterprises and enrich the spectrum of design possibilities, from material selection to final production.
Our specific focus has been the development of a garment industry model tailored for AIGC applications. This model, underpinned by an extensive dataset, provides an in-depth understanding of the clothing industry. It represents a significant advancement over general AI models by generating outputs that are more aligned with the nuanced requirements of the fashion sector.
The practical application of this model allows for the input of existing garment styles, followed by the generation of multiple new design variations. This process not only accelerates the design cycle but also introduces a level of data-driven precision and innovation previously unattainable.
At Style3D, while embracing new technological frontiers, we maintain a commitment to our foundational goals. This pursuit is not just about technological adoption but also about contributing to the scientific discourse in digital fashion, enhancing both the creative and analytical aspects of the industry.”
How would you describe the ideal 3D / DPC pipeline – category-specific or generalised – and what barriers are currently preventing it from being built and widely adopted? What pieces still need to be put in place for fashion to stand the best chance of achieving what you define as the full-scale vision for DPC?
The ideal 3D/DPC pipeline in fashion should smartly blend specific needs for different garment categories with a general framework that can be applied across the board. This approach would offer the best of both worlds: the precision required for particular fashion items and the efficiency of a standardized process.
The main challenges in creating and adopting this pipeline are technological limitations, especially in mimicking the intricate details of fabrics digitally. Integrating these digital tools into traditional workflows is another hurdle, as is the skills gap in the industry. Plus, the cost and complexity of these technologies can be daunting, particularly for smaller players.
To really bring this vision to life, we need better fabric simulation technologies for more lifelike digital garments. Making these tools seamlessly work with existing systems is crucial, as is training a new generation of designers who are fluent in both traditional and digital fashion creation. More affordable and user-friendly solutions would also help bring smaller brands on board. Finally, establishing industry standards would ensure consistency and quality, moving the whole industry forward together.
In essence, it’s about evolving technology, nurturing talent, and fostering an industry-wide commitment to innovation.
