The Interline commissioned Yasmin Koppe to create for the “Apparel” category in our DPC Report 2024. After years of working with both emerging and renowned fashion companies in London, Barcelona, and Berlin, Yasmin transitioned into the field of digital fashion. She now specialises in bridging innovative technologies with proven craftsmanship, focusing on redefining the way garments are designed, created, and experienced.
Yasmin’s work spans from creative visualisation to education, empowering industry professionals and the next generation of fashion designers to embrace the potential of digital tools.
Our team sat down with Yasmin – and some notable figures from CLO Virtual Fashion and PTTRNS, who have shared their expertise and, in PTTRNS’ case, collaborated with Yasmin on the creative and technical side of the final results – to cover everything from creative inspiration and inclusivity, to hardware, pipelines, and cross-industry best practices.
Find more from Yasmin on her Instagram or her website.
The Interline: Tell us about the creative inspiration behind your piece for this year’s DPC Report – and what influences your style in general.
Yasmin Koppe: A recurring theme in my designs is modularity. I enjoy creating pieces with customisable features that invite wearers to engage with them in a personal way—adjusting or styling them to reflect how they feel on any given day. Recently, I drew inspiration from a conversation between Adwoa Aboah and Paloma Elsesser, where they shared their frustration with the fashion industry’s slow progress in addressing narrow perceptions of figures and body standards. This prompted me to challenge my own ideas about size and proportion. Combining that with my passion for adjustable elements shaped the dynamic and varied volumes throughout the piece.
Additionally, early in the ideation process, I had the chance to exchange ideas with the team at PTTRNS. I always strive to connect with collaborators whenever possible, and their input influenced my material choices while also playing a key role in bringing my vision for the character to life.
The Interline: Your commitment to representation and diversity is evident in the way the pieces are staged, and the avatar wearing them, but you also have strong feelings about inclusivity when it comes to digital product creation as an ecosystem, and how it can permit more people to take part in fashion. How do you see those two elements coming together?
Yasmin Koppe: Digital product creation allows us to rethink not only the design and manufacturing process but also how we present garments to the people we design for. I’m particularly excited about Virtual Try-On technology because of its potential to transform the online shopping experience, making it more inclusive and representative.
Currently, many product shots online still feature narrow beauty standards—typically very slim and tall body types. When I chose to work with a full-figured avatar for this piece, I had to confront my own biases. I wasn’t sure if my design language would translate to a different body type, as I’ve been conditioned to design for industry standards. This forced me to let go of terms like “flattering” or “figure-friendly” and instead focus on having fun with the design.
Over time, I grew deeply attached to the avatar-model, and her confident, unapologetic pose in the final render reflects that transformation. It’s encouraging to see major players like Google and Pinterest expanding body type representation in their search tools and Virtual Try-On offerings—proof that there’s a growing appetite for showcasing the diversity of all body types.
The Interline: Tell us about the technical pipeline and the workflow you used to create this look.
Yasmin Koppe: Typically, my workflow involves three main software tools: I start in CLO3D to model the 3D garment, move to Adobe Substance Painter for texturing, and finish in Blender, using the Cycles render engine for staging and rendering.
However, for this project, the process was slightly different as I got to collaborate with PTTRNS, who supported the texturing and rendering stages, adding their expertise to the final result.
Ultimately, I believe that looking at best practices from other industries helps us bridge the gap between technological enthusiasm and consumer accessibility.
The Interline: The drive with this particular design was also to really push the envelope of representing different soft and complex materials in 3D, to help demonstrate that not all fashion created digitally needs to have a typically “digital” look. How did you approach this challenge?
Yasmin Koppe: Before transitioning into 3D, I worked in both the design and development departments of various brands, which gave me a solid understanding of pattern cutting, garment technology, and material characteristics. These insights now play a central role in my digital creation process. For this project, I referred to a simple real-world sentiment and translated it in my digital design: It was winter in Berlin, and I found myself craving something cozy and cheerful to offset the grey November skies.
That feeling guided my choice of incorporating plush, soft materials and this is also where one of the key features of PTTRNS came into play. Their advanced texture enhancement process intrigued me, and I was eager to explore how it could bring an extra tactile dimension to the design.
Hopefully, the warmth and vibrancy come through in the renderings and evoke a soothing sensation for readers.
The Interline: When we consider the spread of different textures on display in Yasmin’s work, and the fidelity of the avatar, there was a high bar to clear when it came to showcasing the final result in its best possible light. To help achieve this, Yasmin was able to tap into support from the team at PTTRNS, and the company’s fashion rendering platform, which is now part of the CLO ecosystem partnership program. We asked Cristina Codreanu, a 3D Fashion Specialist, and Charlotte Stobrawe, Head of Digital Fashion & Transformation at PTTRNS, how the team approached this collaboration, and what they believe it has to teach the wider industry.
Cristina Codreanu: This collaboration was particularly distinct for us, as our typical process involves clients directly engaging with our platform to generate renders at scale, maintaining a consistent and streamlined aesthetic. However, this project allowed us the opportunity to work closely with Yasmin to render her garment on an AI avatar, bringing her creative vision to life.
We collaborated on refining the AI avatar to represent diversity and inclusivity, moving away from the generic, overly generated AI look common in digital models. Notably, the avatar was designed as a curvy representation, emphasizing inclusivity in both form and aesthetics. Beyond the avatar itself, we focused on perfecting the lighting, colors, and material details to authentically showcase the garment’s intricate textures and drapes, highlighting how 3D can adapt to highly creative, complex designs.
Charlotte Stobrawe: This project underscores how automation in 3D fashion is a powerful tool but not a complete solution. Creative freedom is essential for realising distinctive artistic visions, particularly when garments feature elaborate textures, layered details, and unique draping techniques. Yasmin’s design required careful attention to these elements, demonstrating that 3D rendering can faithfully capture the essence of even the most intricate and unconventional creations. By exploring creativity within the framework of automation, the industry can learn to enhance efficiency without compromising individuality, setting new standards for inclusive and texturally rich fashion visualisation.
The Interline: Yasmin’s design began life in CLO, so it was essential that the unique blend of natural materials was accurately represented from the beginning, and that the 3D simulation remained pattern accurate. But it was also essential for her to be able to seamlessly work on those materials outside of CLO, and to be able to then export her work to create final pixels in another platform. To better understand how the technology sector is catering to this combined drive for accuracy, fidelity, and interoperability, we asked Alex Kim, Software Product Manager of CLO for his current thinking on what the DPC software ecosystem needs to do to empower not just designers, but the growing community of users for 3D assets.
Alex Kim:As the industry moves forward and adopts digital product creation more broadly, we believe that building strong partnerships with like-minded collaborators is essential. At CLO, we’re committed to expanding our ecosystem of services and partners with the aim of empowering our users; our goal is to help everyone in the community effortlessly create digital garments, collaborate more easily on production and e-commerce, access digital materials with less barriers, and utilize 3D garments in more virtual environments. And we’re not just focused on increasing the quantity of digital assets – we’re also trying to improve the quality of them. Our hope is to support the creation of accurate, production-ready designs, while at the same time, improving interoperability with other products and services out there. We’re certain that our efforts to work together with our stakeholders will generate new possibilities for creativity and innovation in DPC.
Our goal is not just to increase the quantity of digital assets but also to improve their quality and visualization. At CLO, we ensure creators can produce accurate, production-ready designs while enabling smooth integration with other products. By working together with our partners and the growing community of users, we aim to open new possibilities for creativity and innovation in DPC.
The Interline: Yasmin, There’s a lot of confusion and crossover between the terms “3D,” “digital product creation,” and digital fashion. How do you define these? And do you actively use these terms, or do you talk about your specialism differently?
Yasmin Koppe: I completely understand the confusion around these terms, and it’s actually one of the first things I clarify when introducing the ‘digital fashion ecosystem’ to my students. While closely related, each term serves a slightly different purpose.
‘3D’ is probably the broadest, rather technical term and isn’t necessarily linked to fashion. We model digital garments in 3D, but those models can also be used for other applications, like in games, for instance.
‘Digital product creation,’ for me, specifically refers to the process of designing, developing, and showcasing garments entirely in a virtual space using 3D tools, with a focus on detail and realism.
To me, ‘digital fashion’ is more of an overarching term that applies to a range of use cases. It can describe everything from an AR filter that’s purely conceptual to a fully producible digital twin of a physical item, complete with added value, like care instructions or a garment’s provenance. Personally, I tend to use ‘digital fashion’ when discussing the fusion of technology and craftsmanship, or how technological innovations are transforming the way we create and experience garments.
The Interline: How did you begin working in 3D? What was the initial spark of interest? And how much of your skills are self-taught versus being acquired through formal education?
Yasmin Koppe: I’ve always had a strong interest in fashion technology, and in 2019, the spark for 3D specifically ignited through a cross-disciplinary collective spanning Berlin, Prague, and Amsterdam. I was fortunate to attend a weekend workshop in Prague, where I was introduced to tools like CLO3D, body scanning, and motion tracking. At the time, I was frustrated with the limitations of traditional sampling and production processes, and deeply concerned about the fashion industry’s impact on pollution and exploitation. These new technologies provided me with a hopeful path toward positive change.
Most of my skills are self-taught, which is quite common in the Digital Fashion field. I took a class with CLO in Munich, which gave me a solid foundation and helped me transition from a 2D to a 3D workspace. From there, I spent countless hours on YouTube tutorials, Discord channels, and other online resources. I’m a huge fan of the open-source mentality in this space. Today, I also teach Digital Fashion at various educational institutions, and it’s exciting to see more programmes recognising its relevance and incorporating it into their curricula.
The Interline: What hardware and operating system do you use?
Yasmin Koppe: I was lucky to have the opportunity to build my own desktop tower with the help of my brother, an IT specialist. It turned out to be more fun than I expected, and it’s great that I can easily upgrade or swap out components as needed!
Currently, I’m working with an AMD Ryzen 9 processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti graphics card, 32 GB of RAM, a UHD screen, and Windows 11.
When travelling or meeting clients, I also rely on an equally powerful laptop (a Lenovo) and my Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite tablet, which I use to quickly sketch ideas.
The Interline: As a 3D fashion designer, do you follow the development of 3D in other industries, like automotive and consumer product design, to keep a finger on the pulse of best practices? Or do you believe apparel is sufficiently different that you concentrate on what’s happening within the industry’s own walls?
Yasmin Koppe: Since my entry into Digital Fashion came through an interdisciplinary network, I’m a strong advocate for looking beyond the fashion industry and exploring how other sectors adopt and use technology. It’s a two-way process: I’m keen to understand how consumers respond to transformations in other industries and how I can apply those insights to communicate innovation in my sector. For example, architecture’s use of high-fidelity renderings to visualise a project or how AR is now commonly used by consumers to test interior products in their homes offers valuable lessons for fashion.
Ultimately, I believe that looking at best practices from other industries helps us bridge the gap between technological enthusiasm and consumer accessibility.
The Interline: How do you believe DPC maturity is progressing industry-wide, for apparel? Are companies building the right in-house capabilities and thinking about the potential on the right business-wide scale? Or is the industry still primarily looking at digital product creation as a way to streamline a narrow set of tasks in design and development?
Yasmin Koppe: While progress in DPC maturity is encouraging, there’s still much untapped potential across various operations. As a digital fashion designer, I think it’s our responsibility to help businesses recognise the full scope of DPC—not just in design, but in areas like supply chain management, marketing, customer experience, and sustainability efforts.
Instead of focusing on isolated tasks, a comprehensive, company-wide strategy is essential.
I’m seeing more and more brands recruit tech talent across departments, which is a promising trend. Identifying the necessary roles for transformation and either attracting or developing the right in-house talent is crucial.
Digital fashion is still in its early stages, and it’s crucial to take proactive measures now to ensure it doesn’t unintentionally fuel the fast fashion cycle.
The Interline: Do you see smaller brands and retailers embracing DPC the same way that larger businesses are?
Yasmin Koppe: As per the current status quo, not yet, which is understandable. Embracing DPC requires a transformation that comes with upfront costs, which can be a significant challenge for smaller businesses with limited budgets. That said, I often point out that in the long run, DPC can make a brand’s or retailer’s operations not only more cost-effective but also strengthen customer loyalty. Take the post-purchase dilemma, for example. Right now, it’s difficult for brands and retailers to assess customer satisfaction with a product or understand why an item doesn’t sell. With DPC, we can create more direct feedback channels or even co-creation opportunities between the brand, retailer, and consumer.
The Interline: Do you believe consumers are prepared to make buying decisions based on 3D renders – either static or real-time? And what would you like to see happen with the virtual try-on ecosystem to bring digital assets closer to the consumer?
Yasmin Koppe: Absolutely! Consumers are already comfortable making significant purchases, like a sofa or a bed, based on 3D renderings, without ever seeing the physical item. Fashion can definitely follow this path.
For example, I worked with an animation studio on a campaign for a major Spanish high-street brand, and the rendered animations received twice the engagement compared to photos of the physical product. Their followers were excited and eagerly anticipating the item’s release.
As for virtual try-on, I’d love to see more customisation options for sizing and styling.
BODS, an emerging tech firm, offers a great example with its VTO experience: It allows users to set up avatars with precise measurements reflecting their own, combining high-fidelity 3D visuals with fast loading times, size recommendations, and even a ‘stress map’ to show areas where an item might fit too tightly.
The Interline: Finally, how do you believe DPC interacts with sustainability? Elsewhere in this report there’s a strong case being made for virtual samples being more important than ever, as a lever to help blunt the environmental and humanitarian impacts of physical sampling. But at the same time, there’s a real concern that 3D could serve to increase the throughput of unsustainable business models. What’s your perspective on how fashion can incorporate the speed and flexibility of digital product creation without turning it into more fuel for a damaging system?
Yasmin Koppe: The concern you’ve raised resonates with me. DPC can indeed support more sustainable practices in several ways. Take, for example, a well-designed Virtual Try-On experience, which enables consumers to make better informed purchase decisions and could ultimately reduce returns. Additionally, the material savings from virtual sampling and fitting before producing any physical pieces are significant.
However, digital fashion is still in its early stages, and it’s crucial to take proactive measures now to ensure it doesn’t unintentionally fuel the fast fashion cycle.
Industry-wide guidelines are essential, as it’s crucial that the responsibility isn’t placed solely on brands alone. While the goal for DPC should be to prioritise higher-quality releases over frequent, fast-turnaround drops, I would like to see a unified vision for digital fashion. This would involve bringing together brands, technology providers, and regulatory bodies to define standards and establish best practices, in the spirit of “prevention is better than cure.”
