Why Should Young Fashion Brands Embrace Digital Technology?

Young designers today have an unprecedented opportunity to early adopt digital technology in their creative workflow, one that could put them ahead of competitors still relying on outdated processes. Major fashion businesses continue to operate on decades-old legacy systems to bring products to market. Supply chains remain heavily flawed, with archaic technology that no longer supports the economic and environmental needs of today.

Using digital tools is a more efficient and less impactful solution to garment sampling, one that O. Studio Design is now integrating into its workflow with our help.

In the early stages of the business, like many others, O. designed and developed its products on paper in a 2D flat format. However, this method proved limiting. It restricted the exploration of design ideas, sharing sketches required scanning, and 2D flat drawings in tech packs did not always translate correctly in terms of shape, proportion, or detail. This led to longer development periods and multiple unnecessary samples.

We are now helping O. create a 15-piece clothing design system using a digital design process, where core products are re-imagined based on millions of existing clothing references. The design team then creates an initial 3D digital prototype and tech-pack, giving manufacturers better insight into the product before production begins. This process leaves less room for error, sets clearer expectations for the end product, and allows design ideas to be shared, viewed, and edited easily across all teams.

The sampling process remains the most expensive part of fashion businesses today. Producing multiple prototype iterations for approval at different stages creates a significant waste of resources. By incorporating 3D, O. Studio Design can better visualize designs before physically creating them, identifying early preferences in color, pattern, or fit. Implementing 3D design strategies can significantly speed up product development, lead times can be dramatically shortened, new designs are reflected more accurately, and forecasting is improved.

Like NOFORM, O. Studio Design is inspired by futurism and believes technology can solve real challenges in the fashion industry. Driven by a shared sense of responsibility toward more sustainable practices, this partnership gave O. the opportunity to deepen its understanding of an area many fashion start-ups have yet to explore.

O. Studio Design seeks to build a circular business model where products are designed and developed with the next user in mind, encompassing everything from early 3D visualization to digital communication throughout the supply chain, from yarn spinners to manufacturers. By making conscious choices to reduce impact through digital technology, O. hopes to build a more meaningful relationship with its customers. 

COVID-19 restrictions forced many businesses to rethink how products and content were created and presented. With business-as-usual suspended, O. turned to digital design resources, allowing the brand to fully immerse itself in the world of technology. As a result, this partnership was formed, and together we were able to create a campaign that was entirely digital.

Digitally integrated design development is becoming indispensable in the product lifecycle. As consumer behavior shifts toward a circular model of fashion consumption, young fashion businesses want to be responsive to this growing awareness. It is only a matter of time before partnering with technology to resolve the industry's core challenges becomes mandatory. Change is inevitable. The pandemic accelerated a shift toward adopting technology in the product lifecycle that was already underway, and what NOFORM is working to achieve is a direct reflection of that shift.

Note: The following software programs were used for this project: Adobe, Blender, CLO3D, Daz Studio, and Shima Seiki Apex