Technological developments are revolutionizing the fashion industry. You can now design your own shirts and shoes, produce textiles with neither needle nor cotton, and use 3D avatars for customization.

Some market segments already perceived the potential of technology at an early stage. Since the mid-nineties, automobile and aircraft manufacturers have been using 3D visualization and computer simulations to construct and test new models of vehicles or plane wings. Today 90 percent of all crash tests are performed in a virtual space where the crash can be observed and analyzed three-dimensionally. In Dubai – where else – you can experience the manufacturing of the first 3D-printed office container, which is 185 meters high. Each of the modular units is being generated separately before all the units are combined into one installation. A six-meter high printer is in use on this high-tech project.

These technologies not only save manufacturers’ time and money spent building complex prototypes; they also drastically reduce development cycles and grant competitive advantages. As such, these new technology tools are allowing industry to grow faster than ever before.

All of these beneficial aspects have become increasingly apparent to the point where even the fashion industry can no longer ignore them. Especially now, when new technology tools are becoming increasingly suitable for use by the masses. There are some active and quite creative movements going on in fashion right now.

New technology tools are allowing industry to grow faster than ever before.

Now, how can this level of personalization hype be applied to fashion? Easy! Go to spreadshirt.com and create a personal design for your shirt or get inspired by matchless designs on sunfrog.com. This is nothing new, you might say. What else is cooking in the digital fashion innovation pot?

Let’s take a look at big players like Adidas. You’ve probably heard of Mi Adidas – the campaign that Adidas started a few years ago. The global sportswear and equipment manufacturer offers customers a way to personalize shoes, jackets and sunglasses. You can choose from a range of different colors and materials for individual product components. Personalized prints on shirts or bottles are quite easy to produce, whereas personally selected components integrated into other products require intervening in the production process.

As its next step, Adidas is planning is to move part of its fabric manufacturing to regional areas – and closer to the customer – so as to be able to perform mass customization more efficiently. Adidas calls this concept “Storefactory” or “Speed Factory”. Other brands like Nike have had similar thoughts and are working on options that allow them to produce closer to the customer. But why expend all this effort?

An individualized product can hardly be compared to similar products from competitors, which allows a bit more flexibility in pricing. Studies have shown that customers spend more money on individualized products – we are talking 10 – 30 percent more revenue. It is also easier to attract consumers with something that speaks directly to them and considers their personal needs and desires.

Studies have shown that customers spend more money on individualized products – we are talking 10 – 30 percent more revenue.

This should not pose a serious problem though, since gamers and science fiction moviemakers have already addressed the issue by necessity. After all, they had to dress their human characters somehow. This is how some of the first software programs for textiles emerged, such as Marvelous Designer. South Korean high-tech developers created software that created 3D pattern linked to a complex simulation and visualization system that allows amateurs to create 3D-clothing and simultaneously dress their avatar of choice.

Realizing the potential of this tool for the fashion branch, Marvelous Designer recently launched a new software product, Clo3D, specifically targeted at the textile industry. In 2014, one of the most common brands for pattern-drafting software, “Assyst”, launched an upgrade called “Vidya”. Using Vidya, the pattern-maker can design and simultaneously visualize clothes three-dimensionally on an avatar, and apply various fabrics and colors.

Based on these advances, we can confidently assume that the first steps have been taken. It will be very interesting to see how long it takes the fashion branch to widely adopt and gratefully embrace modern technology. For my part, I am very optimistic and with my company Admoreal, which develops virtual reality tools for fashion e-commerce, I do my best to support this development!