"A glaring example of this is the launch of the latest version of AccuMark 3D by Connecticut-based Gerber Technology in partnership with the San Francisco–based startup Avametric +and Israel’s Virtuality. Fashion. And as Mary McFadden, Executive Director -CAD Product Management, Gerber Technology says, Gerber Technology, with this most recent installment has provided a solution that facilitates the process from simple sketches to interaction with consumers. She goes on to add they have good integration of data flow between these systems, as well as the ability to integrate with external systems that customers use because they have many tools they need to use in their process, so having 3-D product offerings makes the offerings more robust and complete."

Although design technology has witnessed tremendous progress over the years, advancement in 3-D platform is yet to match pace. The first half of 2018 witnessed apparel-technology leaders elevate their digital solutions to generate realistic patterns, accurate samples and streamline product lifecycle management (PLM).

A glaring example of this is the launch of the latest version of AccuMark 3D by Connecticut-based Gerber Technology in partnership with the San Francisco–based startup Avametric +and Israel’s Virtuality. Fashion. And as Mary McFadden, Executive Director -CAD Product Management, Gerber Technology says, Gerber Technology, with this most recent installment has provided a solution that facilitates the process from simple sketches to interaction with consumers. She goes on to add they have good integration of data flow between these systems, as well as the ability to integrate with external systems that customers use because they have many tools they need to use in their process, so having 3-D product offerings makes the offerings more robust and complete.

Multiple benefits

The technology enables every person contributing to the apparel-making process to make detailed changes to digital patterns, illustrating in real time how they can achieve a specific style, without the challenges of shipping patterns or samples. By allowing the artwork to actually be in the CAD data, one can eliminate these hard pieces going along the factory floor. It helps in communicating instructions to factories, especially when they don’t speak your language, because of huge language barriers.

These integrated software solutions enable brands to utilise the technology for merchandising and virtual try-on for customers. Rather than doing photo shoots with the samples and the colorways that one needs to populate an e-commerce website, you could use 3-D simulations instead.

Comprehensive solutions

Lectra, the French technology-solutions provider, which recently upgraded its 3-D technology to streamline the Fashion PLM 4.0 platform, also aims to offer a comprehensive system for apparel design. The brand through its Connected Development application and the Connected Design, offers enhanced tools for patternmaking, 3-D sampling and marker making.

Integrating its 3-D platform with a 2-D patternmaking feature was essential for an easy communication between a designer and his team. The 3-D sample can be used early in the design process to make decisions in terms of style lines, the size of the garment or ensure the vision of the designer is clearly communicated and understood by the technical-design team or patternmakers. It can also be used later for fitting purposes, which is a very strong feature for Lectra’s 3-D offering.

Making technology sustainable

Despite the influence of fast fashion on software innovation in the apparel-industry, there is a thrust on sustainable solutions to make the design process more efficient. In addition to fully integrating these fashion design steps into digital platforms, technology providers are developing applications that allow detailed samples to be viewed and altered by professionals in different corners of the world.

Amnon Shalev, Chief Executive, Virtuality.Fashion aimed to develop a product that provided a crisp, digital vision of designs and whose technology allowed fashion brands to bypass 2-D patternmaking, creating a detailed sample in less than 48 hours. Based on a software created for the video-game and movie industries, the applications provide a realistic vision of designs. Illuminating on the technology, Shalev says, there is pressure on designers to introduce new collections faster, more collections in a single season and faster to the market. If you have to do 3-D and go through 2-D, it takes time. With our technology you don’t have to go through 2-D. Presentations can be done very fast for buyers and management.

Apparel-software providers, by investing in innovative upgrades to their own software and joining cutting-edge digital partners, are creating virtual creative spaces and options to help designers reduce waste, cut costs and bring collections to market faster.