The fashion industry’s journey through the digital transformation era is marked by both innovation and significant challenges. This year's 3D Tech Festival, in its fifth edition, focused on the fusion of fashion and technology, emphasizing the industry's challenges and the role of 3D technology in shaping its future. Hosted by Alvanon, a leader in fit and sizing standards, the festival brought together industry experts, brands, manufacturers, and technologists to explore how digital and physical worlds are coming together in fashion.

A Global Gathering for Change

With over 5,400 participants registered and 55 speakers from over 16 countries, the event offered 24 sessions, bringing together voices from diverse sectors such as manufacturing, retail, and technology. The theme for 2024, "The Physical-Digital Evolution," explored how the fashion industry can harness emerging technologies to address critical challenges such as waste, inefficiencies, and the flattening of cultural diversity in global trends.

Janice Wang, CEO of Alvanon, opened the festival with a speech by emphasizing the event's roots in fostering community. "3D Tech started as our way to create a space for users of various digital software platforms and showcase interesting case studies," Wang explained. Over the years, this initiative has grown, now encompassing broader conversations about the entire fashion ecosystem. She underlined that the festival is more than a technical showcase—it's about "stories of love and hope" for an industry that deeply impacts people's lives, from the consumers it serves to the women and families it lifts out of poverty through employment.

The Challenges: A Fashion Industry Off Balance

Wang did not shy away from highlighting the industry's failures, particularly regarding sustainability and innovation. “As an industry, we have failed mother nature. We haven’t industrialized clean materials, and we haven’t recycled the man-made ones,” Wang stated. While digital product creation promised a reduction in physical samples and increased decision-making efficiency, the reality has often been two steps forward and three steps back.

She went on to say that there have been drastic steps backwards, especially after the pandemic: brand manufacturers have dismantled their technical departments - the institutional memory of these companies - instead of investing in innovative, sustainable processes. The lack of investment in technical development has led to greater pressure on manufacturers to deliver more for less, and teams are often too reluctant to innovate for fear of losing their jobs. “We are an industry that is off balance,” Wang noted, referring to the mismanagement of inventory and the need to right-size the system.

Wang’s frustration was evident as she voiced concerns about the industry's inability to fully embrace the potential of emerging technologies. She noted that despite years of progress in creating digital avatars and enhancing digital product creation processes, the fashion sector continues to rely on outdated methodologies and self-interested practices. However, the problems are not inevitable and there are signs of hope.

The Promise of 3D Technology

Despite the industry's challenges, 3D technology offers a path forward. By streamlining processes, reducing physical samples, and fostering collaboration across departments, digital tools are slowly reshaping how fashion is created and consumed. E-commerce departments are beginning to leverage return data to make better decisions, realizing that different departments must collaborate to improve consumer experiences. Wang emphasized that this consumer feedback loop will help brands produce less waste by making smarter decisions about what to manufacture and sell.

3D technologies also allow for the standardization of sizes and fits, enhancing communication between brands, manufacturers, and retailers. This kind of innovation not only improves customer satisfaction but also reduces excess inventory, a major issue in the fashion industry's contribution to waste.

Wang urged managers to fight for budgets that invest in the "base infrastructure" necessary to create industry standards. Designers were encouraged to learn new skills and embrace AI, while educators were called upon to integrate both traditional and digital skills into their curricula.

Bridging the Gap: Collaboration is Key

Wang is a strong advocator for collaboration across traditionally departments. Only through a collaborative approach will the industry be able to tackle the complex challenges it faces, from sustainability issues to technological adoption. Whether it's design, technical development, or retail, departments must work together to use the full potential of 3D technologies. This includes bridging the gap between physical and digital design processes, ensuring that the technical and creative sides of fashion collaborate more effectively to produce innovative, sustainable products.