• fashion
• 29 September 2022

What are the biggest fashion technologies right now?

Now we’re going to discuss the top 9 fashion technologies being used in the industry right now. Over the coming years, we can expect to see even more innovations improving the production and consumption of fashion.

Artificial intelligence (AI)

AI is one of the biggest technologies across all industries right now, not just fashion. Artificial Intelligence is the simulation of human intelligence by computers or machines, and recently, fashion brands have been using it for a variety of purposes.

The application of AI within fashion includes being able to enhance customer experiences, analyse and predict trends, understand buying patterns and even understand fashion aesthetics. One example of this is touchscreens in retail stores that offer customised product advice to customers using AI chat technology. In these scenarios, AI can be trained to understand aesthetics, including colour, texture and style preferences.

Virtual reality (VR)

Another technology that you’ve probably heard plenty about is Virtual Reality, or perhaps Augmented Reality (AR). While VR involves a fully simulated environment, AR adds interactivity and simulations into the real-world environment.

In the fashion industry, VR and AR are incredibly exciting, as they allow for the physical and digital worlds of retail to combine. One of the most popular uses of VR in fashion is a technology that allows customers to try on clothes virtually, though it can even go so far as to create a VR version of a whole store.

If you want to learn more about this subject, our Introduction to Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality course by Lancaster University and the Institute of Coding will help you discover all the ways in which Extended Reality (XR) is transforming the world.

3D Printing

With the rise of 3D printing in fashion, we can really begin to see how innovation and technology can help brands become more sustainable. 3D printing is a manufacturing process where real products can be created from digital designs.

In our 3D Printing in Textiles open step by Labdox, experts explore the benefits that 3D printing can have on the fashion industry. They explore how 3D printed clothing can lead to significantly less textile wastage than traditional designing, and also explain how 3D printing results in reduced water use, air pollution and water contamination. 

Additionally, a designer’s options are unlimited with 3D printing – there are very few constraints when it comes to clothing structure, fabric and creativity. In this way, 3D printing could result in more innovative and exciting fashion designs than ever before.