Leading Edge Technologies in Fashion Innovation: Product Design and Development Process from Materials to the End Products to Consumers (Palgrave Studies in Practice: Global Fashion Brand Management)

This book offers cutting-edge knowledge on various design and product development related technologies, and applications of these technologies in fashion. Further, it envisions the future of these technologies when designing and engineering apparel-related products. Demonstrating how theory turns into practice, this volume presents the analysis of cases representing a successful collaboration between innovative technology and fashion. These current examples of industry and consumer cases with the use of various technologies will allow readers to fully connect how the industry currently implements these technologies into product design and development process as well as communicating with consumers. This text will serve as a valuable resource to researchers and educators in the fields of supply chain management, branding, marketing, fashion studies, textiles, and product design. Young-A Lee is a full professor and Graduate Program Officer in the Department of Consumer and Design Sciences at Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA. Her scholarship is in the areas of digital and sustainable product design, development, and evaluation using innovative design technologies for human health and well-being. Preface 6 Acknowledgments 10 Contents 11 Notes on Contributors 12 List of Figures 15 1 Trends of Emerging Technologies in the Fashion Product Design and Development Process 16 Introduction 17 Technology Innovation in the Circular Fashion Industry 18 Material Innovation 18 Product Design and Development 19 Garment Production 20 Micro-factory 21 Automation with Robotics 21 3D Printing and 3D Fabrication 22 Consumer Engagement and Experiences 23 Conclusion and Future Trends 24 Sources of Further Information 26 References 28 2 Material Innovation with Technologies 32 Introduction 33 Environment-Friendly Materials 33 Materials Made from Renewable Resources and Waste 34 Biodegradable and Recyclable Materials 36 Smart Textile Materials 38 Textile-Based Sensors 38 Functional Textiles 40 Conclusion and Future Trends 42 Sources of Further Information 43 References 44 3 Wearable Technology in Fashion 49 Introduction 50 Smart Clothing 50 Definitions and Types of Smart Clothing 51 Healthcare and Wellness 51 Sports and Advanced Protection 52 Emotional Comfort and Social Engagement 52 Developments in Smart Clothing 53 The Integration Level of Technology to Wearables 54 The Location Level of Wearables 54 The Intelligence Level of Smart Systems 54 Developmental Trends in Smart Clothing 54 E-textiles 55 Wearability in Smart Clothing 56 Sustainable Market Development of Smart Clothing 56 Wearable Robots 56 Definitions and Types of Wearable Robots 57 The Development of Exoskeletons and Exo-suits 58 The Development of Soft Wearable Robots and Smart Clothing 60 Conclusion and Future Trends 63 References 65 4 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing in Fashion 72 Introduction 73 Direct Digital Manufacturing in Fashion 74 Advantages and Challenges in 3D Printing and Materials 74 Advantages and Challenges in 3D CAD 76 Innovations and Interdisciplinary Thinking in 3D Printed Fashion 78 Case 1: 3D Printed Footwear in Mass and Limited Manufacturing 78 Case 2: 3D Printed Apparel in Ready-to-Wear and Customization 80 Case 3: 3D Printed Computational Design for Customization, Made-to-Order Production, and Consumer Engagement 81 Conclusion and Future Trends 83 Sources of Further Information 85 References 85 5 Automation with Robotics in Garment Manufacturing 88 Introduction 89 Fundamentals of Robotics 90 Automation in Garment Manufacturing 90 Cases of Automation Practices in Garment Production 92 Case 1: Sewbot by SoftWear Automation 92 Case 2: The Sewbo Robot 94 Case 3: Grabit’s Robotic Arms 94 Case 4: Adidas’ Speed Factory 95 Case 5: Levi Strauss & Co’s Automated Laser Technology 96 Summary of the Automation Cases 97 Challenges of Adopting Garment Automation 97 Limited Product Diversification 98 Gaps in Skilled Workforces 99 Lack of Infrastructures in Garment Automation 100 Conclusion and Future Trends 101 Sources of Further Information 102 References 103 6 Artificial Intelligence in Fashion Manufacturing: From Factory Operation to Advisory Role 108 Introduction 109 AI in Fashion Manufacturing and Factory Operation 110 The Physical Factory Setting and Product Inventory 111 AI in Product Planning and Quality Assurance 114 AI as an Advisory Role in Fashion Manufacturing 118 Fashion Aesthetics and Hyperpersonalization 119 Forecasting and Competitor Analysis in Production Choices 120 Conclusion and Future Trends 122 Sources of Further Information 125 References 126 7 The Application of Augmented Reality Technology in Apparel Design: A Case of “Plaid Waltz” 130 Introduction 131 Multisensory Design process of Plaid Waltz 132 Garment Construction 134 Target Image Development Using Vuforia 134 3D Animation Development Through Blender 135 Sound Development Using the Freesound Resource 137 Incorporation of Developed Sensory Information Utilizing Unity 137 Launching the Application Using Xcode 140 Conclusion and Future Trends 142 References 146 Index 149