Combining fashion and technology to achieve amazing goals and results: this, in a nutshell, explains what e-fashion is and how its growth is generating a significant impact on the industry. Read on to find out what it is all about!
E-fashion: what is it all about?
When people talk about e-fashion, they are referring to digital fashion: an emerging trend within the industry that leverages technologies such as, for example, e-commerce to transform the apparel industry. It offers numerous benefits that are as valid for consumers as they are for brands.
The dialogue between fashion and ICT becomes even more relevant in light of new trends that see online increasingly as a major player within the industry.
Furthermore, some McKinsey data highlight how, between Europe and North America, there has been a 70-80% decline in recent years in relation to consumers’ desire to purchase clothing through traditional offline channels.
An example of the application of e-fashion occurred during Milan Digital Fashion Week: a multichannel experience, between virtual spaces and holograms made possible by the support of artificial intelligence and cloud media.
More concretely, e-fashion is based on the digitization of all stages of the process, from design to distribution and, finally, to the shopping experience. The market, for which growth forecasts are broadly promising, is mainly fueled by 5 key factors:
- E-commerce growth
- Digitization of the shopping experience
- Personalization and production is measured
- Emerging technologies
- Environmental awareness
E-fashion and new technologies: what are the benefits?
Specifically, new technologies such as augmented reality, 3D configurators and artificial intelligence are being leveraged, and constantly updated and implemented, to provide increasingly engaging and personalized shopping experiences for consumers.
Thus, the important variable of interactivity comes into play, which requires increasingly active involvement by people. Customers, in fact, can explore fashion collections with 3D details, zoom and rotation of garments, through movements extremely close to those that characterize traditional in-store shopping and physical contact with products.
E-fashion & sustainability
E-fashion emerges as a vital ally for environmental sustainability. Its capacity to offer tailor-made customization of garments plays a pivotal role in reducing the environmental footprint of the fashion industry. In contrast to traditional mass production methods, where surplus inventory and waste are common, e-fashion manufactures garments only upon receiving a customer’s order.
This practice effectively minimizes overproduction and eliminates the need for extensive warehousing, drastically curbing the environmental strain associated with excess stock and its disposal.
This environmentally conscious approach extends to the reduction of resources required in traditional brick-and-mortar retail operations. Physical stores entail significant overhead costs, including rent, utilities, and staff salaries. In contrast, e-fashion streamlines these expenditures, cutting back on the ecological toll of running sprawling retail spaces.
Moreover, the simplicity of the e-fashion model simplifies logistics and production processes, thereby reducing energy and material consumption. The resulting operational efficiency not only benefits the fashion industry but also has a positive ripple effect on the environment, as fewer resources are utilized in the production and distribution of clothing.
In essence, e-fashion’s commitment to customizability and its lean, demand-driven production not only meet the needs and desires of today’s fashion-conscious consumers but also offer a sustainable alternative to the wasteful practices of the past.
By aligning business practices with eco-friendly principles, e-fashion plays a vital role in reducing waste, decreasing the carbon footprint, and driving operational efficiency, thus contributing to a more environmentally responsible fashion industry.
The new frontier of creative innovation
Furthermore, when viewed through the lens of creativity, e-fashion opens up an exciting realm for exploration and expression. This creative dimension within the digital fashion landscape offers a vast canvas for design innovation, driven by the proliferation of 3D configurators and virtual simulators. These sophisticated tools empower designers to break free from the constraints of physical prototypes and embrace a more efficient and imaginative design process, leading to reduced timeframes for fashion development.
With the advent of these technologies, the potential for design combinations becomes virtually limitless. Even subtle modifications, made possible by these new digital tools, can yield entirely fresh and distinctive fashion concepts. The creative playground in e-fashion is characterized by a boundless space where design ideas can flow freely and uninhibited.
Moreover, e-fashion acts as a catalyst for creativity, nurturing innovation through experimentation and collaborative efforts among designers, brands, and industry practitioners. It fosters an environment that encourages the exchange of ideas and insights, propelling the convergence of diverse skill sets.
This collaborative synergy not only sparks novel concepts but also paves the way for fashion’s evolution, bringing together a diverse range of perspectives and expertise.
In essence, e-fashion doesn’t just streamline and modernize the fashion industry; it also fuels the fires of creativity and innovation, making it an exciting platform where imagination knows no bounds, and where the fusion of different talents is celebrated.
E-fashion: a business set to grow
Thus, the potential offered by e-fashion is vast and constantly increasing, in parallel with the evolving availability of new technologies. What today is called innovative and sometimes revolutionary, is destined, in the future, to become the norm.
Thus, the adaptation of players to this trend becomes a necessary requirement to continue to meet the needs of their customers. We just have to find out, then, what future scenarios the fashion world may open up to.