Innovations and Movements in the Fashion Industry
- Alley M
- Dec 7, 2020
- 3 min read
The 2019 article "How Technological Innovation Is Changing The Face Of Fashion", discusses the impact that technological innovation has had on the fashion industry. Technological innovation and the environmental movement in the fashion industry are intertwined. Technological innovation in fashion serves as a way to increase the aesthetics of garments as well as make clothing more sustainable and eco-friendly. Because technology enhances the fashion industry in more ways than one, technological innovation will continue to influence the fashion industry.
To improve aesthetics and create a performance on the runway, designers use technology. One of the most popular uses of technology in fashion is 3D printing. 3D printing is used to enhance garments by creating texture and sculptures for a garment. Designers like Iris Van Herpen are known for using 3D printing due to the futuristic aesthetic of their designs. 3D printing was once reserved for daring designers but now even the most classic designers are moving towards 3D printing. Other designers like Hussein Chalayan use technology in fashion as a performance enhancer. Chalayan is a designer well-known for his transformative garments on the runway. Chalayan has had garments turn into furniture and even melt away in the rain due to water-soluble textiles.
Technology will continue to be a large factor in the fashion industry. In addition to providing texture or an enhanced experience when creating or wearing a garment, technology can also aid in sustainability, functionality and performance. Common natural materials use a lot of the Earth's resources. Fabrics like cotton use tons of water just to produce one or two garments. Researchers are working on ways to produce textiles while using fewer resources. Industry specialists like Professor Juan Hinestroza at Cornell University are using technology to work on a nanoscale to create: waterproof and oil-proof fabric, have fabric trap toxic gases and enhance the fabric’s ability to store and release insecticides to provide protection against diseases. Dyeing fabric is another technique that uses a lot of water. To reduce water-waste, Hinestroza and his team are using nanoparticles called metal-organic frameworks to give fabrics a physical color that does not fade away with each wash. The technology that Hinestroza and his team are using promotes sustainability in the fashion industry and increases the performance of textiles.
Smart technology is also finding its way into fashion. We have smartwatches that prove to be a fashion and social statement but also provide convenient and important functions like monitoring the heart rate and accepting or declining phone calls. Designers like Pauline Van Dongen and Yves Behar are incorporating technology in their clothing. Dongen and Behar are creating clothing that uses technology to monitor the elderly's movement. Levi's is moving into smart fashion as well by teaming up with Google to create a smart denim jacket for cyclists and commuters. The jacket can decline phone calls or get directions with a swipe or a tap, so users do not have to take their eyes off the road.
Technology is becoming an integral part of the fashion industry. Designers use technology to enhance the aesthetics of a garment and even provide a performance element on runways. Researchers use technology to improve the performance and endurance of a textile. Technology is even used to create sustainable methods of production and to reduce waste. As the textile industry continues to flourish, technological innovations will be there too.
Harper Bazaar's How Technological Innovation Is Changing The Face Of Fashion
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