‍

THE PROMISE OF DIGITAL PRODUCT CREATION

In recent years, the fashion industry has been swept by the wave of digital transformation, with Digital Product Creation (DPC) at the forefront of this movement. DPC, powered by 3D design and virtual prototyping, promised to "revolutionise" everything from design processes to sustainability efforts. It offered a vision of a world where brands could eliminate wasteful physical samples, speed up time to market, and allow for unlimited creative experimentation without the constraints of physical materials.

However, despite the early excitement and promising results, the allure of DPC has waned significantly.

‍

WHY DID DIGITAL PRODUCT CREATION GAIN TRACTION?

Digital Product Creation burst onto the scene as a solution to some of fashion’s most pressing challenges. Sustainability concerns and the demand for quicker market responses led fashion brands to explore 3D digital solutions. Several factors contributed to its rapid initial adoption:

1. Sustainability and Waste Reduction: DPC allowed brands to create virtual prototypes, drastically reducing the need for physical samples. This aligned perfectly with the growing pressure on fashion brands to adopt more sustainable practices.
2. Cost and Time Efficiency: By reducing reliance on physical samples, brands could accelerate their design processes and potentially shorten time to market. DPC also allowed for faster iterations, enabling designers to experiment and modify designs without incurring the cost of physical materials.
3. Consumer Engagement and Customisation: Technologies like virtual try-ons, 3D scanning, and personalisation tools enhanced the consumer experience. Shoppers could engage with products digitally, offering a glimpse of a future where personalised, on-demand fashion could be the norm.
4. Technological Advancements: The increasing sophistication of 3D design software and virtual environments, including the potential to integrate with virtual and augmented reality, pushed fashion brands to experiment with DPC. Major industry players such as Nike and Adidas became early adopters, showcasing the potential for digital-first design and manufacturing processes.

‍

COVID-19: A CATALYST FOR DPC'S ACCELERATION

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly accelerated the adoption of Digital Product Creation across the fashion industry. As physical production and supply chains ground to a halt, fashion brands had no choice but to explore digital solutions to keep their businesses running. With factories shuttered and in-person meetings impossible, DPC emerged as a vital tool for enabling remote collaboration, virtual prototyping, and the continuation of design processes.

During the height of the pandemic, DPC allowed fashion companies to:

1. Maintain Design Cycles Remotely: With entire design teams working from home, DPC provided a lifeline, enabling them to create, iterate, and share digital prototypes without needing physical materials or samples.
2. Respond to Supply Chain Disruptions: The widespread shutdown of factories forced brands to rethink how they could design and plan their collections. DPC offered the ability to simulate designs digitally and adjust them according to the changing availability of materials and production capabilities.
3. Reduce Dependency on Physical Samples: As shipping and logistics were severely disrupted, the ability to reduce or eliminate the need for physical samples became critical. DPC allowed brands to send virtual prototypes for approval, speeding up the decision-making process while keeping projects on track.
4. Pivot to E-Commerce: With brick-and-mortar stores closed, the pandemic drove a rapid shift to online retail. DPC-enabled digital assets allowed brands to showcase products in new ways, from virtual showrooms to 3D product presentations, helping them engage with consumers in the absence of physical stores.

While the urgency of the pandemic temporarily boosted the prominence of DPC, it also set high expectations for the technology's capabilities. This unprecedented surge in interest illuminated both its strengths and its limitations, setting the stage for the challenges that would emerge once the immediate pressures of the pandemic began to ease.

‍

WHY DID INTEREST IN DPC DECLINE?

Despite its initial promise, Digital Product Creation began to lose momentum. By 2023, it was clear that DPC had not lived up to the high expectations placed upon it. Several core challenges contributed to this decline:

1. Economic Pressures: The economic landscape changed dramatically post-2020, with inflationary pressures squeezing both brand budgets and consumer spending power. Brands found it increasingly difficult to justify the high upfront costs of implementing DPC technologies when immediate returns were hard to measure.
2. Cultural Resistance: The fashion industry, deeply rooted in tradition, was slow to embrace the full potential of digital transformation. DPC required a significant shift in thinking—from traditional, craft-based methods to digital innovation. For many fashion houses, this cultural shift was too steep, and the technology was seen as a threat to the craftsmanship that defines luxury brands.
3. Technological Gaps: The biggest roadblock to DPC’s success was its inability to fully integrate into existing production processes. While DPC allowed for the creation of virtual prototypes, translating those designs into production-ready formats often required significant manual adjustments. This lack of seamless integration hampered its effectiveness, reducing the expected time and cost savings.
4. Skills Gap: Implementing DPC required a new set of skills that many brands did not possess. The fashion industry faced a shortage of professionals capable of designing and managing digital tools effectively. Without a robust workforce to support the technology, many brands struggled to realise its full potential.
5. Perception vs. Reality: Although DPC was marketed as a more environmentally conscious, cost-saving solution, in reality, the technology did not always deliver measurable business value. Many brands invested heavily in DPC but failed to see improvements in key metrics like time-to-market or overall cost reductions. This mismatch between expectation and reality led to disillusionment among early adopters.

‍

A SHIFT IN PRIORITIES

As DPC struggled, new technologies—particularly AI and machine learning—began to dominate the fashion tech landscape. AI offered broader, more integrated applications across the value chain, from design to supply chain management, and promised greater returns. This shift in focus was driven by several factors:

1. Automation and Efficiency: AI and machine learning could streamline manual tasks, predict trends, and personalise the customer experience. These technologies provided tangible, measurable benefits to brands looking for ways to reduce costs and increase operational efficiency.
2. Generative AI in Design: AI's ability to generate design variations rapidly and forecast trends gave it a significant edge over DPC. Unlike DPC, which focused on a narrow set of digital tools, AI offered broader applications that spanned the entire product lifecycle, from design conception to customer service.
3. Perceived ROI: While DPC struggled to deliver immediate, measurable returns, AI's capabilities—especially in trend forecasting, supply chain management, and customer engagement—offered clearer ROI. This made AI a more attractive investment for brands facing economic pressures.

‍

THE IMPORTANCE OF STRATEGIC ADOPTION

The rise and fall of Digital Product Creation offer important lessons for fashion brands as they continue to navigate the complex landscape of digital transformation. These lessons are not just relevant to DPC, but to any new technology that promises to "revolutionise" the industry.

1. Don’t Prioritise Hype Over Utility: The excitement around DPC shows how easy it is to be swept up in the hype of new technologies. Brands need to ensure that any new technology they adopt is aligned with clear business objectives and delivers measurable outcomes. AI, for example, has succeeded in part because it addresses a broader range of challenges across the fashion value chain.
2. Invest in Skills and Training: The fashion industry’s struggle to adopt DPC highlights the importance of building a workforce that can handle new digital tools. Without the right skills, even the most promising technology will fail to deliver its full potential. Brands need to invest in training and development to ensure that their teams are equipped to manage digital transformation.
3. Ensure Seamless Integration: One of DPC’s greatest weaknesses was its inability to integrate fully into the production process. Any new technology needs to be part of a cohesive strategy that aligns with existing workflows. Brands should focus on technologies that can be easily integrated across departments, from design to production to sales.
4. Balance Short-Term Returns with Long-Term Goals: The fashion industry is notoriously driven by short-term trends, but this mindset can hinder the adoption of transformative technologies. While economic pressures will always influence investment decisions, brands should take a longer-term view when assessing the value of new technologies.

‍

THE FUTURE OF DIGITAL PRODUCT CREATION — A SECOND CHANCE?

Digital Product Creation may have experienced a decline, but it is far from obsolete. While the excitement around its potential has cooled, DPC still holds promise—particularly if it evolves and adapts in response to the lessons learned from its initial shortcomings. So, what’s next for DPC, and can it reclaim its place in the fashion industry’s future?

The key to DPC’s resurgence lies in its ability to integrate with newer, complementary technologies in AI/machine learning, VR/AR and eCommerce. DPC alone may not have delivered the immediate, sweeping transformations many hoped for, but when combined with design automation, predictive analytics, and supply chain optimisation, DPC could finally unlock its full potential. For instance, new AI technology could help to streamline the transition from virtual designs to production-ready formats and solve one of DPC’s biggest limitations—its disconnect from physical manufacturing processes.

DPC’s value in sustainability initiatives remains critical. As consumers and regulators continue to demand more "sustainable practices", DPC can help fashion brands reduce waste and minimise the environmental impact of product development. The ability to create precise, efficient digital prototypes can still be a game-changer for brands committed to sustainability. However, for this potential to be realised, brands must invest in creating seamless digital twins that fully integrate design, production, and retail processes.

In the coming years, we can expect DPC to re-emerge, but this time with a sharper focus. Rather than being viewed as a standalone solution, it will likely be positioned as part of a broader digital transformation strategy that incorporates AI, VR/AR, and other innovative tools. Brands and manufacturers that can integrate DPC with their existing processes, align it with strategic sustainability goals, and leverage AI for more efficient workflows will be the ones to lead this resurgence.

In the short term, we may see fewer bold, standalone DPC initiatives as fashion companies re-evaluate its role within their broader tech ecosystem. However, those that take the time to refine and integrate DPC into a holistic digital approach will likely find that it still holds substantial long-term value.

In conclusion, while DPC may not have revolutionised the fashion industry on its own, it is not a failed technology. Rather, it is a tool that needs to be recontextualised and reimagined to fit the new demands of fashion’s digital future. Expect DPC to make a steady comeback—one that is more strategic, integrated, and impactful than ever before.