How technology impacted the fashion industry
Technology opened up doors in fashion industry
Through technology, we as customers can be part of the creative process with our own ideas to create the products we want. We now can use our own taste of fashion to the products we want to design for ourselves. A lot of athletic sports brand allow you to create your own design. For example “Nike ID” on Nike website, there is a option for your athletic shoes to create what cushion or colorways you want. For example runners do not always necessary want the same performance or colorway as others. Some runner wants a lot of cushion in their shoes or low to the ground feel. You will have variety of range to choose specifically what you want in a product, by your own choice.
Nike iD is one of the brands that allow us to customize and design by our own, rather than just going to the store and buy mass produced products. Before companies implemented customization for the consumer, Having the feeling of walking out of the house knowing someone wouldn’t have the same design as the one you are wearing. Each product can be unique and separated from the other, we can stand out more and express ourselves more through our own created design.
Technology on our clothing is a direction we are going. The classic denim brand Levi Strauss & Co. collab with technology company Google to create the first jacket that has a technology implemented. The jacket is called “smart” the technology in the cuff is washable. The Smart alerts you when you have notification from your phone. It will vibrate and the cuff will light up. A tap on the cuff will assist you which direction you are going if you are using google map. Smart can also play music when you connect it with your phone.
Technology on your shoes is probably one thing you never thought of. Nike has created the first ever selves lacing shoes called the “Nike Adapt BB”. It’s a shoe that creates a truly own custom fit by using innovative power lacing system and an app.
Advanced technologies have opened a lot of doors for brands to create new way of the manufacturing process. Adidas is the second preferred brand for consumers when it comes to running shoes. Adidas released the first ever 4D printed midsole with their new technology called Alphaedge 4D. This latest innovation is for professional runners and regular gym users. The shoes’ midsole is printed with light and oxygen, the process is called Digital Light Synthesis. The midsole is very lightweight but also absorb impact when we run.
3D printing has not only allowed us to completely rethink our manufacturing processes but to create a data driven experience that breaks new ground in performance capability and individual design. We are more dependent on technology whether machine or on a social media platform. Who knows maybe in the future when we can just design everything at home and 3d print it by ourselves. Technology computing power is reshaping the fashion industry and opened up ways. Designers can create structures and designs that have never existed before current technology.
The online world
Social media makes advertising a lot easier. It also help us to find the products we want to buy. For example Instagram uses captions and tagging, often the clothing brand will be tagged on it. You can easily click on it and see which brand of clothing it is. This generation who’s lives is based on social medias. These big name celebrities have tons of followers on their platform. It has changed how fashion models are chosen, because of how social medias impact fashion. We all know the stunning Kendall Jenner she has the looks and the talent, but because of her fan base, 25 million followers on Twitter and 85 million followers on Instagram she became the face of a high end skin care brand “Estee Lauder”. With just one picture post or even a story on Instagram, has fashion gurus and people talking about what she is wearing.
Instagram specifically has changed advertising of clothing in the fashion industry completely. You can easily shop on Instagram, some models advertised their clothing that they promote on their post. With just one click on the clothing you are interested it shows you the price etc. On Instagram if you have a decent amount of followers, small fashion companies might even find you to help promote their clothing brand using a code they provide for the Instagram promoter. So it is a win for both parties. Buying things has never been so easy before. You can look up things online laying on your couch if you don’t feel like going out. People may say what if you order the wrong size of clothing? You always know what size you wear even though if you really did order the wrong size you can always go to the store to refund or replace the item, and most of the time it is free.
Brands also go to the Youtube platform to promote their brand. They send their products to them and pay them to do a review on them. When Youtubers do reviews on the product they have to let the audience know that it is a sponsored video other wise it would be bias just to talk good things on the product.
Concluding Thoughts
Technologies makes our lives easier whether we are talking about manufacturing machines or on the social media platforms. If we were putting technology and fashion in one sentence 20 years ago. We would never thought these two would cross each other. It shows how technology is taking over everything not just the fashion industry.
