Times are changing: the role of #FashionTech in sustainable fashion

Sustainability has been a hot topic in the news the past couple of years. There has been a strong sense of urgency to start living a cleaner and eco-friendlier lifestyle, with hopes to slow the possible irreversible effects on the environment and leave the future a better place.

Consumers are beginning to take preventative measures, with help from companies who have begun to raise awareness and to limit the amount of waste they are putting into the environment. One big area of focus is textile use. Consumers are taking a stand when it comes to participating in sustainable fashion. In 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 10.5 million tons of textiles wound up in landfills.

With that in mind, consumers have become very conscious when it comes to the garments they buy and what to do with them after they are no longer needed. Some consumers adopt a minimalist lifestyle, where they own a select few higher-quality garments that are versatile.

Consumers have also begun seeking different business models when it comes to what to do with their unwanted garments. One style is consignment shops, which give garments a second life. Just because a garment no longer fits or isn’t the consumer's style, it does not need to be thrown away. Consignment stores will pay the seller for select garments. Thrift stores operate strictly by donations. Some stores, like Eileen Fisher, offer coupons to consumers who return gently used garments to their store. Eileen Fisher then resells those garments on their Renew program website. Other companies, like Rent the Runway, rent garments for consumers to use. When the consumer is finished wearing them, they send them back to be returned.

When garments reach the end of their life, unable to be worn or repurposed, there is an option for them to be recycled. Recycled textiles are turned into usable products such as car seat stuffing, automobile insulation, wiping cloths, home insulation or pressed back into fibers and turned into yarn. Recycling textiles gives unwanted clothes a fresh start as another product, which keeps them out of landfills.

Consumers are not the only ones taking a stand when it comes to being more sustainable. Companies are creating new processes and technologies that optimize resources. For example, new processes that use less water when dyeing fabrics. Currently, the world uses 1.3 trillion gallons of water per year for fabric dyeing. Additionally, others are creating a shorter supply chain and limiting the amount of energy used when producing garments. These innovations are not only better for the environment but also for a company’s margins.

The fashion industry, including the production of clothing, contributes to around 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions due to its long supply chains and energy-intensive production processes. The industry consumes more energy than the aviation and shipping industries combined.

Using technology like Gerber’s AccuMark® and YuniquePLM can not only get products in front of consumers more quickly, but can also increase efficiency, creating more precise planning while reducing waste and material consumption. Companies are able to synchronize product lines and financial plans to maximize product development teams by working from the same library of information in YuniquePLM. AccuMark® allows companies to accelerate time to market while generating the most efficient fabric yields for each design. Accurate, precise planning can cut weeks off product development time, which translates into savings for the bottom line.

The fashion industry is notorious for spending billions of dollars on physical samples, with designers trying to get the fit right, ensure proper product construction, and validate overall aesthetics and usability.

AccuMark® 3D can be used to validate patterns and simulate virtual garment samples with a fit so realistic there’s no need for designers to spend the time and money cutting and sewing physical samples. This decreases the amount of textile waste created while saving companies time, money and resources.

With the recent enhancements to YuniquePLM over the last few years, everyone from designers to production teams can collaborate seamlessly to deliver products to the market faster. YuniquePLM keeps all of your company’s information in one software platform. This allows all employees working on a project to immediately see what has already been done and what still needs to be completed, eliminating the need to wait for emails or documents to arrive.

In addition, manufacturers, mills and other production partners can utilize the same YuniquePLM system, reducing lag time between companies. YuniquePLM is a powerful collaboration tool designed to overcome time zone, language and communication barriers. Product designs can be uploaded, and arrows and notes can be added quickly and easily. The collaboration can also be extended to manufacturers, allowing them to know exactly where changes need to be made in real time.

YuniquePLM creates an environment in which products can be finalized more quickly, requiring fewer mockups, reducing waste, and improving communication with manufacturers.

As the world and consumer requirements evolve, the fashion industry must adapt and become a role model for sustainability and environmental responsibility. Consumers have already begun taking action through their shopping habits, post-purchase behaviors and consumption choices. It is equally important for companies to become more environmentally conscious.

The utilization of Gerber Technology products and software enables leaner, more sustainable and environmentally friendly processes. This helps keep the environment cleaner while ensuring that customer expectations remain at the center of the business.