Australian fashion brand JAG has implemented 3D design technology which has reportedly cut its sampling costs by 50%.
The new technology allows JAG to trial unlimited fabrications, print layouts, and colourways alongside design elements such as how the fabric hangs and moves before producing physical samples.
As well as design, JAG has also implemented the 3D technology across marketing. The brand’s latest high winter campaign features digitally created styles from its AW23 collection superimposed onto real-life models in an artificial backdrop.
The digital campaign has already gone live across the brand’s social channels and on its website.
Speaking with Ragtrader, APG & Co CEO Elisha Hopkinson said the 3D-designed and developed AW23 range has been in-store since March this year, but the process of implementing it began in January 2022.
“The technology enables digital pattern making in 3D garment images while also allowing designers to be innovative without the usual cost and time pressures with digital designs being significantly cheaper and faster to enact changes onto,” Hopkinson said.
“The benefits of the technology also enable far more sustainable design practices due to minimising sample manufacturing wastage and transit emissions, while also facilitating improved fitting on virtual 3D avatars.”
Hopkinson said the new technology has increased the speed-to-market due to reduced quantities of fit samples. She said it also facilitates wider experimenting of colouring options that are refined within the range before going to production.
“It also improves ranging by enabling outfitting in 3D, leading to stronger range cohesiveness without the delay in physical sampling and the presentation of ranges digitally,” she said.
“The technology is expected to reduce lead times by removing at least one fit from the start-to-end process, while also meaning that the brand needs to only physically sample new shapes and fabrics, which shaves at least one month on average out of lead times from the traditional industry-wide physical sample lead times.
“This initiative has also reduced the brand’s development sampling costs by 50% in the last year of working digitally.”
Amid cost and time reduction, Hopkinson said that the main reason JAG adopted the technology was sustainability, saying the brand is established on responsible design principles.
“The benefit of less sampling production has been profound – in terms of fabrics, the sampling process and sample shipping, these factors have been halved, just as our costs have,” she said.
“It’s a really sensible innovation in so many ways. In the future, we’re excited to explore the power of 3D sampling in designing for circularity – better cutting yields, designing out waste, designing for easy upcycling or repair.”
“The other key opportunities of this technology are also in the customer-facing e-commerce space with the tool facilitating JAG to be able to host virtual fashion shows, create virtual stores for customers to shop from and mock up a variety of alternative visual merchandising options or letting customers virtually try on the products.
“It’s the future of creating digital PR and media assets, selling digital garments in the metaverse that can be linked to in-store purchases and presenting the brand in a gaming context and as we’ve started here completely digital brand campaigns that can be utilised across all of our channels.”