Tech Trends: The Innovations That Will Drive Fashion Next Season
By California Apparel News
Fashion is often viewed as a resource for groundbreaking artistry that allows consumers to express themselves to the world, a way of introducing themselves before they even say a word. Although fashion sets trends in design and garments every season, multiple times each year, in a forward-thinking manner it falls behind regarding widespread acceptance of technology.
While it might seem that the fashion industry’s adoption of innovative technology is lagging, apparel-business professionals have a fully stocked collection of solutions that have been informed by the needs of designers, brands and supply-chain partners, all to reach consumers who want immediate gratification and newness coupled with the seemingly opposing demands of sustainability and mindfulness. The array of tools available to the fashion set addresses a number of issues, including the serious challenges within sustainability and the fun—yet mysterious—options in gaming.
California Apparel News asked technology experts: How will emerging fashion trends dictate investments in technology by apparel companies?
Note: We have include excerpts from SPESA members below. Click here for the complete article.
John Robinson
Senior Strategic Account Manager of Apparel
Aptean
Emerging fashion trends significantly influence how apparel companies invest in technology. Speed and on-trend are fashionable, and getting the right product to market before competitors is crucial for capturing market share and maintaining relationships. Modern PLM solutions are essential for staying competitive, improving team productivity and enhancing communication with suppliers.
E-commerce and everything digital will drive trends, and companies are investing in technology to manage multichannel sales and marketing, making it easier for consumers to find, purchase and return products. User-friendly and efficient processes are key to retaining customers.
In the area of cloud for security and performance, apparel companies are focusing on product and sales, relying on secure cloud platforms with high availability for business continuity. These platforms provide robust disaster recovery and cybersecurity, allowing companies to concentrate on their core business.
AI is revolutionizing the industry by enhancing design, trend prediction, supply-chain optimization, dynamic pricing and customer support. This technology is rapidly evolving, offering significant advantages.
Supply-chain and management transparency is crucial to demand, inventory and production. Accurate allocation prevents lost revenue and trust, ensuring that website inventories are up to date and wholesale orders are fulfilled on time.
Delivering KPIs from ERP systems in easy-to-read formats is essential to fortify business intelligence. These tools provide decision-makers with crucial insights into product performance, sales and financial metrics, aligning operations with company goals.
Paul Magel
President of the Application Solutions Division
CGS, Inc.
Emerging fashion trends are revolutionizing how apparel companies invest in technology. Key trends like lowering costs, increasing productivity, sustainability and cybersecurity are driving these investments and shaping the future of fashion.
To reduce costs, companies are turning to automation and AI to streamline operations and reduce manual-labor expenses. AI-driven demand forecasting and planning and inventory-management systems optimize supply chains, minimize waste and prevent overproduction.
Investments in technology are also boosting productivity through cloud-based solutions that provide real-time data across the value chain. These tools facilitate agile decision-making and improve overall operational efficiency.
Sustainability is increasingly a central focus in the fashion industry, with Europe playing a pivotal role in driving this trend. AI and ML optimize resource utilization, reducing waste through precise demand forecasting and inventory management. Traceability systems ensure transparency throughout the product lifecycle, fostering sustainability.
As fashion companies increasingly rely on digital platforms, cybersecurity has become paramount. Robust cybersecurity measures are essential to protect sensitive data and maintain the integrity of digital operations. Investing in advanced cybersecurity solutions safeguards customer information and proprietary data, building consumer trust and compliance with data protection regulations.
By strategically investing in technology, apparel companies can stay ahead in the competitive fashion market. These technologies enable brands to meet evolving consumer demands, boost operational efficiency and contribute to a more sustainable future in fashion. As the industry evolves, these trends will continue to shape technological investments in fashion.
Leonard Marano
President of the Americas
Lectra
Building on generative AI’s groundbreaking impact year in 2023 on the fashion industry, new use cases are continually emerging to help brands stay ahead of trends, competitors and evolving consumer preferences in both style and pricing.
One thing we’ll continue to see is a shorted life cycle around trends. Trends now emerge, peak and fade within just a few months, faster than ever before. To keep pace, brands will need to invest in AI-powered solutions.
On-demand production is one area that has been extremely critical for brands in order to keep up with shifting desires all the while ensuring profitability and a commitment to sustainability. On-demand production connects and automates production from reception to cut piece, allowing manufacturers to streamline the production process and adjust quickly to changing requirements.
We’re also seeing investments in AI increasingly focused on assortment planning and inventory management. AI-powered competitive-analysis platforms enable fashion brands to set the right prices, build winning product assortments and optimize discount strategies. Consumers are moving away from brand loyalty, instead seeking out the best deals. Brands that leverage AI in this capacity will be able to make sure they are competitively pricing their product assortments in order to win new business and increase profitability.
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