Almost overnight, fashion design companies and fashion design
students were forced to move to a mostly remote work environment and
away from the studio and tools of their trade. For many designers,
this meant shifting their practice into a more virtual space, using
emergent technologies such as Clo3D.
It’s an expensive process and takes expertise that is largely
non-existent in the current workforce. However, for companies and
schools that were already implementing 3D design into their workflow,
the switch came more easily according to Soojin Kang, a fashion
designer and faculty member at Parsons School of Design. “I had the
privilege to teach the first Clo3d trial class at Parsons, and so when
the pandemic hit we did not have any significant difficulties
switching from offline to online.”
Soojin describes the remote teaching and learning process, “I was
able to do live demonstrations via Clo3d software by sharing my screen
on Zoom. I could then remote control a student’s screen and give them
technical support right away. Even remotely, my students were still
able to make 3D garments in the digital space, expressing their
designs and outcomes beautifully; and with very few problems.” End
quote.
When Parsons decided to go fully online for the fall, Clo3D was
adopted into all third level courses, with the support and enthusiasm
of students, who recognized this skill as an important one in their
toolkit. Says Soojin “I am very excited for our current Parsons
students who will obtain 3D design knowledge and experiences before
they graduate.”
Soojin notes that the industry has reached a tipping point. The
need for 3D design experience and skills will not just be helpful on a
resume, it will become a mandatory skillset, especially as businesses
understand its benefits. She observes, “When it comes to the
workplace, 3D design opens up more possibilities, everything from the
design process, production cycles, communications in overseas and
internal meetings. And it’s a chance to save resources and reduce the
textile waste.” She continues, “In a 3D environment, the designer can
create 3D shapes in real-time by creating 2D Patterns and digital
sewing in digital space. You can check the fit, silhouette and
materials by simulating them on a 3D avatar.”
And yes, in a 3D environment, designers lack the ability to touch,
feel and drape fabrics, but she emphasizes, “The transformation from
2D to 3D in real-time is a genuinely fascinating and powerful tool,
especially for designers who have a strong textile background. It will
save companies so much time when it comes to decision making and proto
making, as well as save resources such as sample yardages.”
Soojin recommends that working designers and students alike take
the time to learn 3D design. She says it’s not necessary to know other
software, although having garment construction knowledge is
fundamental and knowing Photoshop and Illustrator is helpful. They can
start by networking with other 3D designers and searching for OBJ
files and avatars. She also points out that there are many tutorial
videos available online, including resources she has created for
designers at wearable3d.com.
While the immediate need for virtual 3D design is being primarily
driven by business concerns around remote work and learning during the
pandemic, Soojin points out there are long term benefits for
companies, if they begin the transition now, rather than later. She
concludes “Adopting 3D virtual design is a very effective, powerful,
and sustainable way of working for the future of fashion and product
design industries.”