3D Technology Transforming the Apparel Industry

By allowing designers, buyers and even customers alike to see garments in 3D, they can visualise everything from colour ways, graphic placements, and engineered print layouts, through to fabric drape and movement - changing all of these at the click of a mouse. Moving design and development to 3D processes, users can cut their lead times drastically. In addition, by eliminating the need for that many steps in a product's creation, from design to tech pack, to development, garment tech and wear testing - the process becomes more succinct, in return giving the creator more control and visibility over the final product.

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Partner with LTP to digitise the Design Process

LTP can offer 3D possibilities across the sport, outdoor and sustainable fashion markets with abilities that cover the creation of avatars, through to animating designs. At LTP the team are focused on 3D design for 2 main reasons.

One is the reduction of fabric waste from manufacturing through optimised cutting and the creation of less physical samples. With sustainability being apriority for brands and end users, 3D design also has the potential to help designers to cut back on sampling and shipping, without affecting the speed to market. By moving to 3D processes brands are able to cut out a number of prototype stages, needing only a final prototype if they wish to see a physical sample, and in turn reducing their carbon impact. 

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Secondly the process is used to identify stress points for reinforced construction ultimately leading to the creation of more durable garments. Cutting down on sampling can seem counterintuitive for the outdoor and sportswear industry where fit and wear testing are key in ensuring that a garment performs well. However, the possibilities of 3D design allow for LTP to work with the customers in creating a range of poses, from bike pose to climbing, that allow for users to see the fit and movement of the garment ‘in situ’.

By creating fit maps, LTP are also able to highlight areas of stress in a tight-fitting garment, which in turn can help foresee and pre-emptively resolve potential problems in construction. The unique bodies of athletes differ across sports, LTP are therefore able to work with you and your current fit models to create bespoke avatars with proportions inline with your market.

With graphics and print a key feature for team kits, and an up-trending detail of active and outdoor apparel, LTP’s technology can quickly scale up designs to ensure placements are correct and print designs scalable. Another key area that can be specified and personalised is fabric usage, both knit and woven constructions can be interpreted to show weight, structure, drape and sheen in realistic 3D renderings, helping brands to make the final choice without requiring dual protos.  

This attention to detail and the life like abilities of 3D design offers a key opportunity to get buy-in ahead of physical sampling. This allows decisions to be made quicker, designs to be more responsive to the market needs and to dramatically cut down on waste, providing suppliers with a final tech pack and pattern ready for production.  

Having partnered with a wealth of sportswear brands, LTP understands the needs of the active market and would welcome the opportunity to discuss how we can support you in exploring the benefits of 3D design.