Fashion Digital Twins

Discover the fascinating world of fashion digital twins in our latest podcast episode. Learn how virtual representations of garments revolutionize design, customer experience, and more. Join hosts, Nghi (Marketing Coordinator at BaseN) and Sonja (Communication Officer at BaseN), as they explore the benefits, challenges, and recommendations for successful implementation. Tune in to "IoT for the Rest of Us" and stay ahead in the competitive fashion industry. 

Transcript

Nghi Dang
Welcome to another episode of our podcast, "IoT for the Rest of Us". I'm your host, Nghi Dang, and today we have a fascinating topic to discuss - fashion digital twins. Joining me is my co-host, Sonia Pöyry. Hi, Sonja. How's it going?

Sonja Pöyry 
Hi Nghi, I'm doing great. Excited to dive into this topic. Fashion digital twins have been making quite waves in the industry lately, haven't they?

 Nghi Dang 
 Certainly, certainly. And, really great to have you, Sonja. So to kick things off, let's start with a brief overview of what fashion digital twins actually are. Can you enlighten our listeners?

Sonja Pöyry
I will try my best to shed some light on the digital twins in the fashion industry.
So fashion digital twins are virtual representations of physical fashion products or designs. They capture detailed characteristics such as shape, texture, colour and other visual attributes of a physical garment. These digital replicas allow fashion brands to stimulate and interact with their products in a virtual environment. And then there's something even more exciting - the next generation fashion digital twins can go beyond visual representation. They can actually sense the stretch and wear of a product, giving customers and manufacturers alike more accurate understanding of its fit and feel.

Nghi Dang
That's fascinating! But now let's explore the numerous benefits that digital twins offer to the fashion industry. In your opinions, what are some of the key advantages?

Sonja Pöyry
Yeah, there are quite, uh, many advantages and one major benefit is, of course, the acceleration of the design process. Now, you can see this from a positive side and from a negative side, of course, because many say that fashion is already very short lived and creates a lot of waste. But let's dive into this a bit later.

Because traditionally, fashion designers relied on physical prototypes and samples to iterate and refine their designs. And this can be very time-consuming and costly, but with the fashion digital twins, designers can create virtual prototypes allowing them to experiment and iterate more quickly and ultimately enhance the efficiency. 

Then, as I already said that, some people may see this as a problem because fashion usually is a bit short lived, but what the digital twins in fashion industry are also able to do is definitely reduce the amount of waste. Because if you, for example, look into the supply chain management for digital twins in the fashion industry, that there is room for significant improvement, and you also have a better control if you expand the digital twins into the supply chain management as well, because you see what supplier is delivering, what quality, so you can always assure visibility and quality.

And, of course, you can, can have really the control about it. There is not like another three sub-suppliers that you are not aware of, when you have the digital twin of your supply chain management, then you have visibility to all parts of it. And that can greatly benefit in the industry also, in, in case of any misbehaviours, or exploitation, for example.

So, you can actively also make, um, better, better standards for the industry as a whole. And also, when you look at the waste reduction, because you have all of the data that you gathered, so there is no over production anymore. 

You can estimate a lot better with the digital twin that, what's gonna be like, because you will have access to all the data from the production to the actual sales, and probably also of the customers. So, it's a win-win for everyone, because, like with the over production, then there is sales and, and maybe sometimes ,they are not used as wisely, and you can, as mentioned, cut the overall production significantly, and also recycle a lot better, because you already have all the data and know like how to best recycle and reuse, so that you don't use up a lot of resources for it.

Nghi Dang
Wow, those definitely sounds like a game changer. What about the customer experience? How do fashion digital twins contribute to that, in your thoughts?

Sonja Pöyry
I think that fashion digital twins often enhance customer experience in various ways. One notable aspect is probably also the virtual try-on capabilities, so customers can visualise how a garment would look on them without physically trying it on. And this immersive and interactive experience reduces purchase and uncertainty and improves customer satisfaction. And I would say, also enhances the online shopping experience.

Nghi Dang 
I totally agree! And at BaseN, we usually also talk about how digital twin technology can really help the companies, manufacturers, and in this case, you know, fashion businesses, to really personalize their relationship with each customer. So then, I imagine that fashion digital twin would also enhance that, so you will really get the insight into each of your customer's behaviour patterns, which will help you work on really enhancing the customer experiences for each of your customers, and also strengthen the customer relationship furthermore. Am, am I right?

Sonja Pöyry
Yes, I think you're absolutely right on this! And if you think on the amount of customers that you can reach, you can also have a really big, big impact on on the quality. Because as we know, like since the next-generation digital twin for the fashion industry can also like, have input of the stretch and the quality of the fabric for example, and where in, in what areas is it more likely stretching for one person compared to another person, you know, like some...Let's, let's talk about ladies. Some ladies really like to wear high heels. So, assuming that you use normal socks, I think there are some parts of the sock that would wear out more easily than the part that you are barely walking on. So, I think that it's, in general, a very, very good experience also for the consumer. Like, for me, it would be great if I had kind of a tailor-made clothing just for me, like that it really is in the parts where I need it to be stronger, then it is stronger in that part. So, I think definitely you're right with that.

Nghi Dang
Right. Excellent! And it is interesting that you also bring up the sock example, because we often at BaseN talk about Sock-as-a-Service, by the way. And for our listeners, if you are curious, you can simply google "BaseN and Sock-as-a-Service". And I think there will be blogs and even videos coming out from it. But Sonja, do you recall, like, how long have we been already talked about the concept of socks-as-a-service?

Sonja Pöyry
Oh, for many years already, way before I joined BaseN, and I joined like 7 years ago. So, I would say, over a decade ago that the talk started. And as our CEO always gives the great example that you can also go even further with this, that um, when you have the sock-as-a-service, it would be also like, the washing machine, for example, would be reading your sock, via an RFID tech or whatever other technology. And then it can, as mentioned, strengthen your sock. And also, um like, you know, give more data even like how many wash cycles is it going to survive, and is there something that makes the fabric softer, like not just the regular softener you use when washing, but like overall. So, I think, that is definitely, it's the future.

Nghi Dang
Yeah, it does sound such a game changer! The way I see it, using digital twin technology, retailers, as you said, so not just limited to just fashion and clothing industry, but retailers of any products can, can provide personalised recommendations, and offer customised design options that really fit into the customers' preferences. And that's how it really make the customer relationship personalized in a mass customized level, so I think, I see that it enhances the customer sense of ownership and engagement with the brand. What, what are your thoughts?

Sonja Pöyry
Absolutely! And and also, um, yeah, on particular, feeling in control, because I'm, for example, very particular when it comes to colors. There are certain colors I just don't like and nothing makes them better. So, if, if I can have a a clothing item that I really like and then it even comes in my favourite color, which is not always the case, but that's, of course, very lovely. And when you have all the data, you can even like already customise the color palette for the, for the consumer. And naturally, you can also give different options. I mean, there are many, many things you can do to customise the experience and I think we live in the age of mass customization anyway, so this is very important to keep your customer and more important to keep them happy.

Nghi Dang
Yeah, absolutely. And this is so fantastic, all the potentials that the digital twin technology can unlock. And so now, let's rewind a bit back again to our topic of fashion digital twins. And so, besides all of the values that we talked about, I think there would also, obviously, the challenges that come with implementing fashion digital twins. The question would be the practicality. Like how easy, difficult and what would be, you know, the process of implementing them, so, and what are your thoughts on this?

Sonja Pöyry
Yeah, implementing fashion digital wins does come with considerations, of course. One key aspect is data acquisition and standardisation, like creating accurate and detailed digital twin requires mainly a high quality data which can be a challenge to obtain, of course, and standardization data formats and establishing industry wide guidelines are also necessary for interoperability and widespread adoption.
So that's definitely something that still needs a bit of work.

Nghi Dang
Absolutely. Realism and accuracy are certainly vital in fashion digital twins, and so, then, in your experience, or just personal opinions, how do you say brands can achieve that?

Sonja Pöyry
Yeah, you are right with that. I think achieving a high level of realism and accuracy is crucial for the effectiveness of fashion digital twins. The virtual representation should closely resemble the physical garment, of course, and capturing its shape, drape, and texture. 
Ensuring accurate colour representation is also particularly important, as colors can appear very different in digital and physical environments.

Nghi Dang
Yeah, those are certainly significant and relevant consideration. 
So now let's move on to our key recommendation for implementing fashion digital twin successfully. Sonja, with your experience having been working with BaseN - the digital innovation enabler - what would be your first recommendations to business out there. when they want to implement or they are intrigued to embark on implementing fashion digital twins?

Sonja Pöyry
That's actually a very complex topic, but I try to summarize it a bit. 
So, my first recommendation would be to clearly define your business objectives and identify how digital twins can support your goals. And whether it's improving design efficiency and enhancing customer experience, optimize supply chain operations or driving sustainability, or even creating, like we discussed, with the sock, completely new business models and revenue streams. So, a thorough understanding of the desired outcome is probably the most crucial aspect.

Nghi Dang
And it's excellent advice Sonja! I definitely agree that it is the most crucial first step.
And what would be your next recommendation?

Sonja Pöyry
Um, another recommendation is to assess your organization's readiness to adopt digital twins and to define the scope of the implementation. Like, evaluate your existing infrastructure, software, systems and data management capabilities. Alternatively, select a reliable and suitable digital twin platform provider to guide you on the transformative journey. Because, those providers, they should really know all the single steps you need to take. So, if you can't do it in-house, look for really good partnerm like BaseN, for example.

Nghi Dang
Certainly. I mean, I think we have had this conversation also many times at BaseN. Why, because we see the values of companies also deciding to embark on the digital transformation journey or any digital innovation journey by themselves.
Even though there are benefits in that and we also recognise those benefit, even though we are a digital platform provider, but we also have to say, in our experiences, working with other businesses, right, we also recognise the strong benefits of companies actually using the expertise of other businesses that are the experts in this area rather than you know, figuring that out from the ground by yourselves.

Sonja Pöyry
Exactly. Collaborating with the platform provider is usually crucial, I would say. Because they can help identify specific use cases where digital twins can, for example, provide the most value to the organisation, and their expertise, and best practises can guide you in making informed decisions and ensure successful implementation.

Nghi Dang
Certainly. And that sounds like a valuable partnership. 
So, now for our final recommendations, Sonja, what would you suggest?

Sonja Pöyry
Oh, that's again a tough one because there are so many steps that should be considered in between. But as a final recommendation, I would probably say that, you should ensure you have a reliable platform that can collect, store and visualize data into actionable insights for your business. Like, seek a digital twin platform provider with experience and data acquisition techniques, standardization, storage and security considerations, because their expertise will save you time and resources, and allowing you to focus more on improving your business.

Nghi Dang
That quite touches again what we, like, a minute ago, also talked about, so that was like a really great sum up again, Sonja. I think we both really believe that it is really beneficial for businesses, to really consider whether you actually want to do this by yourself, or do you actually want to partner with a reliable business that has already years of expertise in the area, to help you advance and to achieve the goal, your goals, your business goals that are most relevant to your business, faster.
 
But, thank you though, for all those insightful recommendations, Sonja! And now we, we are reaching at the end and wrapping up the episode. Do you have any closing thoughts on the potential of fashion digital twins?

Sonja Pöyry
Oh yes, Nghi, absolutely! I think fashion digital twins provide a platform for innovation, creativity and differentiation within the fashion industry by embracing advanced technologies. I think fashion brands can showcase their unique designs and offer personalized experience to customers and stay ahead, not even in a competitive market but a highly competitive market even.

Nghi Dang
Well said, Sonja! And thank you so much for joining us today and sharing your expertise on fashion digital twins. It has been an enlightening conversation.

Sonja Pöyry
Oh, thank you Nghi for having me. It was my pleasure to be here and discuss the exciting topic with you, like always.

Nghi Dang
Yes! Likewise. 

And thank you to all our listeners for turning to this episode of "IoT for the Rest of Us". We hope you enjoyed our discussion on fashion digital twins. Stay fashionable and stay tuned for more episodes coming your way.

Sonja Pöyry
And...Subscribe!