I’m old enough to remember how the Internet changed everything, but while it was doing so, there were many naysayers in the printing and publishing industry that considered the Internet a fad. It reminds me of how much my father disliked the Beatles, saying that no one would remember them in 20 years. Both were wrong, of course. We remember—perhaps even revere—the Beatles, even if we were born well after their debut on the Ed Sullivan show. And more than a quarter of a century beyond the beginning of the Internet—usually pegged at 1995 with the Netscape IPO—we wonder what we would do without it.

A similar change is afoot in the textiles and apparel industry, driven by digital technologies that are reaching the point of being more attractive than traditional analog technologies for many aspects of design, manufacturing, and distribution, especially in the U.S. market. The truth is that bringing back any reasonable level of textile and apparel manufacturing to North America requires using digital technologies to increase automation, enable cost-effective on-demand production, and reduce the overall cost of labor and more. Of course, analog technologies are here to stay, just as they have done in other segments such as commercial printing. But digital textile printing will continue to gain share. And a wide range of digital technologies across the entire supply chain will increasingly come into play.

One example that was in the news just this past week is Amazon’s use of augmented reality (AR) to enable the virtual try-on of shoes. It doesn’t quite go to the level of making sure sizing is right, but it lets customers see how the shoes—in this case sneakers—will look on their feet.

Image Credit: TechCrunch and Amazon.

And earlier this year, Walmart launched AI-powered virtual try-on technology with its acquisition of Zeekit.

But there are certainly barriers to this transformation. Skilled labor is one; while a brand may be willing to use digital printing to print its fabric in North America, if cut-and-sew resources are not available locally, it doesn’t really make a lot of sense. Another is availability of locally-milled fabrics. A great deal of fabric is still imported from overseas, and shipping costs are through the roof. As with any manufacturing process, there are many advantages to sourcing locally, including reduced shipping costs, the ability to order in smaller quantities with less inventory risk due to faster availability and more. But you have to have the local sources available. And those local sources have to offer a reasonable cost model compared to the total cost associated with sourcing from overseas.

One area where digital has already changed the way professionals work is design. Most designers are adept at—even dependent upon—digital technologies to do their work. But the rest of the process is lagging.

I’m looking forward to moderating an upcoming WhatTheyThink webinar on July 20 at 1 pm ET that will dive into all of these issues, and I hope you will join us. We have a terrific panel lined up:

• Debbie McKeegan, textiles expert and WhatTheyThink contributor, will provide insight on how new manufacturing techniques are changing the world of design and offering new business opportunities.
• Kirby Best of BMC.fashion and Kerry King of Spoonflower are set to describe their digitally-driven manufacturing process and the benefits it brings to brands, designers and consumers alike. Both can share their challenges as well as their successes.
• Jennifer Guarino of ISAIC will discuss educating the next generation of textile & apparel workers. ISAIC, the Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center, is a fundamental new approach to talent force development and economic stimulus. A Detroit-based 501c3 nonprofit, ISAIC is a national resource for those committed to positive impact through responsible production of high-quality garments and its proprietary training curriculum is being used in multiple states.

These are experts that are living this transformation on the front lines, and we are grateful they are taking the time to share their expertise with us.

Be sure to register today!