By Berly Thomas
The biggest curse of fast fashion is the clothes that change so quickly and are produced in large quantities and discarded even faster. Telling those who follow new fashion trends to use old clothes or wear the same clothes is not always practical. So what is the solution to this crisis? Cutting-edge technologies, from 3D printing to artificial intelligence, are being tested to find a solution to this crisis. Many of them are giving surprisingly good results. We know that these new technological innovations have created a great revolution in fashion design, clothing production, and marketing. However, it is noteworthy that these technologies have the power to overcome the crises that fast fashion has currently created and to end the bad habits.
Modern technology is helping to reduce waste in the fast fashion industry. 3D printing helps the manufacturing industry reduce fabric waste, produce clothes only as needed, and avoid setting up large factories and manufacturing facilities. The biggest advantage of 3D printing is that it enables the creation of clothes in the desired color and design, making them highly personalized and produced only in the required quantity.
From AI to 3D Printing
Artificial intelligence and machine learning pave the way for predicting fashion trends, understanding exactly how much demand exists, and producing accordingly. This can help find solutions to the problems caused by producing more clothes than necessary. If systems such as laser cutting are used properly, they can help reduce overwork and exploitation in the manufacturing industry and prevent practices like child labor.
The currently popular virtual try-on system allows consumers to virtually try on clothes before purchasing them, enabling them to see how well the clothes fit and buy only the ones they like and feel most comfortable in. This will ultimately help reduce clothing waste. More importantly, innovative fabric products have the potential to transform the clothing industry and revolutionize production processes.
The Magic Fabric
Econyl is an innovative fabric developed with the help of modern technology as an alternative to nylon. Considering the waste generated by clothing, the problems it creates for the environment, and the social crises caused by fast fashion, Econyl is considered a progressive idea. Its biggest feature is that the fabric, called Econyl, is made from discarded plastic waste from the ocean and abandoned fishing nets. While fast fashion creates waste, Econyl actually helps reduce it. With ideas like Econel becoming popular, the environmental damage caused by fast fashion can be mitigated to some extent.
The production of Econyl is very interesting. Compared to traditional nylon production, only a very small amount of water is used for the production of Econyl. This addresses one of the biggest challenges in the clothing industry. The next question is: how does Econel benefit the environment when it is produced? It is estimated that when 10,000 tons of raw materials are produced for the production of Econyl, 65,100 tons of carbon dioxide emissions are avoided, and approximately 70,000 barrels of crude oil are saved. Econel production reduces the global warming impact of oil-based nylon production by up to 90 percent. Another feature of Econyl is that it can be recycled as many times as desired. Unlike many other materials, the quality of Econyl does not decrease when recycled repeatedly.
Anoop Joseph from Brampton, who works in the supply chain of the clothing industry, says that although innovative clothing products like Econyl may not become popular in the near future, such new products will present humanity with hope for tomorrow. “Ten years ago, when talking about electric vehicles, many approached them as if they were an unnecessary folly. However, today the situation has changed. Electric vehicles are not just the hope of the future; they are becoming the reliance of today. One proof that we have a future is the acceptance of electric vehicles. The same is true for innovative fabrics, including eco-friendly ones. Although they may not seem very profitable or attractive now, there is no doubt that there will be significant investment and public interest in such ventures in the future,” Anoop said.
Chameleon in the Fashion
We cannot tell anyone not to follow trends or to wear clothes of the same design and color all the time. The most appropriate solution for this is color-changing clothing. The idea of clothing that can adopt any color and design has been developed by researchers from different parts of the world. The ChroMorphous technology, developed by researchers at the University of Central Florida, literally resembles a chameleon. It is a special fabric equipped with small electrical wires and color-changing pigments.
This technology, which is on the verge of commercial production, can be used to create clothes that take on a wide range of colors and designs. Researchers have begun efforts to bring this color-changing clothing to the market in collaboration with companies such as Chameleon International, Hills Inc., Inman Mills, and WETESO. This is a promising innovation for the future, as it has applications not only in the fashion industry but also in automotive interiors and home textiles.
In short, modern technologies have successfully come forward to solve the problems created by the fast fashion industry, which has been nurtured and enlarged by industrialization and consumerism. 3D printing, artificial intelligence, and color-changing clothes are all solutions to the challenges created by fast fashion. Although such sustainable methods are novel now, they will soon reach the mainstream and gain widespread acceptance, like electric vehicles. There is no doubt that these technologies hold the promise of making a sustainable as well as ethical fashion industry a reality.
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