Fashion at Your Fingertips: Personalizing Your Look

Personalization in the fashion industry has evolved in large part due to mass production which caused the shift from “made to measure” to “ready to wear.” This resulted in eliminating the need for the individual approach to cloth production. With the prevalence of mass production, the demand for personalization in modern retail has also increased. However, personalization typically comes with the expectation of added price as well as longer wait times for the finished product, it also leads to a lower level of sustainability as large inventories of fabric are needed to cover all possible choices of consumers – this is where the MyKnit project steps in. Mr. Rodari notes that Santoni’s seamless technology allows for the production of single pieces of garments, thus reducing inventory waste and allowing for a more sustainable personalization process. In addition to sustainability, the MyKnit project also increases the efficiency of customization through the use of cloud-based technology which enables automation of the whole operation from the user-friendly interface for item selection/personalization to the production and delivery of the finished product. The MyKnit program executes an order that can be sent directly to the manufacturer, allowing for production to begin in almost real-time.

All signs point to hyper-personalization and increased sustainability being the future of the fashion industry. Even well before the pandemic, companies were beginning to invest in solutions like 3D knitting and micro-factories to help overcome the issue of overproduction. With the constant improvement of AI technologies brands are becoming more able to supply consumers with more customized and unique products that cater to their wants. As for shopping shifts from physical space to virtual, we will begin seeing more usage of AR and VR technology which have made customization more seamless with virtual try-on technology. Mr. Rodari comments that over the course of the next few years, we can expect to see notable developments in these technologies as 3D CAD software is able to render garments with precise attention to the slightest of details as well as more human-like avatars.

MyKnit is an ambitious project that aims to create a leaner, more sustainable production process. Its goal is to directly aid consumers in their quest to find tailor-made products suitable for their individual tastes and personality and the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic has further accelerated this mission. When asked how personalization can affect the consumer experience, Mr. Rodari replied that with the global pandemic forcing everyone to adjust to a “new normal,” consumers are turning even more so to online shopping. He goes on to say that as users become more familiar with “virtual buying” they spend more time looking for different product options, color combinations, and even the possibility of adding their own unique signature to items they’d like to purchase. MyKnit wants to give consumers this ability to personalize their products, while at the same time redesigning the production process to be both sustainable and efficient – making it a one-step process from personalization to production.

While in high demand, the personalization of goods comes with its fair share of drawbacks. For one thing, it can be quite costly for the consumer as they will have to shell out some extra cash for their unique item. For another, personalization is often very unsustainable as it requires companies to stock in excess to accommodate for possible customer choices. Lastly, shoppers can usually expect their special product to take some extra time to get to them since it takes longer to make. With projects like MyKnit, we can see a major shift as these problems are addressed, leading to more cost-effective, sustainable, and efficiently produced unique goods. As technology continues to advance and make personalization more feasible, consumer product customization will become a more commonplace occurrence. In addition to these advancements being beneficial to the consumer, they are also extremely helpful to suppliers as well. With more automation and big data readily available, suppliers are able to rapidly address customers’ needs while also reducing operating costs.