TECHNOLOGY – GENERAL THOUGHTS
Kearins, IBM
I believe it can be too easy to focus on technology and lose sight of the goals one is trying to achieve. My suggestion for those wanting to understand which technologies are right for their organization is to understand, in detail, what problems they hope to solve. That will later help them identify the right technologies for the situation.
That said, there are many businesses large and small reshaping fashion with the likes of AI, blockchain, the Internet of Things and other technologies. One of the biggest inhibitors to change in the industry is a fear of change. I believe the best way to conquer that fear is to educate oneself about what’s possible in order to reach an informed decision about what technology can truly do to transform fashion.
Poupyrev, Google
Everything around us is rapidly becoming connected and "smart": we have connected cars and connected homes, smart speakers and smart watches. This ubiquitous connectivity and computing was envisioned by scientists and science fiction writers for decades but it's here now and its adoption is accelerating. This brave new world, where information and digital services are delivered to customers not just through familiar devices, such as laptops and mobile phones, but through everyday things that surround us – objects that we love, use and wear every day – has often been referred to as "ambient computing". As the acceptance of ambient computing grows, fashion items, e.g., apparel, footwear and accessories, will also become connected and provide consumers with exciting new functionality.
Papachristou, International Hellenic University
The digital transformation of the fashion industry may be aided by technology, but it is only possible if people are involved in critical reflection processes.
Lebsak-Kleimans, Fashion Consulting Group
There are four main vectors of technological development [in the fashion industry]:
• Search for models and solutions for a cyclical waste-free economy in order to maintain ecological balance (reduction of one-time consumption, energy saving, recycling of all waste, further obtaining raw materials, energy or new goods);
• Remote modeling and control of production processes (Internet of Things, digital production, 3D printing);
• Development of systems that allow you to create a virtual copy of the physical world (AR/VR Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality),
• Collection, structuring and analysis of unlimited volumes of data and training of self-development and autonomous decision-making systems (Big Data and artificial intelligence, integration of cyber security IT systems).
Klautzsch, Kennel & Schmenger
Due to customers’ constantly changing expectations, retail is facing a fundamental transformation. The digital network plays a steadily growing role. The technical functions every smartphone offers today influences our private habits as well as the whole business.