Impact of Technology on Fashion Industry

This essay explores the impact of technology on the fashion industry, including the use of social media, 3D printing, and advanced software for trend forecasting. It is aimed at future fashion designers in Manhattan, New York.

Running head: IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ON FASHION INDUSTRY
IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ON FASHION INDUSTRY
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

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Introduction
The fashion industry has been receiving substantial attention because of its association
with advanced innovations and trends. Technology has been influencing the fashion industry by
providing it with significant avenues such as increasing the company’s brand reputation.
Technology further has facilitated the fashion industry through its interaction with varied target
audiences to realize customers’ perception and inclination towards particular brands (Blázquez,
pp:99). The following essay is aimed at a particular target audience of future fashion designers
of Manhattan, New York belonging to the age group of 19-25 years. For this target group,
fashion develops a sense of identity and prominence and further signifies an individual’s
inclusive personality. The target group of both male and female young future fashion designers
either pursuing fashion designing courses or employed as interns in some fashion houses
perceive fashion as a way to express their opinions and develop confidence. The essay will argue
on the technology create new environments for the fashion industry in the United States.
Research Questions
The following questions have been developed in order to realize technology’s current role
in the fashion industry. The aim of the following questions further helps to discover how and
why fashion works through the influence of advanced technologies and its effectiveness on
various fashion brands.
• What makes advanced technologies work in fashion?
• How do advanced technologies work in fashion?
• Why do advanced technologies work in fashion this way?
Discussion
Piotrowicz and Cuthbertson claim that one of the most effective facilities that technology

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has offered to the fashion world is the significant advance of in-store shopping capability to
consumers. Furthermore, it is important to mention that this association of technology with
fashion creativity is advancing both ways as technology business enterprises are being integrated
towards wide-ranging fashion labels and brands. For example, according to Amendola,
Calabrese, and Francesco, one of the New York fashion shows witnessed models wearing
Google glass as head gears to promote significant digital transformation. Piotrowicz and
Cuthbertson have revealed that innovations developed by technical expertise have been aiding
both customers and fashion houses as fashion receive trends instantly while fashion houses tend
to deliver these trends to their specific target group of purchasers. At this juncture, Amendola,
Calabrese, and Francesco have noted how technology assistances have provided a new thrust to
the fashion and trend forecasting by advancing it to new and improved heights. Seifert et al. have
stated that previous fashion trends employed manual techniques to gather comprehensive data
and information about fashion brands (Al-Halah, pp:392). This information related to fashion
brands were further delivered to various fashion markets for direction and their reviews which
were identified as time-consuming.
However, the U.S. fashion industry in recent times has been proficiently employing
advanced software in order to draw digital sketches of dresses which were considered to be
unimaginable a few years ago. Furthermore, there can be identified various factors which
influence the process of fashion trend forecasting. Amendola, Calabrese, and Francesco indicate
the way accuracy in making forecasts can signify the variation between readiness and being
losing significance in the fashion industry. Without accurate forecasting, fashion designers
would lose the potential to prepare for or successfully attain shifting demands of consumers with
products that will be well-appreciated and purchased. This critical criterion has led various

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fashion forecasting enterprises, retail store owners and renowned fashion designers of the U.S
like Alexander Wang, Adam Lippes and Prabal Gurung to be intrinsically involved in forecasting
procedures (Piotrowicz and Cuthbertson, pp:9). However, on the other hand, Blázquez has
indicated shed light on the rise of ‘normcore’ that is identified as one of the classic examples of
multifaceted and symbiotic association between trend-forecasting and fashion forecasting.
Several debates of Piotrowicz and Cuthbertson are still being continuing related to the argument
whether trend forecasting creates trends or typically identifies them (Al-Halah, pp:395).
Meanwhile, Al-Halah, Stiefelhagen, and Grauman critically analyzed the way factors
related to consumer scan are identified as one of the largest fields under fashion forecasting. In
this arena, they have claimed market research to be an essential component of consumer scans
whereby forecasting organizations such as Trend Hunter, Trendwatching and PSFK efficiently
conducts studies of market conditions and consumer preferences and lifestyles. As consumers in
recent times have been recurrently exhibiting quest for new product and current trends on street
and e-commerce sites, have been gradually eradicating the significance of fashion on the
runaway (Mortara and Geraldina, pp:92). These developments have been consequential to the
shift in fashion trends. Fashion as per the view of the author is no longer based on a unique look
but distilling lifestyles and perceptions into marketable ideas. On the other hand, Rossi has
emphasized on a particular trend forecaster that could leverage the design of everything from
crockery and daily wear. Furthermore, by 2020 an approximate of 45% of the U.S workforce is
anticipated to be engaged into freelancing services (Piotrowicz and Cuthbertson, pp:9).
In recent times, social media has facilitated fashion brands and designers to connect with
the public in an instant easily. Social networking sites namely Facebook, YouTube, Twitter,
Pinterest or Twitter have been inundated with live streams, posts and tweets not only from

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various fashion labels but also from fashion designers (Durmaz, pp: 8). Schneier is of the opinion
that fashion in the period of Instagram, an exciting era whereby digital media is transforming the
way clothing is presented and further the way they are designed.” Reports by Fernandez reveal
the way the web has made it achievable for average purchasers to attain a mass audience to
achieve the value of megaphone. For example, fashion blogging has been performing as a critical
voice communicator significantly influencing the U.S fashion industry. Mortara and Geraldina
have revealed that blogs currently have attained the third position among online services that
have been influencing buying decisions of customers. Furthermore, reports state that renowned
American retailer H&M has also created an outlet brand that has been highly persuaded by social
media as well as latest fashion blogging (Durmaz, pp: 23).
Rossi has noted that fashion bloggers recently acts as immensely decisive and have high
propensity to leverage their followers to emerge as proficient marketing machines for fashion
brands rather than relying on their individualistic judgments. As a result, brands have realized the
considerable degree of influence fashion blogging is posing to turn readers into consumers. For
example, according to Seifert et al, handbag retailer Coach employed four proficient bloggers to
custom design-limited Coach Handbag range. The newly recruited bloggers were engaged in
designing their bags and further endorse those designs on their blogs alongside social media to
encourage the level of voice communication (Mortara and Geraldina, pp: 89).
Meanwhile, on the other hand, Fernandez has claimed that a significant part of voice
communication or brand messaging is related to creating fashion from human narratives.
YouTube in this area significantly offers an appropriate platform for fashion enthusiasts and
potential fashion designers to restate those narratives. Piotrowicz and Cuthbertson have noted
that YouTube as an important voice communicator for fashion has certain advantages that

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primarily involves its larger user base comprising of over 1.8 billion exceptional monthly visitors
in comparison to the 1 billion users of Instagram. Amendola, Calabrese, and Francesco further
have revealed that a recent campaign video of Bleu de Chanel Perfume has been viewed by
almost 4 million times whereby the brand has its follower base of around 1.1 million on
YouTube (Mortara and Geraldina, pp:102).
Various manufacturing sectors from prosthetics to automobile parts are extensively using
3D printing in the process of their production. Vanderploeg, Lee and Mamp have stated 3D
printing is primarily being utilized for proficiently generating prototypes and samples for mass
manufacturing since designers can easily change the size, color as well as the shape of an object
through digitalization at no additional expenses. However, as per author, one particular industry
where 3D printing has substantial potential is fashion (Sim, pp:3). Several instances of 3D
fashion have been witnessed on-ramp walks with fully 3D printing dress in New York Fashion
Week. The enormous opportunity for customization that 3D printing has been offering is
identified as another crucial benefit for the fashion industry. Apparels can now be created in
order to wholly fit the size and curvature of each part of the body further facilitating sincere
personalization. Such competencies will also permit 3D printing as an emerging form of
technological expertise to branch into other vital areas of fashion like sportswear and leisure.
However, Mortara and Geraldina have claimed that though 3D printing concepts are attaining
mass market, the uncertainty lies in the value of 3D printing while considering the implication of
mass-market resolutions.
Conclusion
Hence to conclude, in a world of constant technological advancements, the fashion
industry has been efficiently demonstrating the enormous capabilities of 3D printing and social

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media for creative designs in other sectors like consumer goods. Not every industry can connect
with advanced technology when it obtains from a particular niche market. However, the fashion
industry of the United States along with other developed countries have introduced new and
improved ways to proficiently related technology with creativity and facilitate a higher degree of
participation in the fashion world.

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References
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