Standing on the threshold of career advancement as a graduating MA fashion student, I could not help but wonder how I could apply my specific skills to my future career aspirations. After a few Professional Futures lectures, I realised that the fashion design industry is always evolving and changing, and I had to delve into the context, debate and future direction of the industry, which was crucial in shaping my role as a professional. In the following, I will explore the context and trends in the fashion design industry, critically reflect on my learning experiences, and look ahead to future professional practices in fashion design.
The fashion design industry is a highly competitive and innovative field, and its development is influenced by many factors. Globalization, technological advances, sustainability and changing consumer needs are all shaping the face of the industry. As for the competition in the fashion industry, I have some reflections. First, brands are highly important in the fashion design industry. Companies with a strong brand presence tend to be able to capitalize on competitive markets. Therefore, designers need to focus on brand building and marketing strategies to enhance their visibility and influence through effective marketing and branding. Second, in the fashion design industry, innovation and uniqueness are key to standing out. Designers must always innovate and come up with unique design concepts and styles to capture the attention of consumers. In the face of intense competition, designers need to keep their inspiration flowing and always explore new design elements and techniques to set their work apart. Finally, and I think most importantly, the consumer is most crucial, the fashion industry changes quickly and designers need to pay close attention to market trends and changes in consumer needs. With excellent market insight and trend prediction, being able to grasp market dynamics in a timely manner, adjust design direction and meet consumer needs is key to success in a very competitive market.
Globalization has made fashion more diverse, with exchanges between cultures driving the emergence of fresh design ideas and styles. At the same time, advances in technology have provided designers with additional creative tools and display platforms, and the application of digital design and virtual reality has injected fresh life into fashion design.
But as this technology advances, I think it has a good side and a bad side, and the good side is to make the design more efficient..Many fashion brands and designers are starting to use AI design tools to speed up the design process..Adidas partner Carbon, for example, used 3D printing technology and AI algorithms to design models for its Futurecraft 4D line of shoes, significantly improving design and production efficiency..According to my research, Nike's "Nike By You" customization service uses AI algorithms to provide customized sneaker designs for customers according to their preferences and needs. Also, predicting trends: AI can help fashion brands anticipate fashion trends and market demand..Trendalytics, for example, is a company that uses artificial intelligence and data analytics to help fashion brands predict trends..They analyze social media, fashion shows and shopping data to give brands insights and recommendations on underlying trends.
There is also a dark side, where AI designs may lack the creativity and emotion of human designers..For example, H&M tried to use AI to generate designs early on, but found that the AI-generated designs lacked creativity and uniqueness and could not fully meet the needs of consumers, so they combined AI design with human design..And I think over-reliance on AI technology can cause designers to lose their creativity and design ability..For example, some designers may rely too often on AI design tools and neglect their own aesthetics and intuition, thus affecting the quality and uniqueness of the design. I think the development of AI will do more harm than good because I think AI will never be as creative as humans and it has no emotions..I think a costume designer has to have sufficient sensibility to make decent clothes in the true sense of the word.
However, the fashion design industry also faces some challenges and debates. One of them is the issue of sustainability..With an increased focus on environmental protection and social responsibility, the fashion industry has come under pressure from environmentalists and consumers to adopt more environmentally friendly and sustainable methods of production..Another point of contention is quick fashion versus slow fashion..Fast fashion focuses on quick production, low costs and big consumption, while slow fashion emphasizes quality, refinement and sustainability..The conflict between these two models has become an essential issue in the development of the fashion design industry. Considering sustainable development in this project, I decided to use biological fabrics as part of the fabric development. Sustainability of biological fabrics is important in reducing the consumption of natural resources, reducing environmental pollution and promoting ecological balance, and is one of the vital ways to achieve sustainable development in the fashion industry.
Despite the challenges, the fashion design industry is full of opportunities..With the concept of sustainable development firmly rooted in people's hearts, KB, my future brand, has started to focus on environmental protection and social responsibility and innovate in product design, material selection and production process in order to adhere to this direction..KB is an abbreviation of my name. The two letters KB line them up and can be seen as a pair of scissors..We use a variety of scissors to cut clothes that are extremely in keeping with the tone of a clothing brand..My design philosophy is to advocate neutral fashion and to pursue a simple, relaxed design style..Adhering to sustainability, it uses environmentally friendly materials and processes to make clothing, such as secondary alterations to clothing, to reduce the burden on the environment..Consumers can give us their original costumes and we can recreate them..In addition, the brand attaches great importance to social responsibility, actively participates in public welfare activities, and conveys the concept of environmental protection with practical actions. Also, with the increasing popularity of digital technologies, new technologies like virtual reality, augmented reality and artificial intelligence, I will try to change my perception and try to use AI in ways and experiences.
In the course of my studies, I became deeply aware that fashion design is not only about creativity and aesthetics, but also about responsibility to society, the environment and culture..By learning about sustainability concepts and digital technologies, I not only improved my design skills but also broadened my understanding of the future of the industry..In my future career practice, I will continue to learn and explore and constantly update my knowledge and skills for my brand to adapt to changes and needs in the industry.
As a KB fashion designer, I want to be able to use my creativity and influence in the industry to breathe new life into sustainability and innovation in fashion..I will continue to keep an eye on trends in the industry, continue to learn and practice, and strive to be a socially responsible and innovative fashion design professional.
Reference:
Wong, W.K. and Springerlink (Online Service (2019). Artificial Intelligence on Fashion and Textiles : Proceedings of the Artificial Intelligence on Fashion and Textiles (AIFT) Conference 2018, Hong Kong, July 3-6, 2018. Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Gardetti, M.A. and Muthu, S.S. (2020). The UN sustainable development goals for the textile and fashion industry. Singapore: Springer.
Brand, J. (2008). Beyond green : [substainability & fashion]. Arnhem: Artez Press.
Espejo, R. (2010). The fashion industry. Detroit: Greenhaven Press.
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