CLOD3 addresses overconsumption by using Artificial Intelligence and 3D-based solutions to create fashion collections. It is conceived as a worldwide digital business that combines AI-generated avatars based on customers’ measurements and on-demand produced garments. CLOD3 also tackles inclusivity and a niche market, including consumers that have trouble finding the right size clothes due to their body types, and cannot relate to standardize body shapes and measurements.
Omnichannel Customer Journey for Mass Market brands targeting Gen-Z users
Student: Chiara Anceschi (POLIMI)
HEI’s Tutor: Alessandra Spagnoli (POLIMI)
Company’s tutor: Francesca Bomfin Bandeira (Stentle / M-Cube Group)
Residency duration: 3 months
Eirene is an omnichannel Customer Journey designed for GenZ targets diagnosed with depression and/or anxiety and/or body dysmorphia aimed at guaranteeing a safe and respectful in-Store experience. The aim of the project is to maximize the comfort of the customers while increasing the conversion rate and the total sales of the store. The Empirical Research was firstly aimed at observing Stentle/M-Cube activities and interactions with clients, diving into the contemporary panorama of the phygital offers on the market. In the meantime, a theoretical research was carried out on psychiatry studies regarding correlations between visual imagery and mental Illnesses, or associations between images posted on social medias and users’ diagnoses. Once research foundations were built, a survey was formulated and delivered to 30 users. To communicate the project idea, a video regarding omnichannel experiences was designed and realised for Stentle - M-Cube sales department. The residency results in the prototyping of the Eiréne experience, tested live by 20 test users in M-Cube Demo Area.
Smart Textile Wristband
Student: Cecilia Saffiro (POLIMI)
HEI’s Tutor: Daria Casciani (POLIMI)
Company’s tutor: Anna Wetzel (Pauline Van Dongen Studio)
Residency duration: 3 months
Biomimicry Wearable is a set of wearable accessories that aim to make people more aware of the outside world, by encouraging them to detach themselves from their work take a restful break for their mental wellbeing. Based on the biophilia hypothesis, the project focus on the natural stimuli embodiment through sensors and actuators that the user could wear indoors to reconnect with nature. In particular, real-time wind data like speed and direction are captured from a meteorological website to produce both tactile and visual sensory stimuli such as the contact of the air with the skin and the movement of the blown blades of grass. At the start of the residency, a careful analysis of the environment, materials, activities, and previous projects carried out by the studio was undertaken. After this familiarization, concept development was implemented through desk research and learning-by-doing. The output is a functioning prototype of a wristband that lets the wearer feel the wind intensity and direction through vibrations, enacted by piezoelectric motors on the skin. A second experimental prototype is a laptop sleeve with a surface resembling wind-blown grass thanks to muscle-like actuators.
Functional Clothing for Modern Urbanities
Student: Annalise June Kamegawa (POLIMI)
HEI’s Tutor: Daria Casciani (POLIMI)
Company’s tutor: Enrico Cozzoni (Pangaia Grado Zero)
Residency duration: 3 months
The project results in a waterproof hooded jacket with a nylon lining and a system of multifunctional pockets. The jacket aims to subtly incorporate functionality in an elegant way, moving away from the hyper militarized language of “techwear”, and instead focusing on a uniquely elegant garment in which every feature has sprung from a clearly defined need. Over the course of the residency, observation-based research was conducted on the urban population of Milan. Combined with market and literature-based research, the need for an elegant, yet function-based garment for modern urbanites emerged. Thus, at the Pangaia Grado Zero research and development offices, the jacket was developed using performance textiles, internal and external pocket systems, and a form suited for a body in motion. A combination of digital tooling (Clo 3D, Adobe Suite) and traditional garment production (pattern drafting, machine sewing) was implemented to execute this piece. The language of function developed in this project is then expanded, in preliminary explorations, to other garments.
Zero-waste Plants-dyed and Biodegradable Garments
Student: Meijun Chen (POLIMI)
HEI’s Tutor: Daria Casciani (POLIMI)
Company’s tutor: Myriam Vanneste, Willem Uyttendaele (Centexbel)
Residency duration: 3 months
This project focuses on an experimental research to test, analyse and compare different kinds of natural pigments through dyeing and screen printing techniques on bio-based fabrics. Empirical natural-based recipes were made with indigo, curcumin, anthocyanin, cochineal, phycocyanin, comfrey, and hematoxylin dextrin. Dyeing methods included infrared, ordinary, gradient, dip dyeing, and screen printing. The performances were evaluated through observation and tests to understand color rendering, saturation, and colour fastness. Through the comparison of results, the anthocyanin dye was selected to be applied to the final prototype designed to become an example of a sustainable dress showcasing the possibilities of natural dyes on biobased materials, exploiting the dyed textiles in the lab in terms of dimensions and also considering the end of the life of the garment, applying a zero-waste pattern,and dissolvable threads in order to allow total disassembly and recyclability / biodegradability of the clothing when disposed.
Bio-data Monitoring System
Student: Shan Lu (POLIMI)
HEI’s Tutor: Daria Casciani (POLIMI)
Company’s tutor: Enrico Cozzoni (Pangaia Grado Zero)
Residency duration: 3 months
The project is a Sensorised Twin-set for Sportswear including a bio-monitoring system for sportswear performances. The purpose of the project was to design a smart wearable sportswear for leisure-time outdoor athletes, such as cycling, long-distance running and other endurance sports and interval training, by monitoring and feeding back information on ECG and EEG during exercise. Collected data could help users to improve their fitness and optimise their sports performance. The project focuses on considering and implementing the needs for comfort, washability and durability of smart wearable sportswear, as well as the usability and stability of a biomonitoring system, and making them easy to disassemble, repair, replace and recycle parts and components with different programmed obsolescence timing, by applying sustainable design principles.
How Digital Technologies Support the Fashion Design Process
Student: Shenhao Lyu (POLIMI)
HEI’s Tutor: Daria Casciani (POLIMI)
Company’s tutor: Cinzia D’Agostino, Irene Baggio (Pespow)
Residency duration: 3 months
In this project, digital technology has been tested to digital prototype and simulate outerwear with an hyper-realistic scope not only in terms of style but also in relation to the physical properties of clothing fabrics such as folds and drape, colours, tactile properties rendered through visual images. During the residency, the process of pattern simplification for software compatibility, tridimensional modeling of garments and accessories, virtualization of materials and properties definition on the digital software has been tested through the test on many outerwear examples using CLO3D software. The result of this research is relevant for fashion practitioners who want to achieve the best of results of using digital technologies to prototype and simulate garments in a hyper-realistic way exploiting both time and processing resources of the hardware.
BYBORRE’s online plaform Create TM
Student: Eva Feld (UAL-LCF)
HEI’s Tutor: Ella Sharp-Mitchell (UAL-LCF)
Company’s tutor: Anisha Sharma (Byborre)
Residency duration: 2 months
CreateTM, from the textile manufacturer Byborre, is a textile design platform aimed to educate the user in an engaging, informative, and playful way to encourage better, less impactful choices. The research purpose was to investigate how and where impact data results could be implemented on CreateTM platform in a thought-provoking, motivating, and informative way, leading to users conscious decision-making. Impact data encompasses the data related to the company’s ecological footprint. A systemic design framework was used for data collection and analysis for this cross-sectional grounded theory and action research. During the residency, the student developed a body of research compiling resources and tools to visually communicate complex impact data in a tangible form and acquired a new skill-set concerning the creation of interactive prototypes and presentations. The quality of the research was assessed against process, invention, extensibility, and relevance. The result of this research is relevant for every stakeholder involved in the textile industry thinking of ways to implement impact data in supply chain processes and it should be understood to drive change towards an educated use of materials in every industry that uses textile.
The Process of Giving a Garment an Identity
Student: Lauren Chivers (UAL-LCF)
HEI’s Tutor: Julia Crew (UAL_LCF)
Company’s tutor: Enrico Cozzoni (Pangaia Grado Zero)
Residency duration: 4 months
Garmentity is a conceptual jacket designed considering “zero waste”, size adjustability, and “design for disassembly” as key process drivers. The project takes into account the garment's end-of-life as both a constraint and inspiration for the design process. The jacket is produced using natural, biodegradable materials, and a singular metal zip, all of which can be easily separated and recycled. The garment is made taking advantage of the entire width of the fabric as the basis but using the otherwise unnecessary cut-offs in a functional or decorative way. The residency was developed over four months alternating remote work (project brief definition, preliminary research, and digital prototyping) and n studio activities (pattern-making, material sourcing, physical prototyping, jackets collection finalization). Key learning outcomes include increased awareness of constraints concerning developing a zero-waste pattern (difficulties of varying fabric widths and utilization of all the fabric); increased knowledge around sustainable textiles, natural and biodegradable fabrics, and their features; exploration and development of a system to make a “one size” zero waste pattern adaptable to varying bodies.
Modular Design and System for Disassembly
Student: Yiyang Tang (UAL-LCF)
HEI’s Tutor: Ella Sharp-Mitchell (UAL-LCF)
Company’s tutor: Enrico Cozzoni (Pangaia Grado Zero)
Residency duration: 3 months
This project investigates the innovative application of a modular design approach to the multi-purpose jacket parka, exploring how easy disassembly and design recyclability can be achieved while ensuring the performance of the garment, thus responding to the challenges of developing a circular economy in the fashion industry. Two methods of observation and analysis were used to examine the structural characteristics of the commercially available multi-purpose parka, followed by field observations to document the environment in which the product is used and the lifestyles of the target users. Three main design methods were used: modular design, design for disassembly, and digital garment prototyping. The results of this research could help guiding designers to think of innovative ways to recycle garments and offer potential buy-back solutions from the consumer’s perspective.
Traceability for Circularity in Textiles
Student: Arafgat Saleheen (HB)
HEI’s Tutor: Vijay Kumar (HB)
Company’s tutor: Fredrik Timour (WLY)
Residency duration: 3 months
The purpose of this study is to investigate on how fashion brands can improve their existing state of traceability that can enhance the sorting and recycling of textiles. Existing traceability can be improved by focusing on ensuring a transparent value chain, sharing recycling-related information between the actors, and mapping the supply chain. During the residency, a small sample size of stakeholders was involved in the research. This study advances our understanding of how transparent information sharing and traceability and transparency can support opportunities for textile recycling industry. It also suggests that sorting and recycling operations can be enhanced with an improved traceability system implemented by fashion brands.
Business Model Analysis of Clothing Rental Digital Platforms
Student: Imali Del Silva & Dulanjani Werellagama (HB)
HEI’s Tutor: Vijay Kumar (HB)
Company’s tutor: Fredrik Timour (WLY)
Residency duration: 7 months
The study analyzes the value perspective of clothing rental business models and the influence of digital platforms and technology on clothing rental to gain a deeper understanding of the rental business in the fashion industry. A higher number of studies focused more on consumers’ perspectives in clothing rental business, while the business perspective of clothing rental gained minor focus. This creates a research gap in academia, understanding rental business models which function differently according to the companies. Therefore, qualitative research was conducted based on the case studies of five clothing rental companies. The study results showed the key components of clothing rental business models in value creation, value proposition, value delivery, value capture, and value communication, and the influence of digital platforms and technology in rental business that has the potential to grow.
An Application of Topic Modelling with LDA and Sentiment Analysis with Data from Twitter
Student: Fabian Pirrwitz (HB)
HEI’s Tutor: Vijay Kumar (HB)
Company’s tutor: Fredrik Timour (WLY)
Residency duration: 3 months
The purpose of this study is to investigate the opinions and discussions related to fashion rental using social media platforms such as Twitter. By applying a primary data analysis and a topic modelling approach with a following semantic analysis, the research showed differences to the current understanding of opinions and motivations of consumers towards fashion rental. Whereas in literature, sustainability is mentioned as a main argument by consumers, this research showed that features such as the availability, price point and service, and subscription options are the main drivers to engage in fashion rental.
for Circular Fashion Management
Student: Robayat Ferdous Saikot (HB)
HEI’s Tutor: Vijay Kumar (HB)
Company’s tutor: Fredrik Timour (WLY)
Residency duration: 4 months
Due to the linear consumption models and increasingly higher demand for fashion products, textile waste has become a crucial issue nowadays. The industry stakeholders, academia, and policymakers are seeing the Circular Economy as a solution and the fashion brands are also going in that direction to achieve a sustained competitive advantage. At this stage, challenges exist to guide the circular initiatives of the industry in the right direction with proper definition, measurement and monitoring. The purpose of this study is to develop the KPI framework for the brands that helps them to align their organizational goals with the European Taxonomy while adapting to CBMs (Circular Business Models) to face the sustainability challenges in the industry.
And Product Advantages (PA) Tests. A work Focused on Swimwear Products and Materials
Student: Charlotte Lassalle (ESTIA)
HEI’s Tutor: Jérémy Legardeur (ESTIA)
Company’s tutor: Joey Delage, Damien Saumureau (Décathlon)
Residency duration: 2 months
Assessing the aging, wear and tear process of materials is key to understand the lifespan of products and make informed choices to design durable and long-lasting products. To this end, the residency layed the ground for the development of a protocol to reproduce an accelerated aging of swimwear accessories, specifically swimsuits, and offered the opportunity to perform preliminary tests. An initial phase concerned the research of existing protocols to assess the aging of products and related tests, the definition of the constraints undergone by swimsuits during use, and their quantification. Once this phase was concluded, a selection of jersey fabric samples was performed together with tests in controlled laboratory environment by employing a dynamometer. In parallel to the development of the aging protocol, the residency activities included the planning, organisation, deployment, rating and reporting of Product Advantages (PA) tests on selected items, involving external testers, performed in the pool ecosystem. Written documentation of the aging protocol and PA tests results, even if not fully validated due to lack of time, offer the hosting company a valuable basis for further research.
for Circularity. Environmental Reductions for Products in the Aquatic Ecosystem
Student: Cléa Renard (ESTIA)
HEI’s Tutor: Damien Saumureau (ESTIA)
Company’s tutor: Raphael Vis (Décathlon)
Residency duration: 2 months
The possibility to measure and calculate products’ recyclability and reparability indices is crucial for companies to review and improve the decision-making process toward more sustainable choices. Following tools and methods to assess the recyclability and reparability index of products, the first period of the residency was focused on calculating the environmental gains of several company’s products realised with recycled materials (from a revalorisation) against the ones made of virgin materials. The recyclability of different models of swimming goggles, diving, and swimming masks was also assessed by looking at their components and assembly. In parallel, the student contributed to the development of the company’s ongoing project “2 in 1 mask”. Thanks to the work above, it was possible to assess the CO2 environmental gain of several products, linking the resulting percentage to the specific quantity and typology of material used. In addition to this, the research on disassembly, dismantling, or reassembly of many of the company’s glasses and googles demonstrates the impossibility of performing this process manually, therefore leading to the need to improve research on automated post-demonstrations.
Test for Current and Future Products
Student: Andoni Guerin (ESTIA)
HEI: ESTIA
Company’s tutor: Joey Delage, Damien Saumureau (Décathlon))
Residency duration: 2 months
The project, based on Decathlon’s mission, focuses on testing products in order to determine “Product Advantages” (PA). Decathlon’s products are classified 100 for beginners, 500 for intermediates and 900 for experts. The aim of the residency was to understand, quantify, validate and rate the benefits achieved by the products developed in Decathlon (such as support, chlorine resistance, muscle work) to subsequently interpret these results that support the decision-making process on the possibility to commercialise the product or not. The residency activities included a first phase in which to perform the selection of products and timing for tests to happen and the establishment and writing of the experiment protocols. The protocol allowed clear instructions to all testers asked to perform the same movements so that the results would be as consistent as possible. Subsequently, AP tests were planned, organised, deployed on selected items, involving external testers. During the experiments, data collected were analysed to allow rating products and reporting on tests. According to the tests scores and comments, it was possible to compare products via statistics and claim or not a “Product Advantage”.
Recyclability and Reuse of Glasses and Masks in the Aquatic Ecosystem
Student: Bordgaray Lorentxo (ESTIA)
HEI’s Tutor: Jérémy Legardeur (ESTIA)
Company’s tutor: Damien Saumureau (Décathlon)
Residency duration: 2 months
The residency focuses on the promotion of the circular economy inside the Nabaiji and Subea sub companies, offering responsible swimming and diving products, reducing waste and promoting reparability and recycling. The main activities were conducted to perform the calculation of the reparability index on masks and google products, to realize videos tutorials about spare parts and to assist in the design of the SUBEA 500 Pano, a mask which is designed to be repairable.
of Collection Systems of Products in the Aquatic Ecosystem
Student: Jorcin Théo (ESTIA)
HEI: ESTIA
Company: Décathlon
Residency duration: 2 months
The residecy focuses on the deposit system for swimming costumes, flippers, and microfibre towels to increase circular and non-linear economy of the company. This system is conceived as a service that, by paying an additional sum at the purchase of an item which is given back to the buyer when the item is returned to the shop at the end of its use, for recycling purposes. An extensive benchmarking was implemented by comparing different collection/deposit systems on a series of criteria such as the type of collection, the typology of collected items, the collection processes, the prices and ways of distributing reward to the customers. The aim of the research was to understand and explain how the deposit/collection processes work and compare their communication strategies.
Some of the images from the different stages of the CLOD3 Project.
