Embracing the Transformative Shift of 3D Technology: Collaborative Pathways Between Sustainable Digital Innovation and Fashion Design Education

Our present fashion industry system is highly resource-intensive and wasteful, leading to significant environmental harm. Conventional fashion design practices were characterized by an iterative process that necessitated the creation of multiple physical prototypes with extended supply chains, resulting in substantial material and time wastage. To mitigate this and enhance sustainability, there is an urgent need to transition to more efficient production methods by reimagining the entire process, incorporating an end-to-end solution from fabric sourcing, design simulation, visual representation, and product distribution. Integrating digital industrial-level 3D design platforms and collaborative systems is essential. Such platforms are the linchpin in bridging the physical and digital realms, ultimately facilitating the fashion industry’s imperative transformation towards sustainability. Many fashion brands have responded to this urgency by integrating digital innovations into their core business processes. The pandemic further accelerated this transformation, disrupting trade and consumer behavior and emphasizing the importance of digitalization for operational resilience. Nonetheless, it is noteworthy that fashion design education, which stands as a pivotal pillar within the industry, has yet to wholly assume its role and responsibility in this context. Despite calls from certain scholars and industry practitioners to integrate a more sustainable curriculum in fashion design, the consistent and timely infusion of digital technologies into fashion education still needs to be improved. To address these gaps, this paper employs a dual methodology of literature review and case study to examine the perspectives of critical stakeholders concerning sustainable fashion education in the digital age. The analysis reveals the fragmented implementation of digital technologies within fashion education, emphasizing the imperative for revised pedagogical standards. These standards aim to facilitate a more robust collaboration between the fashion industry and academic institutions, fostering a continuous co-creation and co-evolution process in both spheres. The authors aspire that the insights and experiences elucidated in this paper serve as a valuable reference point for fellow researchers investigating fashion and design practice in pertinent domains.