Archive for October 19th, 2007
Transformational Avatar Retailing: The Missing Link For Mass Customization?
What I learned at the Mass Customization and Personalization Conference in Montreal last week was that an obstacle to wide industry use of Mass Customization and Personalization fashion garments was a standardized system to input the client’s measurements and store them on a smart card.
As this issue was being discussed I remembered that it was announced last August 07′ that a strategic partnership between the i-Fashion Clothing Technology Centre at Konkuk University and FnC Kolon Corp. (clothing Manufacturer) along with some support from the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy in Korea has resulted in development of a mass customization measurement system that is currently being pilot tested called i-Fashion. Perhaps i-Fashion could serve as the “missing link” for development of a standardized sizing system for industry. I-Fashion technology is rapidly positioning to become a global leader in transformational avatar retailing.
Park Chang-kyu, a professor of textile and apparel engineering at Konkuk University spearheaded the development of the i-Fashion technology and is chief of the newly-opened center. So far, he will be working with 11 local clothing manufacturers on this technology. This technology can be used to try on and purchase clothing in-store or online but it is not yet developed to provide the client with custom made items.
Jung Dong-chang the head of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Energy, said that i-Fashion will help clothing companies create digital catalogs, virtual mirrors, mannequins and advanced radio frequency identification systems. The ministry will invest more than 7 billion won ($7.6 million) through 2011 on the project.
The Shinsegae Department Store (Korea’s second largest department store chain) has placed the first test i-Fashion virtual reality store inside the Korean brand Elord golfwear shop in the main branch of their store as a special service to it’s customers. They claim to be the first retailer to offer this service.
The digital i-Fashion measurement system will scan a customers body in ten seconds and keep track of users measurements (on an encrypted smart card) as well as clothing a customer tries on to help retailers fine tune a specific marketing sector. Once the customer’s measurements are in the database, they get to meet their personalized avatar on a large screen. To virtually try on in-store clothing to see how it fits you simply scan the RFID tag on the item.Shinsegae plans to expand this service to it’s online store next year. This mass customization measurement service is developed to be available to all retailers and the service includes footwear and accessories.
4 comments October 19, 2007
It’s a Reality: OptiTex Enables Total Integration 2D>3D>2D Fashion Product Development
The system is here that does it all – OptiTex integrates all of my apparel/textile retooling addictions into one application. The user can draft a computerized sloper into the PDS (Pattern Design System) that can be endlessly modified to include original styling lines. A grading table can be easily applied to adding multiple sizing to enable marker making.
Modulate is an interactive parametric, one-of-a-kind, made –to-measure software engine that is truly unique.. Each parametric style fits a particular set of dimensions that belong to specific people or represent particular manufacturing requirements.
The user can visualize each step in real time while defining the model.
No need to print off the prototype pattern and assemble a muslin sample to fit on to a dress form. This system has 3D virtual avatar that take the place of traditional dress forms. The 3D virtual avatar sample size can be easily customized.
3D Runway designer is a 3D draping cloth simulation and modeling engine that enables textile designs to be applied to a specific type of fabric and draping, weight, volume, density, etc. properties of the fabric can be programmed in to simulate the real thing. This is used for garment draping and 3D visualization. The fabric is simulated on to the garment pattern and the model can be placed into static poses that can be captured from a 360 degree angle.
3D Runway Creator for Modulate enables the user to use a wide range of parametric avatar mannequins that have 40 adjustable body measurements.The potential client gets to see either a layout containing multiple front, back, side views or an animated runway scene with the fashion avatar wearing the fashion prototype “before it’s manufactured.” Once the client receives the video clip of the fashion prototype – they can easily request modifications to the design prototype.
This fully integrated 2D>3D>2D system can transform the fashion product development process by saving valuable development time.
I always like to “push” new technology developments into the “what if” dreams. What if the 3D fashion avatars created with this system could someday be uploaded into a virtual world like say – Second Life? Fashion designers could develop new disigns and market them in SL and RL. SL designers would have an application that can easily make their SL fashions a reality for production.
Here are some links to OptiTex Videos
OptiTex is a company (along with MVM) at the forefront of virtual product development and retailing movement. The company has developed a number of high profile strategic partnerships some were mentioned in the MCPC 2007 entry. One partnership of note is Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style show on Bravo, and there will be a really major upcoming product release with Bernina called Bernina MyLabel. Click this link to view the new 3D fashion pattern software for home sewers called MyLabel. This product will provide home sewers with a library of garment templates. The user will be able to input their measurements into the system and a customized 3D avatar representing the user will appear. The selected garment template will automatically adjust to the users measurements and a pattern can be printed out. This system will transform the home sewing market!
One last note – OptiTex just released a new virtual avatar called Adam. “Beginning in November, Adam will appear within OptiTex’s 3D new Version 10 3D modules and related applications, serving as a complement to Jasmine, the female 3D supermodel and a large family of boy, girl and baby avatars. ” To read the entire press release click here.
Other Optitex Posts:
5 comments October 19, 2007
Highlights of MCPC 2007 in Montréal, Canada
What follows are highlights of the MCPC (Mass Customization and Personalization Conference) business seminar recently hosted by My Virtual Model and held at HEC in Montréal, Canada. My comments focus primarily on areas of interest for Virtual Fashion Technology Education. (Note: I arrived at the conference after it already started – here is a link to multiple viewpoints and the MCPC Blog.)
I really looked forward to the Avatar Marketing: An Extreme Makeover of the Self panel since avatars related to fashion education are my primary research interest. Not all the presenters spoke directly about avatars and some that did, did not focus on the direct impact avatars have on the marketing sector. One such presenter was Christospher Colosi: Second Life: Colossus Linder, Business Development.
Chris spoke primarily about universal avatars. Quite honestly, this Second Life presentation was a disappointment to me. The title of this panel presentation was “Avatar Marketing” and this is exactly the focus of my professional research. Mr. Colosi proceeded to make a very general presentation about what an avatar is and how they can be modified. He also alluded to the emerging partnership between I.B.M. and Linden Lab that I had read 10/10/07 in the NY Times story “Free the Avatars,” that will open standards to allow avatars to roam from one virtual community to another. He did not go on to discuss the potential impact that avatars that can freely move from one virtual world to another can have on business. The company he represents – Second Life is a rich visual 3D virtual world – and he was the only presenter without visuals.
Sean Ryan: CEO of Donnerwood Media Inc. (Meez) had a highly informative presentation about Meez.com. I wrote about Meez in an earlier blog entry relating to the e-Me site they developed in partnership with MVM for Sears.
Sean stated that in 2008 Meez will give users tools to modify and upload content, he also added that the staff adds 40 3D items per week – 5000 were added so far. He announced that Meez games were launched at the beginning of October 2007. He seemed very pleased that there are about 400+ Meez on U-Tube.
The results of a recent survey surprised him by revealing that mothers are the top user group. He was disappointed in the research feedback that the 3d web is still considered hard to do but was pleasantly surprised at how readily users accepted an integrated activity like Meez.
Gregory Saumier-Finch: Project Manager – MVM.com and Lousie Guay: Founding President of My Virtual Model spoke about user centric mobility – and the current industry need for a seamless experience. MVM had the technology to be seamless in the past but the industry was not ready.
MVM’s latest product BrandME, I am the brand lets users display several brands in their virtual wardrobe and post them on their personal page where visitors can comment on them. Lousie Guay states that BrandME is: “a new tool that gives users the power to personalize and tailor-make their own look by manipulating collections from major brands such as H&M, Levis, and Adidas. This tool is part of the current transformations that are reshaping retail trade. Now everyone can follow fashion in their own way.”
She also spoke of the expanded uses of avatars and her presentation seemed to highlight the content of the “Free the Avatars” article in the NY Times. She spoke of the near future where users will own multiple avatars and move seamlessly throughout the virtual worlds.“ She feels that young people are not “stuck” with a perception of reality”
The primary presentation of interest from the Extreme Makeover for Product Creation and Merchandising panel was from Mr. Yoram Burg, President of OptiTex. But the OptiTex product is far to expansive for detailing in this summary and it deserves more then a mere mention. I will submit a separate entry focusing only on the OptiTex application. Without a doubt, this product represents the future of fashion product development. In Mr. Burg’s words, “3D is not just a tool but the future.” I very much agree with him. The OptiTex product includes PDS – 3D modules – marker – modulate – interfaces (open architecture).
Some examples of OptiTex partnerships can be found on Brides.com where the user can create customized bridal gowns. Another on the Virtual Product Presentation site where the user can order customized patterns. OptiTex worked with Nike to develop the Nike Team Uniform Builder site and the Nike Shoe Designer site.
The conference was short, and jam packed with interesting presentations highlighting the latest developments in mass customization and personalization. Someone mentioned at the conference that an obstacle preventing wider scale use of mass customization and personalization was a system to input and save standardized measurements. As I listened to these comments I remembered that such a system was recently developed in Korea called i-fashion. I will submit a separate entry for it.
2 comments October 19, 2007
