Media confusion on 2D, 3D, 4D, when it is just 2D or AI representation.
Polarization & Mixup of Marketing & Manufacturing of Fashion Clothing [May Assistance, edited for Fashion Designers]
There are sad results for fashion designers graduating, who are finding the outside world very different than what they had been taught. They set up websites or media sites that are very confusing in explaining themselves, their businesses, what they are actually selling (products or services?), and to whom they are selling it (designers, consumers, makers?). Technology is adding to the severity of the problem, leaving the designers to believe that a process they cannot do, or do not want to do, computers and technology and AI can do for them — especially true of the technical, as pattern making and/or engineering — which so many have come to hate. Yet, I love the technical as well as the creative styling, and it made me successful.
When I got into a conversation with someone on the manufacturing of fashion clothing, I was motivated to research today’s perspectives online, with my own experiences in the 1950s to the 1980s, when fashion industry processes were communicating, in small corporations like mine in the Boston area — because we were involved in both manufacturing and marketing — of more than one-of-a-kind garments. Businesses that were separated from manufacturing and marketing were dressmakers and tailors, who made custom clothing for individuals, with the same processes as in the 1800s, without much evolution. It is imperative that fashion designers recognize the differences between expensive custom processes and affordable manufactured processes. It is the lengthy timing of the processes, that makes custom expensive, because custom designers have not been taught speed processes that can maintain creativity and excellence. It is not higher creativity & excellence in custom over manufactured
“The Wall Between Design & Manufacturing” was created in a grant award from National Science Foundation in 1989, to explain the need for an “Image Communication Language, Stylometrics”, because the marketing, design, making, and manufacturing processes, were not communicating, in large or small businesses or anywhere in the US. And it has worsened today in 2024, beyond what an image language could do to help.
My conclusion is there is a critical problem today with too many assumed meanings for each word used in the fashion industry and fashion education, and too many different understandings of each process, and who is responsible for each one. It is disastrous for fashion designers in the education of fashion design clothing. More critical is that most in fashion today, high on the brand ladder or not, believe that everyone else should accept their meanings and beliefs, whether identified or not. The problem is a critical polarization, the same as what has happened in religions, politics, business, etc. Each position assumes that theirs is the right one to be understood by others.
There are some who might disagree with me, and mention those businesses which are succeeding. However, when studied closer, the garments they are making and selling have tremendous sameness, which is the easiest way to keep manufacturing cheap, here or overseas. Most garments today are “activewear” or dresses made from knits and spandex. Creativity is in knitted patterns and printed materials, no creativity now in garment shaping. Fit is poor, leaving it to the stretching of fabrics — and beautiful shaping is non-existent now for Middle Fashion consumers.
Dictionary definitions of some words which are misunderstood
Design: “a plan or drawing produced to show the look and function or workings of a building, garment, or other object before it is built or made” (verb) “to decide upon the look and functioning of (a building, garment, or other object), by making a detailed drawing of it.” [SW] A “sketch” is not a design or detailed drawing. It can be an “idea” for a design, but not the plan or blueprint.
“Tech Pack is a blueprint for a garment. It contains the technical specifications and details to make your product. It is a tool for designers and manufacturers to communicate.” [SW] “A Tech Pack is not a pattern for the garment, but your details for someone else to make the pattern.”
Pattern (2D). is designed and/or engineered on paper, with information for the purpose of cutting a garment from material, and for sewing a garment into 3D. In mid-20th century in Boston, it was called “Pattern Designing”. Then in 21st century, it is called “Pattern Engineering”, to separate fashion as a manufacturing industry doing mass-production, from patterns for home sewing — and custom. Note: I did create a system of “Mass-produced Custom” as part of my NSF grant award. The idea was to have a computer with a special expert stitcher in the factory, who pulls a garment from many in production, and follows instructions on the computer to customize it for one consumer.
Dimension: “Measurement in one direction.” Study more by clicking:
2D: “Measurements in two directions, as length & height, or height & width. A “plane”.
3D: “Measurements in three directions, as length, height & width. Objects in reality. Photos are 2D representations of a 3D Object in reality. Also remember that our eyes only see 2D. It is the “inner mind” that has the knowledge of 3D. The #1 photo below by LEBA, is an example of adding even greater confusion by AI (Artificial Intelligence). It appears to be a photo of a real down jacket on a garment form — but it is not. Frank L. of LEBA, says “… A go-round of #AI creating [?] outerwear … The image below took us about 10 minutes to prompt and 30 seconds for the system to generate.” It is frightening how many tech businesses are now selling these AI generated images, with buyers (such as fashion designers) who believe they are going to get a real garment, not just this 2D digital photo.
“Become a deepfake detective,” says Malcom Gay, Boston Globe, “by trying to get adults better at critically reasoning synthetic media.” ” This is great that Malcom Gay is trying to get people to understand what is only a 2D photo of a real 3D of a person or object, and what is a 2D digital photo of an AI created deepfake.
4D: “Measurement (usually time) of 3D objects moving or changing” Movies are 4D: fast moving 2D films, giving the illusion of 3D motion.
Conclusions: I was hoping to offer some hopes for change in the present fashion industry for better understanding. However, deeper research of present new fashion businesses online in Massachusetts, leaves me more discouraged. There are some custom designers, who have developed over the years some nice businesses for private customers. But the great mass-production systems, and pattern engineering that some of us built in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, especially for middle fashion consumers with affordability and better, creative fashions — seems nowhere to be found. I wish I could do something, but I am 90, and can just write today. I have to leave it to future fashion designers to believe and hopefully change things for the better for all fashion consumers, because no one else is doing it, and fashion teachers must believe and teach designers how.
Mihaela Dragu, on Medium.com says: “It is crucial for individuals to develop their own thoughts and opinions based on evidence and reasoning rather than simply accepting what they are told. This is where the concept of ‘True education is teaching people to think for themselves’ is not just a motto, but a guiding principle for education and personal development.”
Pondering’s:
- Excellence: There is a need for us, as fashion teachers, to constantly remind designers what is excellent in fashion, especially since there is so little to be found today, in stores or online at affordable prices.
The designs below are from celebrity brand designers. However, as a pattern engineer, I assure you that both of these could be produced affordably for Middle Fashion Consumers — with the right motivation.
2. Creation: The true process is back & forth between inner visualization and outer execution. Extremes of either are not good — keep it a continuing balancing between inner & outer. This is most misunderstood in pattern making/engineering. When you have a nice design idea in your mind, do the inner work of visualizing the 3D form and the possible 2D pattern shapes. Continual practice develops the skill. Draping on a dress form can begin to make the inner visualization clearer, but continue to go back and forth. When the draping seems to be the desired shape as in your mind, then rub off all lines and changes, and take the muslin flat to the table, and make accurate the matching seams and details. Then, put the muslin back on the form, pinning seams and detail together and see if the outer vision matches the inner vision. If not go back and forth again. Remember that pattern making/engineering can be creative, too — especially in the inner mind where creative ability exists. However, pattern drafting is not creative. It is using another’s rules and measurements to copy a specific style. A qualified foundation pattern (sloper, block, primitive) is good and efficient upon which to drape a creative idea, making the process of back and forth much easier and faster.
3. Building a useful catalog of Design Parts, to finish one’s created design:
I have been building a catelog for decades, and taught my students and proteges to build it for themselves. Every time I see a nice, especially creative part, I scan and save into my “Catalog”, organized by specific parts as, collars, necklines, sleeves, pockets, jackets, skirts, dresses, coats, vests, tops, pants, etc. Every fashion designer should do this.
The last one, from Vogue with crisscross lapels. Is similar to the Balmain I previously showed. It is easier here, to understand how to engineer that lapel pattern shape.
Thank you to Medium.com, Dr. Mehmet Yildiz and his Illumination-Curated publications for publishing every month, my “Fashion Design Assistance Series”. Thank you to my readers and your great responses. It keeps me going with great motivation every month. If any have questions to ask personally, please email me at Shirley@shirleywillett. I would love to hear from Fashion Designers.
