body – desres23.designandcommunication.net

by helene.goedl - 28. Februar 2025

25 | Digital Fashion – Arriving at the Final Research Question

Through the previous blog entries, I narrowed in my research topic to a specific area of digital fashion that proved to be my main interest. I was able to determine that I am mainly interested in exploring the design process specifically and that two factors in this process would be of special interest to me. These two factors are materiality and the body as a parameter of fashion design.

In the literature research, the topic of the body as a design parameter in fashion design was discovered to be a fairly recent focus of the research in the field. The body has always been central to fashion design, but an increasing interest in exploring its role has come up over the past decades. This trend extends to the digital fashion space. Baek et al. in their systematic review on digital fashion define the body as “the third most dominant theme within the digital fashion literature”¹

This is not surprising, since the absence of the physical body is a central element in digital space by default. Apart from the digital space, the question of physicality remains an interesting topic in traditional fashion design as well. It is a continuous area of interest to investigate how consideration of the human body influences the design process, whether physical or digital. An example of an interesting study on the body in the design process is Julia Valle-Noronha’s design led study, which among other things poses the question if “the personal experience of wearing clothes can be reflected on the making of new clothes”²

The factor of materiality is another central aspect of traditional fashion design. Materiality is crucial in fashion design because it directly impacts the aesthetics, functionality, sustainability, and emotional experience of a garment. It affects several crucial aspects of the design process and the final product. Materiality directly impacts aesthetic and design expression. The texture, drape, opacity, and sheen of a fabric all influence the final look and feel of a garment. Designers choose materials that align with their creative vision and their unique requirements for garments, whether it’s structured tailoring, flowing silhouettes, or avant-garde experimentation.

Materiality also determines a garment’s functionality and wearability. The choice of material affects factors such as wearer comfort, durability, breathability, and movement. A winter coat needs insulating fabrics, while activewear requires moisture-wicking and stretchable materials.

Advances in textiles, such as smart fabrics, biodegradable materials, and 3D-knitted garments, push the boundaries of fashion by offering new possibilities for design and performance.

The material factor also significantly influences considerations on sustainability and ethics. Designers are increasingly turning to recycled, organic, and biodegradable textiles to reduce waste and pollution. In connection to this, there are also economic and production factors that influence material choices. The cost and availability of materials affect the scalability of a design, influencing pricing, accessibility, and production feasibility.

On the more abstract end of the spectrum, materials often facilitate cultural and emotional connection to clothing. Fabrics often carry historical and cultural significance, connecting wearers to traditions, craftsmanship, and storytelling. Additionally, textures and materials evoke emotions and sensory experiences. This last aspect especially makes it challenging to think about the factor of materiality in digital spaces. An exciting experiment on the sensory experiences as a material in itself was introduced by Jan Tepe in 2021.³

Materiality is at the heart of fashion because it determines how a garment looks, feels, functions, and interacts with both the body and the environment.

Through evaluating these issues, I revisited my preliminary master thesis structure and finally arrived at the research question:

How do the parameters of materiality and the human body influence the design thinking process in digital fashion, and how do these constraints and possibilities compare to traditional fashion design workflows?

Through this research question, the master thesis will explore the hypothesis that the shift from traditional to digital fashion design requires a fundamental change in design thinking with regards to designing fashion, as digital materiality and digital body shapes and characteristics redefine garment construction, functionality, and creative constraints. Digital fashion offers expanded creative possibilities in the design workflow of a collection but also introduces new limitations compared to traditional workflows.

The main goals of the thesis are to design and develop a digital fashion micro collection in the form of three avant-garde full-body looks as a case study to explore the constraints and opportunities of digital fashion design. To analyse through a personal design project how digital materiality and (non)- human body shapes can impact the design thinking process compared to traditional fashion workflows. A further goal is to identify key differences and challenges in digital versus traditional fashion design, supported by expert interviews with traditional and digital fashion designers. Additionally, the thesis will document the design process of a personal digital fashion design project in depth, showcasing the iterative nature of digital fashion design and how designers must adapt to digital tools and environments.

¹Baek et al., “Defining Digital Fashion: Reshaping the Field via a Systematic Review.”
²Valle-Noronha, “The Body Within the Clothes: A Case Study on Clothing Design Practice From a Practitioner Viewpoint.”
³Tepe, “Investigating Sensory Perception as a Material for Fashion Design,” May 8, 2021.

Sources:

Baek, Eunsoo, Shelley Haines, Omar H. Fares, Zhihong Huang, Yuwei Hong, and Seung Hwan Mark Lee. “Defining Digital Fashion: Reshaping the Field via a Systematic Review.” Computers in Human Behavior 137 (August 4, 2022): 107407. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2022.107407.

Tepe, Jan. “Investigating Sensory Perception as a Material for Fashion Design.” New York City, New York, United States of America, May 8, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1145/3411763.3450384.

Valle-Noronha, Julia. “The Body Within the Clothes: A Case Study on Clothing Design Practice From a Practitioner Viewpoint.” Conference Paper. Helsinki, Finland, 2017. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323336313_The_body_within_the_clothes_A_case_study_on_clothing_design_practice_from_a_practitioner_viewpoint.

Futher Reading:

Body and Space Research Lab. “The Body and Textiles at the Intersection of the Physical and Digital Through Movement — Body and Space Research Lab,” n.d. https://www.bodyandspace.com/the-body-and-textiles-at-the-intersection-of-the-physical-and digital-through-movement.

by helene.goedl - 26. Februar 2025

24 | Digital Fashion – Topic Exploration 1: The Body in Fashion Design, our Relationship to Clothes and the Importance of Materialtiy

The relationship between the human body and fashion design is complex and multifaceted, with designers increasingly recognizing the importance of considering the dynamic nature of the body and the wearer’s experience. This shift in perspective is reshaping the approach to fashion design and our relationship with clothes. In the context of digital fashion design, the elements of the body, our relationship to clothes and the aspect of tangibility in experiencing fashion needs to be reevaluated and reimagined. In the following blogpost, I will discuss some ideas surrounding these concepts and point out how they might be explored further within the field of digital fashion design.

The Dynamic Body in Fashion Design

Fashion design is deeply connected to the human body and our ever-evolving societal understanding of it. In the past, fashion was often designed with a more static concept of the body in mind. But our ideals and standards around bodily expression are evolving to consider the body as a dynamic entity rather than a static form. Traditionally, garment patterns have been designed for a stationary, upright posture, which can lead to discomfort when the body is in motion¹. To address this, researchers are developing new methodologies that incorporate the body’s various movements into the design process. For instance, a study conducted in 2024 created a mannequin that combines daily body motions, leading to the development of ‚distorted‘ block patterns that better conform to the mobile human form¹. This study is only one instance of how considerations about the body are continuing to influence the fashion design process. In digital space however, the body becomes a more fluent concept and might even be completely excluded as a factor. But the question this brings is whether the absence of a body to dress would be a disqualifier for calling digital fashion “fashion” in the first place, or whether we would have to treat it as a new design discipline.

Embodied Empathy in Fashion

Apart from mere practical considerations of the aspect of movement, the concept of embodied empathy is gaining traction in fashion design. This approach emphasizes sensitivity to the wearer’s physical experiences, shifting the focus from mere appearances to supporting bodily comportments². By adopting this perspective, designers can create garments that not only look good but also feel comfortable and enable natural movement. Again, this demonstrates an aspect of fashion design that becomes virtually irrelevant in digital spaces. The concept of “comfort” for digital bodies evokes considerations about the conditions of the digital body and whether or not we can attribute any sort of conditions to them.

Bio-segmentation and Inclusive Design

Fashion is moving away from binary gender-based designs towards a more inclusive approach based on bio-segmentation. This method considers body somatotypes (ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph) and biotypes as the foundation for design, rather than traditional gender categories³. This shift allows for more inclusive and diverse fashion offerings that cater to a wider range of body types. Similar to the above design concepts relating to the body, this is another example of where the transition to digital spaces and the possibility for removing the body as a factor altogether could unlock potential for the field of fashion design.

The Importance of Materiality

Despite technological advancements, the tangible aspect of fashion remains crucial. The physical interaction between fabric and skin, the drape and feel of a garment, and the way it moves with the body are all essential elements of the fashion experience. Researchers are working on creating comprehensive databases that include physical textile samples, 3D human body models, and 3D garment designs to bridge the gap between digital and physical fashion⁴. While this is an interesting development when it comes to simulating and representing the general behaviour and movement of material in digital space, it still lacks the important quality of tangibility. Digital clothing can never produce the sensation of textiles on the human body and therefore are bound to lack a very important feature in the way that we experience fashion.

The fashion industry is increasingly recognizing the importance of considering the dynamic human body, individual experiences, and diverse body types in design. This holistic approach, combined with technological advancements, is leading to more inclusive, comfortable, and innovative fashion designs while maintaining the crucial tangible aspects of clothing in the field of traditional fashion design. All of these developments suggest a growing awareness of the body as a crucial aspect of fashion design and open the door to discussing how a transition into digital space might handle questions of physicality.

This post was written with the assistance of Perplexity AI.

¹Hassan, “Thinking of the Moving Body in Motion as the Starting Point for the Fashion Design.”
²Robinson, “Body Styles: Redirecting Ethics and the Question of Embodied Empathy in Fashion Design.”
³ Neto and Leal, “Genderless Fashion Design: From Binary Fashion to Bio-Segmentation. Body Biotypes and Somatotypes as Main Bases to Inclusive Fashion Design.”
⁴ Odhiambo et al., “Creation of Databases for a Virtual Training Library in Fashion Design.”

Sources:

Hassan, Furat Jamal. “Thinking of the Moving Body in Motion as the Starting Point for the

Fashion Design.” Al-Academy, no. 112 (June 15, 2024): 75–86.
https://doi.org10.35560jcofarts1401.

Neto, Maria João Pereira, and Maria Inês Leal. “Genderless Fashion Design: From Binary Fashion to Bio-segmentation. Body Biotypes and Somatotypes as Main Bases to Inclusive Fashion Design.” AHFE International, January 1, 2022. https://doi.org/10.54941/ahfe1001870.

Odhiambo, Sheilla, Alexandra De Raeve, Cosmin Copot, Ion Razvan Radulescu, Andreja Rudolf, Tadeja Penko, Xianyi Zeng, et al. “Creation of Databases for a Virtual Training Library in Fashion Design.” Communications in Development and Assembling of Textile Products 5, no. 2 (August 16, 2024): 140–50. https://doi.org/10.25367/cdatp.2024.5.p140-150.

Robinson, Todd. “Body Styles: Redirecting Ethics and the Question of Embodied Empathy in Fashion Design.” Fashion Practice 15, no. 1 (February 24, 2022): 113–35. https://doi.org/10.1080/17569370.2022.2026048.

Further Reading:

Neto, Ana, and João Ferreira. “Lasting Bonds: Understanding Wearer-Clothing Relationships Through Interpersonal Love-Theory.” Fashion Theory 27, no. 5 (January 26, 2023): 677–707. https://doi.org/ 10.1080/1362704x.2023.2170706.

Ruggerone, Lucia. “The Feeling of Being Dressed: Affect Studies and the Clothed Body.” Fashion Theory 21, no. 5 (November 21, 2016): 573–93. https://doi.org/10.1080/1362704x.2016.1253302.

by helene.goedl - 19. Juni 202419. Juni 2024

13 | Designing A Digital Fashion Garment – Avatars, Body Representations and the Avatar Editor in CLO3D

In todays blogpost, I will discuss the preset avatar options and settings and the avatar editor in CLO3D.

The program comes with a set of preset avatars – male, female, adults and children. These preset avatars can be edited in different ways. CLO has presets for several aspects of the avatars, like hair, poses and several market standard sizing for US and European sizing models. This already offers a wide range of possibilities to design for a variety of body types.

In case you want to design for a particular body shape that is not covered by the preset options in CLO, the program also offers a very extensive avatar editor. In this editor, you can modify every relevant body measurement and create an avatar that responds precisely to your individual body.

One aspect that is not covered in this editor are body configurations that are outside the able bodied norm (for example amputated limbs, curved spines due to scoliosis). However, CLO also allows you to import a custom avatar as well, which would allow users to cover these needs as well.

These functions cover an impressive range of needs. In fashion design, it is often challenging to design for a variety of body shapes, and being able to cover so many different shapes in a digital program can be an immense step towards more inclusive fashion design practices.

In my personal experience, patterning and shaping garments for your own body can be a big challenge, as you can not drape on yourself well. Especially when it comes to marking alterations on the body in the muslin mockup patterning stage, you need another person to assist you when you are making clothes for yourself. There are options of making dress forms with your own measurements, but they tend to be very expensive and additionally, your body changes sometimes, so a dress form made five years ago might not correspond to your current body anymore.

Digital avatars could be a great solution to this issue, as you can model them after your current body shape quite easily and make adjustments quickly if your body changes.

by helene.goedl - 25. Februar 2024

10 | Invisible Bodies – an Idiosyncratic Design Choice in Digital Fashion Design

Exploring the many creations under the keywords “Digital Fashion” currently presented on the internet, one quickly finds a common and peculiar reoccurring phenomenon. Virtual clothings flows through digital space, draping, behaving and moving in a way that suggests the presence of a body underneath the clothing. But there is no body depicted in the renderings. The world of digital fashion, it seems, is on its way to becoming a world without bodies. This has both interesting implications for the future, but also prompts examinations of the past of fashion design. The invisible walk cycles of digital fashion unintentionally provoke a discussion of one of fashion history’s most interesting tensions – the clothed body.

Bodies are a subject which has naturally been present throughout the history of fashion. Over the course of its evolution, the fashion industry has treated and impacted bodies in a multitude of ways. There have been phases of fashion history in which the body was the leading force, fashion designers aimed to flatter the body, respect its qualities and varieties and find a way to make garments that interplay with the body. The body was a part of the fashion system which could not be ignored or neglected. Similarly, fashion has also gone through phases of extreme body negation, attempting to fight against the natural qualities of the human body, forcing it into unnatural shapes. Especially in women’s fashion, the relation between garment and body has been a constant point of contention which in recent times, has arguably reached its peak. Despite the modern movements for body acceptance and inclusivity, fashion remains a space in which bodies are a constant source of conflict.

It seems ironic, therefore, that in digital fashion, the body appears to lose its significance altogether. Garments can float through digital space without physical limitations. On one hand, this could be viewed as a bizarre but logical consequence of current efforts towards inclusivity and diversity. If the body is invisible, there is no need to worry about skin colour, size, age and physical condition. The body becomes merely a suggestion of form, a sort of draping guide for digital garments that escapes all the pitfalls that depicting a true to life figure would bring with it.

On the other hand, this complete negation of the body suggests that in fashion, no semblance of a real physical body is “good enough” to do justice to the garment. The body is an obsolete instrument of fashion, a tool that the modern fashion aesthetic has finally managed to evolve away from. Either way of viewing this development towards invisible bodies in digital fashion brings with it a myriad of questions and discussion points that could be elaborated on in their own essays. Further developments of this trend will show if it is here to stay, or if visible bodies, no matter in which shape will make a return to digital fashion in the end.