3D engineering design: Pioneering technology at Hugo Boss

There is no doubt that digitization has really changed the fashion industry. New innovations in fashion design using 3D technology not only save time but also help products to sell faster. Hugo Boss – the leading fashion company in Germany is no stranger to this method, 40% of collections produced here have applied 3D technology.

At the German fashion conference, fashion experts discussed digitizing the supply chain for this industry. However, at present, suppliers are still providing samples by hand. Hugo Boss is changing this. It is clear that the product development process must be completely changed to keep up with the times and so the company has turned to the application of 3D design technology. Birgit Wiech, product manager at Hugo Boss shared that this technology has been highly effective and their next goal is to continue setting up the digitization process for the rest of the products.

Hugo Boss began testing various ways of product development in 2013 through digital simulation of simple garments such as shirts, shirts and knitwear on computer screens. 3D technology allows designers to test different prints, colors and fabrics without having to create a complete physical model. So with just a few simple clicks, they can change the entire look of a design in a short amount of time.

Since 2015, Hugo Boss started to simulate outerwear and sportswear with 3D software and recently in 2017, the next classic men’s and women’s outerwear lines have applied this technology. After more than 1,000 simulations, Hugo Boss applied 3D technology to 40% of his collection. For example, in Germany and Turkey, the first product samples were sewn directly using digital prototypes as a reference and manufacturers in Eastern Europe and Portugal also began like that.

Eliminating prototyping steps in the design process saves money and cuts time to market. If designing an actual clothing takes two to four weeks, the process is similar, which will only take a few days to a week if replaced with digital technology. As consumers increasingly focus on catching up with constantly changing fashion trends, fast production times are important to keep up with customers’ needs.

According to Wiech: Developing costumes with 3D simulation software requires close cooperation between the creator and the cutter; designer and manufacturer. Agile teamwork and functionality are essential.

Talking about the development of 3D simulation models, the German fashion company has also come a long way compared to other businesses in the same industry. According to estimates by Andreas Seidl, executive director of Human Solutions Group, about 20% of their customers design 3D products. Two years ago, it was only 5 percent.

Overall, this model can go further. Hugo Boss promises their customers can instantly imagine the product design through the phone screen; Therefore, it is essential to technicalize the entire process from sketching ideas to production and launching.

Productivity and Quality Office