SwatchOn Launches VMOD 3D Digital Fabric Library for Fashion Designers

The implementation of 3D design in the fashion industry is driven by the need for faster and more efficient design and development processes, increased sustainability efforts, and the ability to create more accurate virtual samples. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the industry's adoption of 3D design, as remote collaboration has become more important than ever before. One of the key elements of implementing 3D design is the creation of a digital twin of real-life fabrics, allowing designers to create and test virtual products before committing to physical sample production.

SwatchOn Co., Ltd., a Seoul-based wholesale fabric sourcing platform, has been ahead of the curve in fashion 3D design. With a focus on innovation and digitization, SwatchOn recognized the need for a digital twin of real-life fabrics and established its own digital fabric library—VMOD 3D Library. This new service is aimed at SwatchOn users who have already implemented 3D design into their physical production process. A leading 3D design software company CLO is their partner and investor. Recognizing the enormous potential of VMOD 3D Library, SwatchOn has secured a total investment of $20 million.

"We believe that in the near future, digital fashion will be more consumed and utilized for the physical counterpart," said co-founder Michelle Jung. "Digital fabric is essential in creating digital garments, and we see it being used in both directions, URL to IRL and vice versa."

VMOD 3D Library offers a ‘URL to IRL’ service with its extensive digital fabric library, featuring thousands of digital fabric materials created from SwatchOn's real-life fabrics. Customers search for the fabrics they want, download a digital fabric, and run a simulation to check the shape and drape. Once they have found the fabric they like, they can order the real-life fabrics or swatches from SwatchOn. With VMOD 3D Library's ‘URL to IRL’ service, customers can experience a seamless transition from the digital design stage to physical production, streamlining the entire process.

The library's digital twins are highly versatile, boasting excellent quality and compatibility, with high-resolution textures and accurate physical parameters. Furthermore, they are provided in various file formats, making them compatible with popular 3D software programs such as CLO, Marvelous Designer, Substance 3D, as well as other renderers. This compatibility is crucial because 3D creators often use multiple software programs.

As for ‘IRL to URL’, VMOD 3D Library offers a fabric digitization service, which digitizes real-life fabrics into digital fabric files for any fabric requested by the customer. "When VMOD 3D Library was introduced, we received numerous inquiries asking if we could convert their own physical fabrics into digital ones," said Jung. "The process of digitizing physical fabric is labor-intensive and challenging, and we are confident in our capability to produce the most accurate and high-quality digital fabrics, even for complex and challenging fabrics our competitors cannot handle."

Unlike other digitization services, the VMOD 3D Library is able to digitize complex fabrics such as PVC, foil, fur, pleats, velvet, glitter, corduroy, sequin, jacquard, embroidery and lace. Also important, stresses Jung, is the fact that any fabric digitized upon order is proprietary—accessible only via a private page and never uploaded to a public-facing digital library.

As the fashion industry continues to evolve and embrace the power of technology, it is clear that 3D design and digital fabric libraries will play a significant role in shaping the future of fashion. The adoption of 3D design has already proven to be a game-changer for designers, manufacturers and consumers alike, providing a faster, more efficient and sustainable way to create products.

SwatchOn's VMOD 3D Library offers innovative digital fabric solutions that are paving the way for a more seamless transition from the digital design stage to physical production.

Companies that recognize and embrace the importance of 3D design and digital technology in the fashion industry will have a competitive advantage in the years to come, as these technologies continue to transform the way we design, create, and experience fashion.

To learn more about SwatchOn's VMOD 3D Library, click here.

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