WEEKLY THREAD: BREAKING THE CULTURE OF FAST FASHION AND DISCOUNTING WITH DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
“Fast Fashion has created its own demise - an unsustainable culture of eternal discounting and too much product. In its quest for survival over the years the industry has become season-less, and in doing so the consumer has become accustomed to product diversity - a never ending selection of new offerings” - Debbie McKeegan
Breaking the Culture of Fast Fashion and Discounting with digital technologies
The fashion industry has for a long time been trading on quick sand, stuck in an eternal loop offering more, more and more, sold for less.
Corona isn’t the reason that the Fashion Industry is broken, the system has been sinking for a very long time.
Fast Fashion has created its own demise - an unsustainable culture of eternal discounting and too much product. In its quest for survival over the years the industry has become season-less, and in doing so the consumer has become accustomed to product diversity - a never ending selection of new offerings. As a direct result, margins have fallen, and alongside product diversity inventory has grown and increasingly become an issue, forcing the Fashion industry further and further into to Asia to stay viable. Lengthy supply chains are like icebergs, they take time to thaw, and the industry doesn’t have time to play with…Fashion needs to Flex!
Brands that are agile have some comfort in this on-demand culture, but for those that are not, the future is uncertain.
They must adapt or disappear! Browsing is a past-time, seasons don’t exist…the “see now buy - now culture” is established and here to stay. We need to re-define Fast Fashion.
Over the last 10 years the industry has begun to embrace digitisation, in the first instance via ecommerce with many success stories. The most successful of which are new business models, built for online sales without the burden of bricks and mortar retail stores. Online has its own issues for successful retail, and is burdened by high returns, but with an incredibly powerful advantage - DATA.
Data is the magic button, the crystal ball for production.
As technologies advance in the online sphere every search, transaction and abandoned cart gives clarity. It allows the online retailer to engage with the consumer instantly, understand their behaviour and focus on sales at full margin.
Amazon is a grand master for online sales from which we can all learn.
As its imperial growth continues, the real value is hidden within the data that the platform mines from every online search that the consumer makes. Tracking every click, the Amazon model builds a unique profile for every visitor. With a digital DNA of the consumer this enables their algorithms to upsell on behalf of its stakeholders. Delivering a personalised experience for every transaction, and in doing so engages the consumer by making life easier. In an overcrowded, online world the consumer is short of time, and expects simplicity. Amazon is primed to become a significant platform for Fashion, having built its sales on consumer goods and essential staples, the architecture is set and ready for adoption.
So what if we could accurately predict demand? -
Data offers a vital role in the future of Fashion. Regardless of platform we must all get to know our consumers better, we have to get closer to the transaction. We have to deliver products that are tailored to the consumers expectations. Omni-channel retail provides a vital link between the consumer and the bricks and mortar store. With an online presence every brand can get to know their consumers better, and deliver a personalised, luxury service regardless of the sale value. Retaining brand loyalty is essential to growth, the relationship with each customer is paramount. Post-Covid retailing must be intelligent and targeted to succeed.
Data enables the sustainable production of all products, regardless of Industry sector.
Whether we customise the experience or the product, the sale is validated by the consumers experience. If we get closer to the consumer we break the culture of discounting, increase profits and reinvent the Fashion industry.
We can deliver at speed, and reduce stock utilising digital technologies - To do so we must also digitise the entire supply chain and the technologies used during the manufacturing process.
The story of what happens when young designers access digital technology is still being written.
What once was a theoretical sustainability goal seems to have shifted into an active regulatory reality.
Is the Textile Market Finally Recovering?
After a difficult few years, there are genuine reasons for optimism. Duncan was candid about the challenges: "The market for textiles has been very difficult over the last three years. I'm not going to hide the truth there. But the tide is turning.“
A profound shift is currently reshaping the sector
Changing consumer expectations demand greater design diversity, faster turnaround times, and sustainable manufacturing practices.
To thrive, interior brands must adapt their supply chains, bringing production closer to the end consumer and moving away from bulk manufacturing.
Digital textile printing offers a definitive solution to these operational bottlenecks.
Digital transformation doesn't announce itself.
It accumulates - one innovation at a time - until an entire industry looks back and realises the ground has shifted beneath its feet. That's precisely where textiles stands today.
The conversations happening now about AI, automation, sustainability, and digital product passports are not theoretical. They are shaping decisions being made on factory floors and in boardrooms right now.
“By leveraging advanced digital textile printing, Marylene Madou has successfully merged traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology. Her approach offers a blueprint for how independent designers can scale their brands globally while maintaining a minimal environmental footprint.”
From Helsinki's printing mill to Paris's Le Marais, discover how Marimekko is scaling a design-led brand with purpose, craft, and bold innovation.
But what makes Marimekko's story compelling is not just its aesthetic legacy?
The textile industry is undergoing a vital transformation. As the insights from Techtextil and Texprocess reveal, the path forward relies on a combination of sustainable hardware, intelligent chemistry, and seamless digital workflows.
From Zimmer's industrial-scale energy reductions and Stratasys's on-demand 3D embellishments, to Kornit's single-step technical printing and the unified digital ecosystems of NedGraphics and Optitex, the tools for change are here. To stay competitive, brands and manufacturers must adopt these innovations, moving away from fragmented, wasteful processes towards a truly connected, circular economy.
Friedmans stands as a testament to the power of combining traditional textile knowledge with forward-thinking innovation.
“Operating from their UK headquarters, Friedmans now serves a diverse array of sectors, including swimwear, dance, entertainment, sportswear, interior decor, prosthetics, and even pet apparel. With a strategic supply chain that reliably serves clients worldwide”
The apparel decoration industry is decisively moving away from isolated, analogue production tools toward connected digital manufacturing environments.
"Kornit’s unwavering commitment to transformative technology continues to disrupt the status quo. For business leaders and innovators ready to capture the future of apparel manufacturing, the path forward is clear”
The Urgent Need for Sustainability at Scale
The transformation at Coats provides a vital blueprint for the wider textile and apparel sector. True sustainability cannot be achieved in silos. As Dearing emphasised:
“Cross-industry collaboration is the engine of meaningful change. Brands, machinery suppliers, chemical providers, and fibre producers must act as an interconnected ecosystem”
Today’s customers demand superior product quality, real-time data visibility, and lightning-fast turnaround times.
For large-scale garment decorators, managing these expectations while balancing seasonal demand fluctuations - such as the massive surges seen during Black Friday - presents a monumental challenge.
"Relying on transactional vendor relationships and outdated legacy equipment is no longer sufficient to secure long-term stability and growth.”
Printing method is never a secondary detail. It shapes the entire life cycle of a product, from concept to customer. In today’s fashion industry, where margins are tighter and speed matters more than ever, technical knowledge has become a competitive advantage.
“The future of textile design belongs to professionals who can combine creativity with execution, aesthetics with practicality, and vision with production reality”.
Are we witnessing the reinvention of Merch driven by adaptive, digital technologies?
The commercial opportunity presented by printed, personalised merchandise is already a lucrative revenue stream; it is the core driver of growth in a multi-billion-pound industry. And the mandate for print businesses is clear: automate, adapt, and offer undeniable added value, or choose to gradually lose market share.
Powderless DTF is an important area of innovation. It deserves research, investment, and thoughtful development.
“But at its current stage, it often feels like the industry is attempting to commercialize the concept ahead of the underlying chemistry and system readiness”.
All Apparel Manufacturers face an Urgent Mandate: “Automate or be Left Behind”.
Industry leaders like Super Nova Sports and Ryozo International were struggling with severe pre-press bottlenecks and unsustainable fabric waste. By integrating AI Sublimation Software into their workflows, these forward-thinking businesses eliminated manual variable data entry, boosted fabric efficiency to over 80%, and reduced delivery times by more than half, establishing a highly profitable, agile, and environmentally responsible production model.
The Future of Manufacturing belongs to those who Embrace Connected Digital Ecosystems
“Whether you produce garments, car interiors, or home furnishings, the transition from creative concept to production-ready product often remains fragmented. Design teams work tirelessly to develop compelling materials, yet technical teams struggle to interpret these visions without losing data along the way.”
The European digital wallcovering marketplace is expanding at an impressive rate.
“For print professionals and interior designers, this transition presents a distinct set of challenges. Achieving flawless colour consistency, managing complex substrates, and meeting stringent environmental standards are no longer optional extras; they are fundamental requirements for commercial success.”
If you're looking to optimize your website for AI search, hang onto your cowboy hat. It's the Wild West out there. Former (and current) SEO companies see the handwriting on the wall as more search moves from traditional SEO to AEO (answer engine optimisation). Opportunists are popping out of the woodwork.
(There are good options out there, but vet them carefully.)
A swimsuit might start life as a sketch. By the time it reaches the shop floor, dozens of hands have touched it - designers, dye houses, printers, trim manufacturers, quality controllers. Each one interprets colour in their own way, under their own conditions, with their own tools. The result is often a product that looks nothing like the original vision.
Durst develops and markets advanced solutions for digital production, automation, and intelligent manufacturing across industrial applications worldwide.
Roland inkjet printers and printer/cutters are widely used in a variety of visual communication fields, including signage and interior decoration.
Complexity slows production. Precision restores flow. For over 50 years, Summa has delivered digital cutting solutions that remove friction and keep ideas moving.
The leading manufacturer of digital and screen-printing machinery, coating, steaming and drying systems for textile and carpet processing
EFI Reggiani has become the trusted partner for integrated, scalable solutions for the entire textile process – from yarn treatment to fabric printing and finishing.
Epson industrial digital workflow for textile printing, from technology to inks, from pre- to post-treatment and learn about Epson Textile Solution Center.
Resolute isn't just a DTF printer and supply company, they are innovators in the field, shaping the future of textile decoration with innovative DTF solutions.
As the exclusive UK & Ireland distributor for Mimaki Engineering; its industry-leading product range that comprises solvent, LED UV, 3D, dye sublimation and textile inkjet printers, cutters, inks, software.
At Agfa, we believe in print as an essential and powerful medium of communication. Our mission is to enable printing businesses to achieve profitable growth.
Brother has a comprehensive range of solutions in the areas of direct-to-garment printing - from mass production to smaller printers for customisation.
VeriVide are the light and colour experts. UK based but global specialist in the design, development and manufacture of standardised lighting cabinets & digital imaging systems (DigiEye).
Since 1986, our aim has always been the same, to add value beyond print - to create cutting-edge laminating and print finishing equipment of the highest quality.
Kornit’s innovative printing technology enables businesses to succeed in web-to-print, on-demand and mass customization concepts.
Imagine a production process where 2D sewing and cutting happen in one seamless, automated operation - no manual handling required.
Award winning supplier wide range of Printers, Finishing Equipment, Inks & Media, RIP & Colour Management Solutions and Warranty & Service Support.
Soyang Hardware offers leading edge wide and superwide format print production hardware solutions from many of the industry’s biggest and best-known printer brands..
Klieverik is a leading manufacturer of rotary thermo-processing equipment, specialising in advanced textile applications.
With Barbieri, digital textile printers achieve professional ICC profiling, calibration, and quality control - leading to enhanced color consistency and confidence across all materials.
At China Print Supplies Ltd, we are more than just a distributor - we are your strategic partner in print solutions. With a commitment to excellence and a passion for innovation
A key supplier of dye-sublimation printing equipment, consumables, and support services to a diverse range of customers across the United Kingdom.