DPC in Eductation and Beyond

Something I really love about creating 3D garment assets is the way it brings me back to my college days as a fashion design student. Stitching together a garment in 3D requires the same skills that both a pattern maker & seamstress have…ah, memories of those all-nighters in Studio. While technical flats are necessary in a tech package to accurately illustrate proportion, construction details and sewing instructions, Adobe Illustrator doesn’t quite give you that same tactile feeling.

The implementation of DPC in current workflows are spotlighting the lack of real pattern making & garment construction experience and skills in the Apparel industry. Due to COVID and budgetary constraints, travel to factories and hands-on learning has been on the decline for awhile. Unfortunately, this is what DPC needs: a true hybrid position that combines design, development & technical know-how.

Colleges & universities, as well as companies & managers need to ensure that the future digital creators are trained in all three aspects of DPC: conceptualization, materialization & commercialization. This means a lot of soul-searching, organizational process review and leadership support.