In the early science fiction movie “Back to the Future Part 2”, the protagonist’s skateboard can levitate in the air, clothes can be automatically dried, and shoelaces can be automatically tied. When technology is deeply integrated into life, these movie scenes are no longer fantasy. Faced with more diverse consumer demands, the clothing industry has begun to join the technological trend, causing waves in the industry.
During the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, the integration of technology and clothing became more obvious. Athletes spun and leaped in the ice and snow, and their high-tech “shirts” provided all-round protection. Technological innovation has an increasingly profound impact on the clothing industry. From design to functional experience, technology is reshaping the rules and positioning of the clothing industry.
The industry tends to be saturated, “seeking” technology, “trying” to change the situation
China’s clothing market has huge development potential. The huge market and efficient production capacity have promoted the phenomenon of free shipping on the platform and live streaming for 50 yuan for 10 pieces. However, under the prosperity, market saturation and intensified brand competition also continue to threaten “Sustainability” in the apparel industry.
In recent years, as the concept of technology has been deeply rooted in people’s hearts, traditional consumer industries such as food and home furnishing have turned to technology to “break out of the circle” and find new product growth points. The clothing industry is no exception. Overseas, such as Lululemon, Under Armor, etc. Clothing brands represented by fabric innovation and functional properties, as well as domestic clothing brands such as Anta and Youngor, have also successively launched fabrics and products with a full sense of technology.
The person in charge of Hongdou Home said, “The traditional clothing industry is currently facing fierce competition and challenges. Only by accelerating the improvement of innovation capabilities, improving technological content, and accelerating industrial upgrading can we turn ‘crisis’ into ‘opportunities’ and seize the lead in development. Opportunities to revitalize the traditional clothing industry.”
Take Hongdou men’s clothing as an example. It uses technology to find a fit between product comfort and high quality. “This technological gene empowers innovation in the field of clothing, which can bring new solutions to consumers’ dressing pain points, further meet consumers’ needs for comfort, and consolidate the brand’s position in the hearts of consumers with the concept of “comfort”. ” he said.
When technology and life are deeply integrated, consumers’ pursuit of clothing is no longer just fashion. The functions and health attributes empowered by technology have added more choices to consumers. It is not difficult to see that with the blessing of technological attributes, the clothing industry seems to have found a new value-added direction.
Looking at the clothing market from the perspective of the ice and snow feast: product technology strength has significantly improved
At the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, ice and snow athletes broke historical records again and again. Under the attention of the world, their “shirts” also changed, reflecting the changes in my country’s clothing industry.
The obvious change is that my country’s self-designed “shirt” relies on high-tech attributes and has become a “helper” on the field, helping athletes win gold and silver.
Take the Chinese short track speed skating team athlete “Shark Skin on Ice” at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics as an example. During the competition, “a millimeter” can affect the performance of the game. Taking into account the wind resistance problem, China’s short track speed skating team The skating team’s competition uniforms adopt air turbulence control drag reduction and boundary slip drag reduction technologies. Compared with ordinary skating suits, the drag reduction can be increased by 5%-10%. At the same time, the high-elastic cut-proof fabric of the clothes can firmly wrap the athletes’ muscles to prevent body shaking from affecting the game. Dyneema anti-cut technology is used to improve the original double-layer structure into a single-layer full-body anti-cut and anti-cut The strength can reach 15 times that of steel wire, and the safety factor is higher. At the same time, it is lighter and thinner, reducing the weight of athletes.
Professor Liu Li of the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, who is responsible for the design and development, explained, “In the short-track speed skating competition uniforms, we have to consider functions such as muscle compression and clothing drag reduction, and use new high-elastic cut-proof fabrics as a whole. The anti-cutting function has been upgraded to two-way. On the basis of maintaining elasticity, the anti-cutting performance has been improved by 20% to 30%, providing athletes with all-round protection.”
In addition, the Beijing Winter Olympics uniforms and equipment developed by Anta have many technological innovations in terms of design, fabrics, and technology. Taking into account the lower temperatures and windy and snowy environment during the Winter Olympics, designers used two independently developed fabric technologies on the Winter Olympics uniforms – fiery technology and waterproof and breathable technology.
Anta said that its fiery technology effectively prevents body heat loss by locking in heat, and its high-quality innovative new materials and rigorous processes achieve super strength in cold environments. Keep warm. Waterproof and moisture-permeable technology can prevent clothes from getting wet, and at the same time, it can promptly discharge moisture expelled from the human body to prevent the wearer from feeling cold and cold.
It can be seen from the “black technology” jerseys at the Beijing Winter Olympics that technical strength is no longer the main factor hindering the scientific and technological content of my country’s clothing products. “Technology promotes progress.” When the traditional clothing industry steps on the “hot wheel” of technology, domestic products are gradually coming to the fore, frequently showing bright results in the technological research and development of products. Those clothing companies with technological innovation capabilities are also gaining recognition from the market. favor.
Garment industry analysts said that the Winter Olympics will provide a good showcase for domestic clothing. With the help of the Winter Olympics, the clothing industry willSub-markets will also usher in new growth, which will also bring new opportunities to domestic apparel companies.
In the clothing industry under the wave of technology, product functionality has become a selling point
In recent years, mainstream clothing brands have been continuously upgraded and transformed. As the clothing industry explores “breaking the circle” with technology, clothing with technological fabrics, special functions and other scientific and technological achievements used in professional scenes have “flyed into the homes of ordinary people.” For example, Anta has applied the “same” fiery technology of the Winter Olympics uniforms to the “China Ice and Snow Series” clothing that will be launched in November 2021, and ordinary consumers can also buy it.
Jason, a professional in the investment circle, said, “The technological concept of clothing is more reflected in sportswear, underwear, winter warmth and other categories. When consumers value the functional needs of clothing to the same extent as they value fashion beauty, , will the clothing industry ‘break the circle’ towards technology.”
In November 2021, the domestic brand Bosideng launched its iteratively upgraded Dengfeng 2.0 series of down jackets. It is reported that this series has achieved new breakthroughs in down, fabrics, accessories, technology, technology, etc., and has applied many “first-time” technological functions to clothing. The selling point of high-tech functions also puts Dengfeng 2.0 on the list of “10,000-yuan” down jackets.
What high-tech means can a down jacket contain? According to Bosideng, in terms of basic thermal insulation performance, Bosideng Dengfeng 2.0 series adopts China Aviation Intelligent Temperature Control Material. It is the first time that aviation technology materials have been applied to the field of clothing. It can maintain its warmth even in extremely cold and extremely hot environments. Constant body temperature of 31℃-33℃.
In addition, this series also has a special “feature”. Integrating Beidou satellite navigation and positioning technology and 5G communication technology to realize the first application of “China Beidou Satellite Navigation System” in the field of down jackets. It can connect to smartphones, bind emergency contacts, and send help in a timely manner when you are in danger outdoors. Signal.
Coincidentally, the clothing brand Youngor has also applied two major “black technologies” in its clothing categories: “hemp textile material technology” and “DP iron-free” technology, and has multiple patents. Among them, hemp textile material technology can make the fabric have many advantages such as moisture absorption, antibacterial, breathable, soft and skin-friendly, and can be widely used in skin-friendly textileclothing fabrics. DP-free ironing technology can make clothing fabrics anti-wrinkle and iron-free. After four self-technology iterations, it has been environmentally friendly, iron-free, long-lasting, washable and comfortable It performs well in various fields such as strength and is widely used in shirts, suits, trousers and other categories that need to maintain shape and resist wrinkles.
Relevant people from Youngor said that from the perspective of consumption iteration, consumers have gone from dressing warmly to dressing well, and now they are demanding to dress smartly and coolly, so the current clothing will be environmentally friendly, healthy and convenient. Functional and other black technologies, the progress of clothing technology is inseparable from market changes.
“Based on the market, consumers’ demand for clothing is updated and iterative, and they pay more and more attention to functionality, while companies hope that technology can become the core competitiveness of their products. From an industry perspective, technology is also an aspect of China’s textile and apparel industry. A powerful weapon against international competition.” said a source related to Youngor.
With the improvement of economic level and changes in lifestyle, people’s demand for clothing has gradually changed from the initial decoration to functionality. In the process of technology empowering clothing, the traditional clothing industry is also exploring its own development. the road.
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