In recent years, the fashion design process has undergone remarkable changes. Thanks to advances in 3D tools and digital technologies, the speed at which ideas can be visualized and realized has improved dramatically. It’s now common practice to review silhouettes on a computer screen while easily switching colors and materials. Recently, the term DPC (Digital Product Creation) has gained traction, and various digital tools are beginning to be utilized according to purpose and process.
At the same time, as digitalization progresses, concerns have arisen: “Is this design really producible?” Even if a design looks complete digitally, adjustments during actual production often lead to changes that increase time and costs beyond expectations, and the gap between digital designs and physical products is becoming increasingly apparent. Against this backdrop, the apparel industry is re-examining how best to connect “digitally created designs” with “real-world manufacturing.”
What Is DPC (Digital Product Creation)?
DPC is an initiative aimed at optimizing workflows and delivering high value to users by leveraging digital technology throughout all processes-from product planning and design to evaluation, sales, and UX (user experience)*. Instead of repeatedly correcting physical samples as in the conventional approach, it aims to enhance product development efficiency and speed by conducting digital evaluations using 3D data and simulations.
Particularly in the apparel and fashion industry, the use of 3D modeling for design verification and virtual samples has advanced, leading to increased discussion of DPC as a “new method of manufacturing.” Reflecting this trend, The Interline, a specialized fashion technology media outlet, has published the Digital Product Creation Report (DPC Report) since 2022. The 2026 edition features the latest DPC strategic frameworks, brand case studies, company-specific DPC processes and their executive interviews, illustrating a comprehensive manufacturing approach that extends beyond mere 3D tool adoption. Furthermore, its analysis of the DPC market examines future challenges and opportunities, considering the current adoption rate and implementation status of DPC.
The current state of fashion design tools supporting DPC
The growing adoption of DPC is closely linked to advancements in digital tools that support fashion design. Today, the apparel and fashion industry uses a variety of software tailored to different stages such as planning, design, and evaluation. Among these, 3D design software for creating and visualizing garments has gained particular attention in recent years. By combining pattern making with 3D simulation, designers can digitally check silhouettes and fit, significantly speeding up the review process during the planning phase.
In these fields, CLO Virtual Fashion, Browzwear, and Optitex are widely recognized, and digital products created with these software are utilized for design verification and as communication tools both internally and externally. Additionally, their use extends to producing digital catalogs and supporting e-commerce and marketing activities. The ability to share design concepts and make decisions without producing physical samples exemplifies the “speed” and “efficiency” that DPC aims to deliver.
This lineup shows that DPC extends beyond specific software like CAD or 3D modelling-it encompasses an integrated ecosystem including materials & components suppliers, manufacturing equipment providers, data infrastructure platforms as well as asset management systems aimed at improving business processes across organizations. DPC is not an isolated tool-it exists through the interplay of multiple technologies and companies.
Key points to note about DPC
As we’ve seen, the tools and companies surrounding DPC are steadily expanding. By adopting DPC, many teams are experiencing faster planning and review cycles, along with tangible results like reduced physical samples and cost savings. Particularly in scenarios utilizing virtual samples, advancements in digital tools now enable instant switching between silhouettes, color schemes, and material textures. This environment allows for confirming the final product on a computer, significantly expanding creative flexibility during the planning phase.
On the other hand, digital design also has the aspect of being able to express ideas detached from the constraints of reality. Designs can be created that appear visually viable without strictly considering manufacturing processes or processing conditions. This is both a unique strength of digital design and a point requiring caution. Even if something looks appealing on a computer, if the production methods, material properties, or reproducibility during mass production aren’t considered, it may actually be impossible to make, or require significant modifications to produce. Precisely because it’s digital, it allows us to design things that are difficult or impossible to create as physical products.
Design optimized for actual production
Even when highly polished visual images are created digitally, it’s not uncommon for adjustments to be needed during manufacturing due to differences in materials or processing conditions. The problem isn’t the tools themselves, but that design and production are being approached from separate perspectives. The true essence of DPC isn’t a mechanism to speed up work, but a mindset for “Design digitally with actual production in mind.”
Viewing DPC solely as a “method for efficiency” risks overlooking a crucial perspective. Efficiency is a result; not the goal itself. The key to ensuring DPC to evolve beyond mere digitalization and into a new form of manufacturing, lies not in setting, but in shifting our mindset to focus on “how to leverage the freedom of digital while simultaneously connecting it to actual production.”
What future fashion projects incorporating DPC will require is not just efficiency, but “Design optimized for actual production.”
Conditions that make DPC work well in knitwear
The perspective of “design optimized for actual production.” applies to all areas of fashion, but its importance is especially clear in the field of knitwear. The final outcome of knit products is determined by factors such as stitch count, knitting structure, yarn type, and knitting method. These elements directly affect not only the design but also stretch, thickness, texture, and even comfort.
In the planning stage for knitwear, it is common to collect photos and patterns of interesting knits from magazines or reference materials to expand ideas-thinking along the lines of “I want to incorporate this vibe” or “I want to use this pattern.” However, when moving into actual production, it is not uncommon for a change in the knitting machine’s gauge alone to significantly alter how a pattern appears and thus the overall impression. Even with the same pattern, changes in stitch count, yarn thickness, or material can result in a completely different look. If digital designs are created based solely on visual impressions without considering these factors, there is a risk that the finished knit will differ completely from the original image. Therefore, from the early stages of design, it is essential to assume which gauge and materials will be used and incorporate knitting conditions themselves as part of the design.
For example, APEXFiz® design software allows users to set conditions such as knitting machine gauge and stitch count during the design phase and perform simulations using digital data of actual yarns. Furthermore, data for programming knitting machines is simultaneously generated behind the scenes as designs are created, enabling this data to be directly utilized in actual production. By establishing an integrated process from planning through production like this, DPC functions not merely as an add-on tool for efficiency but as a foundational approach to product creation.
Knit products that benefit most from DPC
Among knitwear products, socks are the clearest example where DPC is actively practiced. Socks share a basic simple structure as well as relatively clear sizing and design conditions, making it easier to directly link digital design planning with actual production.
In recent years, initiatives in the sock sector have made it a reality to proceed to product commercialization while utilizing digital samples. One major advantage of DPC is its ability to significantly reduce prototype samples. For more details on virtual sample creation for socks, please refer to this article.
A notable new initiative gaining attention in the sock industry is the system that connects design and manufacturing. For example, this white paper introduces a workflow that links sock design data created with APEXFiz® to programming software from Lonati, a leading hosiery machine manufacturer—enabling direct transition into actual knit production.
The fact that virtual samples created for design review are directly utilized in manufacturing exemplifies what DPC aims to achieve.
Socks have a simple structure and their design conditions can be easily digitized, making them an ideal product for realizing DPC in actual manufacturing. Examples of knitwear, including socks, clearly demonstrate that DPC is not merely an efficiency tool but a manufacturing approach that considers “designs that can actually be produced.”
Currently, applications are open for a webinar jointly hosted by Lonati and Shima Seiki on March 4th. This webinar will introduce an innovative product development workflow designed to reduce reliance on traditional physical sampling in the sock industry, which often involves resource waste, high costs, and production delays. You can apply to view the webinar via the following website.
Rethinking fashion production with DPC
DPC is not merely a method for introducing digital tools or improving efficiency. With advances in 3D and digital technology, an environment has been created where designs can be visualized quickly. However, the perspective on how closely these designs connect to actual production processes has become more important than ever.
DPC becomes meaningful when digital designs go beyond just completed images and link directly to manufacturing processes. The knitwear examples introduced here, including socks, demonstrate that by designing with “producible designs” as a premise, the gap between digital design planning and actual manufacturing can be reduced to virtually zero. Designs carefully considered with conditions such as gauge and materials ultimately lead to improvements in speed, efficiency, and quality.
In the future of fashion, DPC will increasingly serve not just as an efficiency tool but as a crucial perspective for re-examining the entire manufacturing process.
