MANGO'S 3D Transformation Blueprint | MANGO | PI Apparel

We are going to talk about embracing transformation in the fashion industry. So on those slides— well, let me move here because I have my notes. Okay, so we're gonna talk about me a little bit, then we're gonna talk about the need of adaptation, the importance of innovation, what is a 3D transformation, the key elements of the transformation, the benefits of that, and And Mango use cases, which is the fun part. Then challenges and considerations. And the last thought for the 3D implementation. I'm going to leave some time for questions afterwards. So especially I think you're going to have about the Mango use cases. So about me. Well, I'm the 3D platform owner at Mango. The past 10 years I've been working in 3D. Previously in product and technical offices. Last year I started in the new Mango digital transformation team, taking care of 3D platform transformation for all the product departments, so for women, men, kids and teen, and home department. So I have forgot to move this. The need for adaptation. Today we'll explore how adaptation and innovation are crucial for success in a rapidly evolving business landscape. We'll deep dive into the concept of 3D transformation and its significance in reshaping the fashion industry for the future. So the fashion industry is constantly evolving, driven by changing consumer preferences, technological advancement, and global trends. As we know, what was popular last year is not, is not going to be in demand today. With the rise of social media and online shopping, consumers Customers are more informed and have higher expectations. Brands need to stay attuned to those changes and adapt their offering, offering, offering accordingly to remain relevant and competitive. So the importance of innovations is essential for staying competitive and relevant in today's market. Brands must innovate not only in product design, but also in their business processes and consumer um, so in a crowded marketplace, innovation allows fashion brands to stand out from the competition through interactive shopping features, immersive fashion shows, or novel product launches. Innovative, innovative approaches captivate consumer attention and foster brand loyalty. Innovative technologies and processes can improve efficiencies and sustainability throughout the fashion supply chain and the value chain. Can help reduce waste, lower costs, and minimize environmental impact. So innovation is essential for the future-proofing. By fostering a culture of innovation and investing in research and development, brands can adapt to the changing market dynamics, technological advancement, consumer preferences, and ensuring their long-term success. So what is the 3D transformation? It is a holistic approach to reshaping the fashion industry for the future, and it, and involves Leveraging data and technology and creativity across all the aspects of business. So for brands, digitalizing their designs and prototyping during the product production processes, leading to increased efficiency, reducing cost, and faster time to market. The data analytics play a crucial role in 3D transformation by providing insights to the consumer preferences, market trends, and in the volume chain management. And fostering a collaborative, uh, collaboration between designers, engineers, marketers, and product development and other stakeholders is essential to generate innovative ideas and solutions by breaking down silos and fostering cross-functional teamwork. So the key elements of a 3D transformation, which are Um, the key elements of the 3D transformation is technology integration, data-driven insights, and the creative collaboration. So we have to think about the— adopt advanced technologies such as 3D modeling, virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence to streamline processes and enhance efficiency, harnessing data analytics and to gain valuable insights into consumer behaviors, market trends, and supply chain management. And as we were talking before, forcing the collaboration between— across all the offices is going to generate innovative ideas and solutions. And as we all almost know the benefits of the 3G transformation, are faster time to market by streamlining the design and production processes through 3D modeling and virtual prototyping. Fashion brands can accelerate their time to market, enhance consumer engagement, personalize shopping experiences. Virtual try-ons and interactive content can drive greater engagement and loyalty among consumers, leading to increased sales and brand advocacy. And then for last thing, sustainability. 3D transformation also has the potential to contribute to sustainable effort within the fashion industry. So with this base, we now can talk about the Mango use cases, which is the fun part. So we are going to present successful, successful examples of 3D transformation and how we achieved tangible results. So last year we had Mango Digital Twin implementation. Uh, we, we implemented digital twins throughout the value chain wherever there was an opportunity to utilize 3D technology. This initiative aims to achieve more efficient and effective product communication within a shorter time frame than before. Mango began this journey years ago, starting from design phase where designers and 3D designers collaborated to design parts of the collection in 3D. This approach allowed for internal decision-making before requesting physical samples to vendors, resulting in refined shapes, materials, and style checks across all the design decisions prior to sample requests or during the development phase. Last year, Mango extended the use of digital twins to other departments that could benefit from having access to digital collections in advance. Those departments include buying, wholesale, visual merchandising, and the visual window shop department. This expansion has facilitated decision-making and refinement of the processes within their— these areas. Furthermore, Mango has extended the use of digital twins to the B2C sector for communicating with consumers in a creative and engaging manner. Additionally, we have tested the replacement of traditional creative photography with digital alternatives. In a few words, we are building a 3D transformation with an end-to-end use of the digital twins. So here we have some of the examples of Mango with the window dressing. So previously, the window dressing department relied on digital mannequins for 3D representations. Now with digitally created twins of the collaboration— collaborating collections, for example, they can visualize window shelf display way more realistically than advance. Here we have like the Simon Miller collaboration, which we did last year. So as you can see, even though it's a little bit smaller, the image, you can pre-visualize the whole collection and make decisions. Then for capsule, the Mango premium line embodies sophisticated styles and unique materials and shapes. So by pre-designing the collection in 3D, the product department can make decisions and refine them to meet the objectives efficiently and reducing as well sampling. In the home department, we have successfully piloted a proof of concept, streamlining the value chain from 3D design development to B2C implementation. Our process involved creating digital twins and virtual rooms, resulting in impressive 80% alignment between digitally rendered images and actual product photography, highlighting that our workflow is aligned to the creative expectations of the company. And for social media, during the development, certain product accessories that were developed during the development phase, we transitioned them to the B2C for reels on social media. Enhanced it with 3D technologies, those reels creatively engage with consumers, generating excitement for our product. Notably, this wheel achieved Mango's highest ever engagement, showcasing the effectiveness of our approach. So, challenge and considerations. Despite its many benefits, 3D transformation also presents challenges such as an initial investment cost, technological barriers, and resistance of change. It's important for businesses to carefully evaluate those factors and develop a strategic roadmap for the implementation. So those are the three key elements, my point of view. Implementing digital transformation in the fashion industry presents challenges due to the integration complexity, high adoption costs, technical skill gaps, interoperability issues, hardware limitations, and ethical implications. Therefore, it's essential to stay updated and selectively implement technologies that align with company's goals. Implementing 3D transformation involves refining processes and utilizing data efficiently. Uh, it's crucial to document existing processes, identify areas for improvement, and reshape them accordingly. Additionally, leveraging data allows for the comparison of pre- pre- and post-implementation scenarios highlighting how technology disrupts and reshapes jobs and workflows. Then the culture. Um, when fostering a culture of 3D transformation is essential to ensure ethical compliance throughout the process, the critical aspects lies in shaping the company culture to early embrace transformation where individuals are excited about evolving their work methods, knowing that it will enhance their lives by leveraging technology. So last thoughts. I've been very quick. The last thoughts for a good 3D implementation, it's to set up the right goals for the company. You have to recognize the opportunities by individuals within the organization leveraging disruptive technologies efficiently. It means that you really have to talk with stakeholders but also with employees to find the right goals to set up for your company. It are not the same goals of the other companies. You have to find your own rules over there. Then you have to build proof of concepts while keeping in mind the foundation elements that ensures seamless transition between projects without losing previous progress. What it means is like you have to think in the long run, but as well, while you are doing the proof of concept, you have to select those technologies and processes that that from here to 1 year to 3— 2, 3 years, they're gonna be still there. And the last important thing, it's you have to form a superuser team enthusiastic about adopting new technologies and engage with stakeholders to collaboratively build projects aimed to achieving company's goals while destructing silos. Here you have to select people within your organization that will help you to build those projects and to just drop all the silos. Without that, you are not going to have any good 3D transformation implementation. So I was very short. I should have developed a little bit further, actually. But yeah, I mean— And I'm here for any other questions that you might have on the Mango use cases.

One of the things that you showed is the different use cases, like for example the social media shorts and all of it. These are kind of advanced 3D skills. You know, you need to kind of create more advanced content. So how within Mango you guys are actually managing in terms of like what is the designer supposed to do? And how do you actually take the content from what designers created and kind of go towards that kind of advanced use cases? Who does that? How do you manage expectations on scalability of those more advanced 3D developments?

That's a good question. I mean, we are trying to develop as much as possible in 3D. so in terms of the accessory department, it's a small department, so we can build more digital twins than other departments. And in that case, we just share what we have built already with the social media management, and they select. If they don't select from what we have already done, we can create as well. It's going to be— always cost-effectively less to go internally than go externally to build content. So we are trying to leverage this idea internally. So we are also getting way more requests on this part as well. It's also efficient, actually, to instead of talking with outside, talking inside with all the organization, you can like in the Mango— I mean, in the Mango time, which we are moving always very fast, it's faster to talk internally and to build creative reels internally than going externally. Hope this helps.

Great. So first question off the board here is, how do you leverage your suppliers within your transformation? So suppliers, how do you leverage them?

OK, so I'm going to put down this one. I'm going to not read. So leverage suppliers. We are currently working with some suppliers. I mean, suppliers, you mean for the vendors, right? Yeah. So we are trying to collaborate already with some of them. The point is that we are not collaborating with every supplier. We are collaborating with some suppliers that want to join us to this transformation and also as well within the parts of the products in the company where it's needed to create the digital transformation. So we are not thinking to extend it like that 100% fully with all the suppliers, but with some of them that can help us doing the decision process making.

OK, great. The next one is, what share of your product line is currently in digital creation?

What share? How much?

What percentage, yeah.

What percentage? OK. It's a very few percentage right now. I think it's like in the whole products of Mango, like 7%, basically, but we are constantly increasing the percentage.

Okay, can you give some examples of the data that 3D has provided which is valuable for Mango?

Okay, the data that has been valuable for Mango. Okay, I mean, basically, the 3D data Apart from the digital, the DPC data, I mean, that you, thanks to the 3D, you can shape and change all the patterns and materials. This data for Mango, it's very important because you can enhance and create better products. This is the data that has helped a lot Mango. Then The 3D data as well is helping to get to know in early stages what Mango is building in 3D. How are those shapes and all those materials? So it's helping to streamline the collection effectively in time before the buying process. So those are the most important data. And as well, using the 3D images, we are also doing time to market. So we are doing presales thanks to the 3D data.

Great. I think we might have already answered the next one on the list. What is 3D adoption in Mango? Do you have categories that are fully digital?

Categories? No. But we have collections that are fully digital, like some part of the— like small part of collections, like a special one.

That makes sense. All right, so the next one, this is a good one. Do you have a change management process within your team?

Yes.

Is that you?

No, not only. I mean, yeah, we do change management process in our team. Our team as well, we are trying to transfer the concepts of change management as well to our team. Our team, the 3D transformation team, is a team that from the other hand as well, they have to help us on the change management to all the departments throughout all the, all the Mango departments basically.

So do you have plans for using 3D in fitting? Either in product development or within the sales process?

3D fitting? No, I'm not sure for that yet. I mean, real, real fitting? No, at this point, with the technology that we have, in my point of view. It's something maybe next year. Let's see, but not now.

So you're not currently doing digital prototypes then? Is that what you're saying?

It's more— Fitting. Fitting. Real fitting. I mean, we are doing prototypes. We are doing fitting reviews as well with our 3D developments, but not 100% fully. You will still have one sample or some samples, let's say, similar to.

So why is that? What is— is it just a level of trust at this point that's keeping the team from adopting the fitting for 3D fitting as kind of the final reference?

I don't think it's just levels only of trust. It's just because still people want to touch things and see them in physical for minor decisions, but still they want to.

I'm sort of taking this one all by myself, so I apologize. So what is it that do you feel that they gain by the last physical check? I mean, I personally think that you doing a pre-production sample—

Yes.

Physical pre-production sample is super valuable, but it sounds like your internal team is also gaining some benefit from that final check. Is it like a construction? Is it execution?

Yeah, because— yeah, construction and execution, both of them. But the point is that basically throughout the development phase, we change vendor, we change materials, which is like we have to still check the last sample for the production. Yeah.

All right. The next question, which brands do you see as leaders in the industry when it comes to 3D?

Well, many. I mean, for me, are many over here that are speaking today. I mean, those brands are leading the industry in the end, so.

How do you standardize 3D quality? Are digital twins created in-house or by vendors?

Both ways. So we have our standards that we are trying to just meet with vendors and internally. Higher standards, I have to say. Mango wants to see very hyperrealism on certain DPC. So, yeah.

All right. The next question. Which 3D software are you using in particular? And do you think it makes a big difference in terms of the choice of the software?

Yes, makes a lot of difference in terms of software choices. But I think it depends a lot on the— the type of product that you have and the type of processes also that you have. I think, and also where you are going to implement those softwares throughout the roadmap. So I'm using a lot of softwares. So it depends what type of software do you want me to mention in terms of what— but I mean, many of them are very good. And I think really depends on not what the brand is using, more what do you want to achieve in your brand.

Can you talk maybe just really quickly about what does that pipeline look like? So is it— what do you use for simulation and what do you use for rendering, that type of thing?

Okay, uh-huh. We are using for simulation, we are using Clo3D in terms of apparel. We are using 3ds Max in terms of home department. We are using Blender in terms of accessories, for example. So Yeah, those are the ones.

That sounds pretty typical. Lots of different tools for specific use cases.

We have more, but I mean, for the most few mentioned. Yeah.

All right. In your experience with wholesale, what type of digital collection has performed better? For example, capsule, drops, basics, et cetera.

That's a good question because I think like, it depends on the brands. The previous brands where I worked for, it was basic. Collections. But in Mango, for example, it depends on the need of the wholesale. So we are developing for what is gonna— I mean, what samples are we gonna need for the wholesale. Because sometimes during the development process, you don't have everything on time. So it really depends on the necessities of the brand.

Okay, these last questions. We're almost out of time. I'm gonna— oh, let me see. The one I was just about to read changed position, so I'm trying to find it. Okay. Does 3D really work to accelerate the development process, and can 3D truly represent the design intent?

Yes. I mean, accelerate the process thinking behind it. So maybe it's going to give you more choices, but you're going to have a better product. At least align what the brand is expected to receive for the consumers. So I think it helps using 3D technology, but not only 3D technology. You can use AI, but it depends on the type of the things that you will have to do.

Okay. What does the green mean? I'm not going to read that one, but if I should, let me know. Has Mango integrated 3D across your design team, and how do they use it?

Has integrated 3D across the design team. That means that the design team is using 3D?

Does your design team use it?

Yeah, some departments and some designers are using 3D, especially those departments and categories where the designers can use 3D bases. And then from those 3D bases, the designers can make their changes. On colors, patterns, or maybe minor changes as well on the shapes and on trims, for example. So not all over all the chain, but some designers, yeah.

And I think this is the last one, but how about your fabric process? Do you digitize your fabrics, or do you get them from the mills?

A good question. So In the Mango processes, it's very difficult to digitalize all the fabrics. So we are kind of using internally. We also piloted some tests last year to try to be the most scientific as possible in terms of digitalizing fabrics. So, but unfortunately for the timing and also because the vendors are not ready yet. We are doing internally, but not 100% from my point of view scientifically done. But from the other hand, we also questioning that we are like using DPC on virtual avatars that are like mannequins. So it's like this part is like until a certain point we try to manage like Very good percentage, but not that much of realism.

Great. Well, thank you. I think that's all we have time for. Please give another round of applause for Maryam.

Thanks.