CLO Virtual Fashion just dropped something worth knowing about. 👀 Marvelous Designer 2026.0 is out now, and if you are into 3D garment design for gaming, animation, or virtual fashion, this update has some genuinely exciting new features. Here is what is new 👇🏾 𝟯𝗗 𝗣𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹 ✏️ You can now draw pattern pieces directly onto a 3D avatar, which is a completely different way of working compared to traditional flat pattern drafting. It makes the early design process much more intuitive, especially for people coming from a more creative than technical background. 𝗟𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹 👟 A dedicated tool for creating lacing on garments, brilliant for footwear design and any pieces with cord or lace detailing. This kind of specific feature shows how seriously CLO Virtual Fashion is taking the needs of designers working across all product categories, not just apparel. 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 🎨 A new rendering style that gives garments a stylised, illustrative look rather than photorealistic. For anyone designing for gaming or animation, or wanting a distinctive aesthetic for their brand visuals, this is a really useful addition. 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘂𝗽𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘀 ⚡ GPU acceleration has been added for simulating trims, buttons, buckles, accessories, which means complex garments with detailing will now simulate faster and more smoothly. Marvelous Designer sits alongside CLO3D under the CLO Virtual Fashion umbrella and is particularly popular in gaming and animation. Personal subscriptions start at $39 per month, with a $280 annual option. If you have been curious about 3D garment design but found CLO3D’s learning curve daunting, Marvelous Designer is worth a look , particularly with the new 3D Pencil making early design exploration much more accessible. Are you using Marvelous Designer or CLO3D already? And which of these new features would be most useful to you? 👇🏾

Here is what is actually moving in the digital fashion tool space right now, and what it means if you are building. 𝗦𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲 𝟯𝗗 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲! 🙌 This is a big one. Style 3D, a 3D garment design and simulation platform now has a completely free tier with no time limit. For anyone who has wanted to get into true 3D design but couldn't justify the cost of CLO3D or Browzwear, this removes that barrier entirely. No excuse not to start exploring. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝟭𝟭% 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 📈The market has hit $3.33 billion in 2026 and is heading toward $4.76 billion by 2030. What that tells you is that investment in digital tools is accelerating, not slowing , and the platforms are only going to get better and more accessible as a result. 𝗔𝗜 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝟯𝗗 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁.The gap between AI visualisation tools like Fermat and New Arc, and technical 3D platforms like CLO3D and Style 3D, is closing. Platforms are increasingly combining both, meaning the workflow from initial concept all the way to production-ready asset is becoming smoother and faster than ever before. 𝗔𝗦𝗢𝗦 𝘂𝗽𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝟭𝟬𝟬+ 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁 💡 In February, ASOS embedded Fermat across its entire design operation. If one of the biggest fashion retailers on the planet is making generative AI a standard part of the design process, that tells you everything you need to know about where the industry is heading. The tools that were enterprise-only two years ago are now accessible to independents. That window matters. What tool are you most curious to explore next, and what is stopping you from trying it? 👇

One of the biggest events in fashion tech is happening in London right now. 👀 The Fashion Tech Show Europe 2026. formerly known as PI Apparel kicks off today at The Brewery in London and runs through to tomorrow, 31st March. This is the event where the people driving digital transformation in fashion come together. Brands, retailers, technology innovators, product developers, and industry leaders, all in one room talking about where fashion is heading and the tools and strategies taking it there. For over a decade this event has been the pulse of fashion technology in Europe. And this year it has evolved into something bigger rebranding from PI Apparel to The Fashion Tech Show, signalling just how mainstream fashion tech has become. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 👇🏾 🛠️ How products are being designed, made, and sold differently 💡 Digital Product Creation — reducing physical sampling and building smarter workflows 🌍 Sustainability through digital — how technology is cutting waste across the supply chain 🤖 AI integration across design, planning, and production 🔗 How brands are connecting creativity, technology, and commerce in 2026 One standout exhibitor to know about, Shima Seiki are showcasing their APEXFiz design software, which supports the full creative process from design planning through to realistic textile simulation and 3D virtual sampling. Exactly the kind of tool this community should be across. For those of us not in the room today, keep an eye on the conversations and announcements coming out of this event. The Fashion Tech Show sets the agenda for what the industry focuses on for the rest of the year. 𝗜𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄? 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄? Drop your thoughts below 👇🏾

This one is big and if you're building in digital fashion right now you need to pay attention. 👀 𝗔𝗜 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆. As of 2026, AI search engines like ChatGPT and Google Gemini have moved beyond product discovery into direct checkout. Consumers can now search, find, and BUY fashion without ever leaving an AI interface. Business of Fashion is calling it the biggest innovation in online shopping in over a decade. So what does that actually mean for you? It means the brands that get recommended by AI are the ones that get found. And the brands that don't, don't. This is not SEO as you know it. This is a completely new game. And it is happening right now. Here is what is shifting alongside it 👇🏾 𝟯𝗗 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 🛠️ According to McKinsey, over 48% of global fashion brands have now integrated machine learning into trend forecasting, collection planning, and 3D sample generation. Not experimenting. Integrated. 𝗦𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲𝟯𝗗 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝗽 ⚡ Their 2026 update now includes neural material recognition, scan a piece of fabric and it instantly generates an accurate digital twin. Ultra fast digital prototyping just got even faster. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗣𝗖 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱 📄 The Interline's annual Digital Product Creation report is out now featuring case studies from Patagonia, ASOS and ThruDark. It is one of the most important reads in digital fashion this year. Worth getting your hands on. The window to build in this space while it is still early is closing faster than most people think. Which of these developments hits closest to home for you and what you're building? Drop your thoughts below 👇🏾

Okay, this news might have flown under your radar, but it's genuinely important if you're learning digital fashion design: 𝗦𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲𝟯𝗗 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲. 𝗡𝗼 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗱. 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁... 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲. I've seen firsthand how the high cost of CLO3D can be a barrier for aspiring designers. Style3D's free offering is a game-changer, making 3D fashion design accessible to students worldwide Why does this matter? 💰 Let's talk pricing reality for a second: CLO3D starts at $50 per month for individual users. Browzwear requires enterprise-level licensing, starting at $10,000 per year, with no options for individuals or small businesses. For students or aspiring designers trying to learn digital fashion on a budget, that's... a lot. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲𝟯𝗗 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱, 𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 "𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲"? 🤔 Here's what's interesting: Style3D delivers stunning, lifelike simulations that rival CLO3D's best. The features are so similar that switching between the two platforms feels seamless. Style3D provides automated pattern generation, e-commerce visualisation, and collaborative tools for brands, educators, and manufacturers. It accelerates virtual prototyping by up to 70% compared to traditional methods. So it's not just "good enough because it's free." It's legitimately competitive software that happens to have a free tier. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂: If you've been wanting to learn 3D fashion design but couldn't justify the CLO3D subscription, you now have a professional-grade alternative that costs nothing. Learn 3D Fashion Platform, with a remarkable student base exceeding 2800+ individuals from over 10+ countries, has attracted esteemed brands and institutions including NIKE, Harvard, FIT, and UAL, And they've added Style3D to their platform specifically because of this accessibility. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲: CLO3D is still the industry standard - globally, users search for CLO four times more than Browzwear and it's the most recognised name in job listings. But Style3D giving away professional software for free removes the biggest barrier to entry for learning digital design. You can actually practice, experiment, and build skills without worrying about subscription costs.