The Fabricant receives European support for AI project to improve fashion industry

The European Union is providing financial support to the Amsterdam-based fashion-tech company The Fabricant for the development of an AI-driven initiative. In collaboration with the University of the Arts London (UAL), the Image to Pattern project focuses on automating the conversion of design sketches into production-ready patterns, according to a press release from The Fabricant.

The Image to Pattern project targets this part of the process as it has traditionally been manual and under-digitised, despite being a crucial link in the fashion supply chain. Part of the Dutch innovator's 'Intelligent Tools' series, Image to Pattern aims to shorten product development lead times from days to mere minutes. Automating the technical drawing of patterns through artificial intelligence can significantly reduce the need for physical samples. This contributes to greater efficiency for independent designers and global brands alike, while also lowering the ecological footprint by eliminating superfluous prototypes.

The Dutch company is collaborating closely on this project with academic partners and manufacturers, including Padma, United Textile Partners and the Becri Group. This broad coalition aims to establish a new fashion infrastructure where technology enhances human creativity. The solution is designed for seamless integration into existing digital workflows and is set to be widely available to the entire fashion ecosystem by the end of 2026.

According to The Fabricant's co-founder Adriana Pereira, participation in the EIT network accelerates the transition to a digitally empowered European fashion industry. “By joining the EIT Culture & Creativity ecosystem, we are fostering a more sustainable and economically prosperous sector,” said Pereira. The London College of Fashion (LCF), part of UAL, also views the collaboration as a unique opportunity to translate its 120 years of expertise in pattern and fit education into innovative, creative solutions for the future.

This article was translated to English using an AI tool.

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