Clothing brand gives its patterns away for free

Swedish fashion studio Atacac designs garments using 3D simulation and sells the garments before they are produced

Spotted: Swedish fashion studio Atacac has developed an innovative way of both designing and selling clothing. The studio designs its garments using 3D simulation, then based on these images, it sells the garments before they are produced. The clothes are priced according to a dynamic pricing algorithm, similar to that used for flight tickets. Finally, the patterns are made available to anyone who wants them.

Atacac’s use of 3D design methods allows the company to develop clothing based on key biomechanical points on the body. This allows for both a better fit and less waste in production. It also allows the company to use a unique pricing model, where customers who pre-order the garments online, can make substantial savings. This also reduces the number of unsold garments — their goal is to sell out as soon as production is completed.

Once the products are released to Atacac’s online store, they make the 2D-pattern and the 3D-model of the garment available for free download. Their goal in doing this is to build a community of home sellers and independent brands that use their patterns and designs. It is a unique response to the fact that the fashion industry is largely built on emulation.

At Springwise, we have seen a wide variety of innovations in clothing design, many of them aimed at reducing waste. These have included a carbon-negative clothing company where customers can adopt a sheep when buying a jumper and a company that makes biodegradable T-shirts.