Keywords

1 Introduction

Sustainability, digital and consumer engagement are the aspects that should be most considered as opportunities for 2022 (BoF 2021). Thus, it becomes relevant to relate several issues in order to reach a conclusion to the problem at hand, in this case, the overproduction and overconsumption of resources, and therefore, of garments, which are suffocating our planet (Besser 2021; Clark et al. 2009; Silva 2021). Through Metaverse Mindset adaptation, due to the growing interest and engagement in online work and leisure, fashion market leaders will unlock new ways to engage with groups in order to leverage new avenues for creativity, community building and commerce: NFT's, digital platforms, gaming and virtual fashion (BoF 2021).

On a modular and creative level, it is possible to reduce the environmental impact, in the case of physical pieces, and to create more variety and innovation. This results in greater engagement through constant discovery (on a creative level) by the user, allowing him to access the real world through the virtual world (Vaid 2021), as in the case studies portrayed in this paper.

2 Methodology

This paper is based on literary and qualitative research (Nonmetric Data) (Leavy 2017; Marczyk et al. 2005) in order to understand the connection between modular design and technology, and how they apply to the selected case studies.

To understand the behavior, methods and ways in which the market operates, we selected the union of RTFKT and Nike, a new approach between a brand and a digital platform that join the new NFT technology, and the CLO software, a mean to produce digital fashion products (3D) without waste resources to create new fashion/clothes possibilities. These cases stand out for their union with design and technology, allowing to have an alternative approach, generating several design possibilities in a recreational way, as said. To proceed with their study, in order to better understand their performance within the current industry, and also what their goals are for the future, a qualitative (Novikov and Novikov 2013) and multicase (Ozcan et al. 2018) research and analysis was conducted, taking into account the way both companies act, thus, being possible to understand how this creates impact on society.

3 Modular Design

Modular design relies on a complex system. It is treated in a simple way, being divided into several subsystems and is considered ideal when changes made in one component do not affect any other (Catel and Monateri 2006). Modularization allows for greater diversity/variety in products (Nunes et al. 2014), faster updating, cost reduction, innovation and reduction regarding environmental impact (Santos et al. 2008), allowing us to anticipate the future (Staib et al. 2008).

According to Santos et al. (2008), modular design, in order to meet sustainable design, is based on 4 stages: pre-production phase, production phase, use phase and discard phase.

Fig. 1.
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Source: The Cutting Class (2020)

A Modular Anrealage Silhouette Through Blocks.

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In fashion design, modular design is expected to be one of the techniques that will revolutionize the sector and also, consequently, other sectors such as sustainability and economy, for example. Design by modules, as already mentioned, consists in the construction and deconstruction of pieces through various types of fastening mechanisms, in this case, zippers, Velcro, pressure springs, buttons, magnets, among others, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2. The main goal is to be able to change the shape of the object according to either its purpose, or the look desired by its user giving the pieces the definition of “multifunctional”, “convertible” or “adaptable” (Vaid 2021).

This trend, although beginning to be taken into account now (and more than ever), is present in garments and it is quite likely that most people have already had one with this function, for example, hoodies of jackets that can be put on and taken off through zippers, pants with zippers that allow them to be transformed into shorts, etc.

Fig. 2.
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Source: Authors (2021)

Dress composition based on a modular approach.

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One of the examples in Vaid’s article (2021) mentions that modular design, besides allowing the variability of the pieces, makes it possible, through the deconstruction of the pieces, to separate the different components for later recycling, for example, in cases where the body, sleeves, hoodie, among others, are produced from different materials.

This practice enables a significant reduction in consumption and, thus, the disposal and the so large production and acquisition of new pieces, through the possibility of “remaking” the clothing through its transformation, supplying needs for the consumer, and increasing the useful life of the piece. Silva (2017) refers that Frings (2012) states that the consumer tends to be attracted by multipurpose pieces, because they provide comfort, functionality and generate the experience of customization/creativity. According to Ribeiro et al (2009, p. 9), “a made-to-measure (MTM) molding system is considered essential for mass customization, responding to the need to produce attractive and wearable pieces according to consumers’ desires.“

4 Technology

Recently, companies in the fashion area have presented technological solutions, as is the case of Kim (2009), a tool whose purpose is to provide data on design, clothing and trends, making them virtual and accessible to the world, and Fernandes and Microsoft (2019), a platform that associates fashion with artificial intelligence (AI), and also through the upcycling of unsold clothes, helping both designers at the level of the creative process and supporting sustainable fashion (Camuri n.d.), as the environmental issue and the reduction of textile waste, by changing aspects such as material, color, pattern, among others (Ruppert-Stroescu 2009) and not discarding possible manufactured and unsold pieces, for example (Fig. 3).

Fig. 3.
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Source: CLO 3D (2022)

Changing the World with Virtual Garments.

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There are several ways to solve problems through technology, whether through AI, digital modeling, 3D printing of materials and/or garments, among many others. As such, events on technology allied to fashion have been held, and will certainly continue to be held, where topics such as those mentioned above are addressed, as well as “the digital development in the creative and production process up to the digital and ecological transition, (…) of data and the cloud in the analysis of consumer behavior, without forgetting the strategies to be adopted in social networks, the integration between e-commerce and traditional distribution, or the potential of blockchain, Metaverse and NFT.“ (Muret 2022, p. n.d.).

5 RTFKT X Nike

In 2021, Nike bought the virtual fashion platform RTFKT (“artifact”), known for creating virtual sneakers (see Fig. 4) (BoF 2022; Hernandez 2021; pplware 2021). The sportswear giant had already partnered in 2019 with the gaming platform Roblox to create a trio of digital characters, and worked with the Fortnite company to put the Jordan's as an accessory (skin) in the game (BoF 2022).

RTFKT was created when Chris Le realized that in games, such as Counter-Strike, players were not only buying skins for the games, but were sneakerheads (collectors and fans of sneaker culture) (dictionary.com n.d.), in real life. Le then saw an opportunity and created RTFKT (Alsever 2021).

Fig. 4.
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Source: McDowell (2022)

Nike X RTFKT.

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The latest news from Nike and RTFKT was the launch of the collection “RTFKT X Nike CryptoKicks NFT: a RTFKT X NIKE DUNK GENESIS CRYPTOKICKS Sneaker Powered by DRM OS and Skin Vial Tech” (Figs. 5 and 6). This consists of a range of 200000 pairs of NFT’s sneakers in the metaverse, which can be used on a platform called “NikeLand”, and also as a skin in the Snapchat application (Davis 2022). This collection has a particularity: the models do not have the decorative part, more exactly, the skins, fabrics/non-wovens, colors and patterns that personalize the models. Only a few pairs of sneakers are on sale with this particularity, the rest will be customized later by their buyers, with the skins that were then also made available in the metaverse (Ledger Insights 2022). They are called Skin Vials and consist of an NFT’s product that is placed on the sneakers and will give it the appearance contained in that same Vial. These Skin Vial's vary by their rarity, as does their price - the rarer, the more expensive (Tran 2022).

Fig. 5.
figure 5

Source: Rarible (n.d.)

Skin Vials.

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Fig. 6.
figure 6

Source: Gorny (2022)

RTFKT X NIKE DUNK GENESIS CRYPTOKICKS Sneaker Powered by DRM OS and Skin Vial Tech.

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6 CLO

CLO is a 3D apparel design software used by designers, small companies and businesses, and large investors in the fashion industry to achieve an excellent digital business flow (CLO 2022). Created by Jaden, a PhD student in Computer Engineering, who initially developed a prototype of a program that allowed his colleagues to create 3D apparel, later, and due to the fun achieved through the same program, Jaden decided to make it public.

After its launch, one of its first users, a cosplay artist, realized that the program had the capacity to be revolutionary. He quickly achieved popularity and created “Marvelous Designer”, a specific program for virtual cosplay artists. With this new program, cracked versions began to appear, which generated some concern about its profitability. Weta Digital (Clo's first customer) heard about Marvelous Designer through the Computer Graphics (CG) community, as did many other companies who became Clo’s partners afterwards. After this leverage was perceived, brought about by users of the program, Clo began to have a user-focused mindset (BOF TEAM 2020; CLO 2022).

Fig. 7.
figure 7

Source: ADC Seams (2021)

CLO 3D.

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As Clo grew in the GC’s community, a specific program was developed for the fashion industry, with all the resources that professionals in the area need, also facilitating the process of creation and subsequent production, giving prominence to processes that in addition to simplifying the entire development of the piece from the beginning, as seen in Figs. 7 and 8 (BOF TEAM 2020).

Fig. 8.
figure 8

Source: Burton (2017)

Modular Mode – Marvelous Designer.

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As Clo and Marvelous Designer’s have grown over the last 10 years, they have been developed further and further due to the engagement with the user, and as a result, CLO-SET (CLO-SET 2022) was developed, which allows the user a three-dimensional simulation of clothing created by himself. The team of these programs continues to work on new projects, always focusing on the user and the industry (BOF TEAM 2020; CLO 2022).

7 Conclusion

Through the analysis of Nike and CLO, it was possible to explore how society is constantly changing and adapting to novelty. It is possible to use modular design, as presented, to change components and create diversity, and technology, to bridge the gap between information, the amount of data and the creation of the most varied combinations. RTFKT and Nike, through their latest collection (RTFKT X NIKE DUNK GENESIS CRYPTOKICKS Sneaker Powered by DRM OS and Skin Vial Tech) have basically united design to modular design, through technology, being possible to change certain aspects of sneakers, allowing the creation of new models always with the same base. CLO makes it possible to create various pieces of clothing design, using the creative and recreational part. Thus, we conclude that the marriage between modular design and technology works by creating and developing more practical, diverse and sustainable solutions, based on practicality, creativity and fun.