Term

Definition

Sustainable Fashion Application(s)

Uptake status in Sustainable Fashion in 2025

3D Knitting / Seamless Knitting Machines

Machines that knit complete garments directly from digital files.

Minimizes fabric waste and reduces energy use.

Mainstream

Affective computing

Technology that recognizes and interprets human emotions through data inputs such as facial expressions or speech.

Used in fashion marketing to gauge emotional responses to garments or campaigns, helping tailor more sustainable, consumer-resonant designs.

Emerging

AI Core

Central algorithms or processing units in AI systems responsible for learning and decision-making.

Drives intelligent design tools and supply chain optimization for more efficient, low-waste fashion production.

Emerging

AI-Powered Style Engines

AI tools that recommend fashion based on user and sustainability data.

Promotes conscious consumption and reduces fast fashion churn.

Emerging

AI-Powered Surveillance

Monitoring systems enhanced by AI to track and analyze behavior or product flow.

Applied in retail to monitor store traffic or detect theft, reducing product loss and waste.

Emerging

Augmented Reality (AR)

Technology that overlays digital content on the real world.

Enhances consumer awareness of product impacts and supports virtual retail.

Emerging

BIM for Fashion Retail Spaces

Digital design tools for retail architecture and layout.

Enhances energy efficiency and material optimisation.

Emerging

Blockchain Traceability

A tamper-proof digital ledger that records transactions and movements across the supply chain.

Used to verify ethical sourcing, labor practices, and materials used in garments.

Mainstream

Body Scanners

3D scanning devices that capture detailed body measurements.

Enables precise fit in digital fashion and reduces returns, lowering environmental impact.

Mainstream

Cyber Office

A virtual workspace where remote collaboration happens using digital tools.

Reduces commuting emissions and facilitates decentralized sustainable design work.

Emerging

Digital Fabric Printing

Printing technique using inkjet technology to apply designs directly onto fabric.

Reduces water and chemical use compared to traditional dyeing methods.

Mainstream

Digital Fashion Design

Creation of fashion items using digital tools and software.

Eliminates need for physical samples and supports sustainable prototyping.

Mainstream

Digital Sampling

Creation of digital prototypes instead of physical ones.

Reduces material waste and carbon emissions from transportation.

Mainstream

Digital Thread

A communication framework that connects data throughout a product’s life.

Ensures traceability and compliance with sustainability goals.

Mainstream

Digital Twin

A real-time virtual model of a physical product that evolves with it.

Tracks lifecycle data, aiding recycling and durability analysis.

Mainstream

Digital Watermarking

Invisible codes embedded into digital or physical products.

Supports anti-counterfeit efforts and second-hand verification.

Emerging

Explainable AI (XAI)

AI systems that provide transparency into how decisions are made.

Helps fashion brands ensure ethical use of AI, especially in consumer-facing applications.

Emerging

Eye Movement Tracking

Technology that monitors where and how eyes move when viewing stimuli.

Used in UX/UI to improve digital retail experiences and understand consumer response to sustainability messaging.

Emerging

Facial Recognition

Technology that identifies individuals based on facial features.

Used in marketing or security but raises ethical concerns around surveillance and consumer consent.

Emerging

Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs)

AI models that generate new data by pitting two networks against each other.

Used to create new textile patterns, avatars, or digital garments without physical resources.

Emerging

Glitchcore

A fashion aesthetic influenced by digital glitches and errors.

Often used to critique overconsumption and digital over-reliance, offering a conceptual tool for sustainable discourse.

Emerging

HoloLens

A mixed-reality headset by Microsoft enabling immersive digital interaction.

Used in fashion design education and prototyping to replace physical meetings or samples.

Emerging

I

mpact Assessment Modeling

Tools and simulations used to predict environmental or social impacts of fashion products.

Supports data-driven sustainable decision-making.

Mainstream

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Software

Tools that quantify environmental impacts across a product’s lifecycle.

Guides design decisions and validates sustainability claims.

Mainstream

Metaverse Fashion

Digital clothing and accessories designed for use in virtual environments.

Promotes dematerialization, reducing physical production and waste.

Emerging

Mixed Reality (MR)

Blending physical and digital worlds through immersive technology.

Used for virtual fashion shows and product development without resource-intensive travel.

Emerging

Multi-Agent Systems

AI systems composed of multiple interacting intelligent agents.

Optimize supply chain efficiency, waste reduction, and demand forecasting.

Emerging

NFT Fashion

Fashion items represented as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on the blockchain.

Supports digital-only fashion with minimal physical waste, though energy use is a concern.

Emerging

QR Code

A machine-readable code used to store URLs or other data.

Links garments to care instructions, repair tutorials, and sustainability credentials.

Mainstream

Reinforcement Learning

A type of machine learning where agents learn through trial and error.

Optimizes production processes and supply chain logistics for reduced waste.

Emerging

Sustainability AI

AI systems focused on optimizing environmental or social sustainability outcomes.

Analyzes data to recommend sustainable materials, suppliers, or distribution methods.

Mainstream

Technology-Driven Sustainability

Using digital innovation to improve environmental and social performance.

Covers all digital interventions aimed at reducing fashion’s ecological footprint.

Mainstream

Traceability-as-a-Service Platforms

Cloud tools offering end-to-end product tracking across supply chains.

Validates sourcing and supports ESG reporting.

Emerging

Virtual Fashion

Clothing that exists only in digital form.

Reduces demand for physical production, lowering emissions and textile waste.

Mainstream

Virtual Fitting Rooms

Digital tools that simulate how clothes fit using AR or 3D models.

Reduce return rates and help consumers make more sustainable choices.

Mainstream

Virtual Try-On

Using technology to preview how a garment will look on a user.

Reduces the need for fast returns and impulse purchases.

Mainstream