The role of technology in improving durability

How would you define quality? Quality can mean many things, but when we connect it to durability, it refers to a product that continues to serve us well on the long term —one that withstands the effects of everyday wear and the experience of time. But which products are actually today better than 70 years ago? Indeed, production and the products themselves, as well as our relation to them has changed, not because people don’t care about quality or durability, but because price is the main criteria that leads design and production. The term “competitiveness” is ubiquitous, yet it appears that this competitiveness is primarily driven by cost considerations. Efficiency is paramount in achieving lower prices, a focus that affects production time, directly influencing manufacturing as well as textile and fibre quality. Indeed, a leading reason consumers discard their garments is due to damage and wear¹.

Durability as the cornerstone of circularity

In light of these observations, there is a strong current advocating for durability—a concept embedded at the heart of thoughtful design and production, and a cornerstone of circularity. Prolonging a garment’s lifecycle, facilitating reuse and rental, and making repair a viable option, all begin with designing a product to be inherently durable. Reconsidering quality in terms of solidity, resistance, and longevity could, in many respects, elevate value.

The business potential is undeniable: the dynamism of the second-hand market generated €5.3 billion in 2023—a growth of 18% compared to 2022. 

This trend is expected to persist, with sales through such models projected to reach €11.6 billion by 2030. Moreover, alongside repair and rental, there is enormous potential not only for reducing CO₂ emissions but also for job creation, with an estimated 35,000 new positions by 2030².

© Lidya Nada / Unsplash

To truly decouple growth from the continuous cycle of new products, the industry must strive to create both intrinsic (physical) and extrinsic (emotional) durability. The latter, admittedly more elusive to define and quantify, is currently the focus of research initiatives from entities such as Loom, COSE361, and the Fédération de la Mode Circulaire. These studies are addressing crucial parameters such as volume, lot sizes, colour diversity, repair incentives, and traceability, while also factoring in the psychological influences of brand strategies, pricing, and marketing.

Intrinsic (physical) durability

Durability begins with the quality of the fibre, extends in the care and attention provided by the consumer and culminates in the opportunity of a second lifecycle.i

Read also: Today’s eco-question: Is it possible to predict how long a garment will last?

Between these stages, the expertise in textile development, careful material selection, and specialised manufacturing techniques are all crucial. At the same time, the accuracy and consistency of testing instruments play a vital role in ensuring product quality. Companies such as James Heal—one of the world’s leading providers of textile testing instruments and premium consumables—support this effort by supplying high-quality testing solutions. Other notable names, like Instron, also contribute advanced testing technologies that help guarantee the durability of textiles.

Technology plays a central role in improving material selection, streamlining sourcing, and accurately assessing environmental impact. It helps choose the best assembly methods and supports design decisions regarding a garment’s end of life. Technology also assists consumers in caring for and repairing their garments—making repair as easy as buying new—and provides brands with valuable data on product life cycles. This integrated approach supports better quality and can help shape effective legislation. We begin by examining the creation stage. In forthcoming articles, we will explore how technology and AI can empower the client/user phase to enable circular business models and influence legislative frameworks—an essential component of achieving tangible change.

© Emmanuel Boldo / Unsplash

Performance textiles and beyond

In performance textiles, fibres for technical applications must meet high standards where failure is not an option. They are engineered to satisfy strict requirements for sectors such as aerospace, energy, medical, filtration, construction, automotive, and protective gear. These fibres are designed to be lighter, stronger, and more efficient (and thus, it would be for these specific cases that synthetics should be used…). 

More broadly, also in fashion textiles, durability refers to a fabric's capacity to withstand wear, pressure, and environmental conditions over time. Various laboratory tests assess different facets of durability:

• Abrasion resistance: For example, the well-known Martindale abrasion tests.
• Tensile and tear strength: Evaluating the robustness of both materials and garment seams.
• Pilling and snagging: Testing fabric behaviour under friction or tumbling.
• Environmental resistance: Including UV exposure and water penetration tests, which are crucial for outdoor textiles, alongside thermal ageing tests that simulate prolonged exposure to heat and humidity.

These tests collectively ensure that textiles and garments are rigorously evaluated for quality.

How AI and technology could enhance durability

© James Dunlop Textiles

At the initial stage of material, textile, or fibre creation, AI can analyse vast databases encompassing fibre properties, production methods, and degradation patterns. This enables the recommendation of material compositions that are not only sustainable but also long-lasting. Emerging nanotechnologies facilitate the creation of fabrics with self-healing properties or enhanced resistance to wear and tear—for instance, improved dye fixation and reduced pilling—that can be optimised using AI algorithms. Digital twins of textiles enable AI-driven simulations of wear and tear without the need for physical samples, thereby reducing waste and saving time. AI-enhanced 3D modelling aids in predicting failure points in fabrics prior to production.

When it comes to testing, AI can process extensive datasets from real-life wear patterns to refine durability measurements. Machine learning models are capable of forecasting fabric longevity based on historical performance data.

Computer vision techniques can assess surface degradation, pilling, or colour fading with greater precision than human observation. AI-driven robotic testers can simulate wear and stress with superior consistency compared to manual methods. Furthermore, smart textiles equipped with embedded sensors can supply real-time data on material fatigue. Ultimately, AI models can predict the likely points of failure in textiles, thereby optimising their performance in demanding applications.

In the manufacturing process, Industry 4.0 and smart factories offer new perspectives: automated cutting, defect detection, and finishing processes can enhance precision and reduce defects, resulting in higher-quality end products. In the foreseeable future, robots may be capable of handling fabrics—examples include Sewbo, which utilises a water-soluble polymer to temporarily stiffen fabric for handling and sewing by standard industrial robots (currently optimised for T‑shirt production), and Sewbots®, whose semi-automated systems guide fabrics through conventional sewing machines.

© Unsplash

While these innovations indicate that automation could eventually supplant much of the manual labour in garment production, the delicate and complex nature of fabrics requires highly specialised skills.The artisanal craftsmanship intrinsic to Haute Couture may well be imperiled before robots can fully replicate the nuanced gestures of skilled human hands. 

In the end, again, the tactile, physical reality and touch remains the irreplaceable. And the true challenge for fashion today lies in the transmission and desirability of craftsmanship, whether minor or major—ranging from repair techniques to the expertise of Haute Couture.

Nonetheless, solutions such as those developed by RSG Companies, where sewing machines automatically monitor and replace bobbin thread with minimal downtime, or modular production systems from firms like Durkopp Adler—which can produce complex elements such as double welt pockets using semi‐automated setups—demonstrate promising applications of technology and AI. IoT-enabled machinery and digital monitoring systems, exemplified by modern Juki systems that incorporate digital controls and connectivity for real-time adjustments, further optimise production. However, integrating these technologies across the entire supply chain presents its own set of challenges. Achieving seamless communication among digital design, automated production, and logistics remains an ongoing obstacle that can temper the overall efficiency gains.

Ultimately, these technological advancements converge with the principle that quality and eco-design must be integrated from the outset to produce textiles and garments that defy the “expiry date” inherent in fast fashion. Durablity is, indeed, the prerequisite for circularity to be viable.