Fashion Innovation in Four Steps

Jul 01, 2022

Developing innovation and introducing new manufacturing technologies in the fashion and design industry: Loreto Di Rienzo started his journey in the industry 35 years ago and is still bringing creativity into the game.

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Contemporary Craftmanship - Loreto Di Rienzo

Loreto Di Rienzo is an entrepreneur, who started his journey in the industry 35 years ago founding DYLOAN Group. His focus has always been all about developing innovation and introducing new manufacturing technologies in the fashion and design industry.

He is now still bringing his creativity to the game with a project called D-house: an open space laboratory created with the purpose to research and develop sustainable technology innovation in the world of fashion. This new venture, launched in January 2021, is an original way to put together new projects cooperating with creative minds to unfold the potential of the whole community Set in Milan, D-house enhances synergies with international partners and offers highly specialized courses run by D-house Academy to learn the potential and practical applications of the most innovative technologies.

More Than a Career

Producing apparel and fashion objects using technologies might sound very aseptic. What Loreto Di Rienzo has been doing with his company, DYLOAN Group, is a much deeper support to the development of creative projects through the manufactory. “I would call myself a Technology Ambassador - he says - there is no school for getting where I am: it is all about learning through the experience that comes from interacting with the world of creators, including artists. My role is connecting two worlds: technology and creativity”.

D-house is a spin-off project of the DYLOAN Group, which embeds Manufacturing and R&D: this means 35 years of a successful track record of implementing and customizing fabrics, semi-products, accessories, and so on, but also of consulting, providing engineering support and organizing events that help their clients to make their vision happen.

Technology for Sustainability

D-house brings that same work in an urban context, just like old times’ craftsmen's lab, but of course, providing the most advanced technological developments. “It is a hub where technologies are not simply implemented - explains Di Rienzo - the clients’ request is interpreted and we suggest and stimulate the use of innovative solutions that involve the introduction of tech-innovation”.

Sustainability is the basis of the work and vision of this venture. Using the most advanced technologies needs to focus on minimizing waste by optimizing energy and materials. “Projects did not use to keep their focus on being sustainable, but now all need to: This requires a completely different approach to conceive and deliver it”.

Thermowelding, Laser, Ultrasound, Thermoshaping, Embroidery, Foiling, Stone Washing, Needlepunch, Digital Printing, 3D Printing, High Frequency, Laundry & Dyeing, laminating, and new sustainable materials: in D-house creators have access to all of these tools, which might be used in a completely original way and might help to develop a creative project without the costs and waste coming from traditional industrial processes.

For example, in 2021 we developed the project D-refashion lab: the technologies hosted in D-house allow the modification of a variety of items, from garments to accessories, but also dead stocks of fabrics. Our professional team guides the client to the most appropriate workflow according to quantities of leftover and desired final results. We take care of the whole process of reinvention in collaboration with the clients' representatives. In this way, the D-refashion lab revisits, through the use of specific technologies, the unsold items and/or second choices with the purpose of giving them a second life.

Closer to The Industry

D-house brings to the very heart of Milan an access to the whole range of services offered by the DYLOAN Group, and since their mission is to bring innovation to the world of fashion, no place could work better than the city centre of Milan. “We need to anticipate all the new creative and productive trends - Di Rienzo claims - we mostly work with the fashion industry, a dynamic field where when a trend is identified, it needs to be run in the blink of an eye. Milan is a great city where you can intercept such trends in advance: and this explains why we have chosen Milan to establish D-house”.

The Four Steps of Fashion Innovation

Craftsmanship and manufactury are traditionally associated with the step of production, but what happens in D-house goes beyond that, assisting and consulting the projects coming in from the concept stage to the final delivery.

“Technologies go across all stages of fashion, beginning from the blueprint, thanks to digital design tools to start visualizing the project - start listing Di Rienzo - then, when it comes to prototyping you can use 3D printing, and during the production stage digital monitoring tools can be used to track the production stage advancement and secure quality standards. Even the latest stage, retail, is affected: the trend is to produce only what is needed and sell zero kilometre produced goods: technologies are helping to achieve this sustainable fashion goal”.

Working Together

“In a conventional production company, you can imagine a customer getting in touch and asking for a service. The manufacturer executes, and that’s it. We work exactly in the opposite way - explains Di Rienzo while picturing the D-house business model - it is us, as craftsmen, who provide the client with solutions and opportunities. The client - usually a designer - needs to understand and see what is possible to do using, for example, a 3D printer. This is what this place is about: to show opportunities and stimulate innovative solutions. That’s why 90% of our projects are born from our research and in-depth analysis.

Of course, we also create the chance for these synergies to happen. So, either D-house joins events or we organize them: this is what we did with Linea Pelle, Pitti, and Premier Vision. During these events, the designer not only sees our products but also experiences the process. This is the only way to understand the real potential of the technologies we use.

D-house drives responsible innovation in the manufacturing world. The foundations are our values of R&D, technology, territory and sustainability; the partners are our bricks with which we build a responsible future. We host our partners' technology and solutions to research them and we support showcasing the results to the industry. We are constantly engaged in designing circular-product strategies and solutions to value sustainability while enhancing creativity and innovation.

Once our partners bring in D-house their technologies and solutions, our team of professionals suggests new ways and methods to apply them in the fashion and design industry, as well as potential synergies to empower a real evolution of the product. After this process, the client obviously is going to have questions and ideas, and we interpret them. It is never an execution; it is always an exchange. Based on the clients’ requests and after understanding their philosophy, we help them to achieve their goals.

We always add something to our projects: there is always an immaterial addition. And this is something I believe to be very Italian - stresses Di Rienzo - When we talk about Made in Italy, we mean skills, culture, and ability to interact and interpret the idea of a project submitted by another creative professional, such as a designer”.

Education for Sustainable Development

In D-house is not only possible to find an environment to develop a creative project by using innovative technology, but it is also possible to learn how to handle those same technologies and tools. “Sustainability is not just a trend. Sustainable Fashion is about culture. Until not long ago, this industry was way more superficial, all about appearance. Now the market requires awareness and consciousness. We strongly believe in the role of technology, but you can use it for the good or for the bad. In order to actually dominate it and use it for the best, in D-house we opened an Academy that is addressed both to young people and to professionals who want to handle innovation”. The mission to spread such knowledge takes place through educational events and initiatives, like workshops and seminars professors, and expert professionals, but also schools, Universities, Academies and Research Centres.

Born from the unique synergy between Numen - Institute of Technological and Digital Innovation - and D-house by DYLOAN - an urban, technological and innovative laboratory in the heart of Milan, D-house Academy is the Higher Education school for students, professionals and companies in the High-End Fashion, Design and Automotive sectors. All courses - based on the 3 pillars of technology, innovation and sustainability - are designed to allow participants to understand, apply and use technologies, digitalization processes and materials and fabrics’ research.

Create and design using 3D, model and customize fabrics, semi-finished products, garments and accessories: all of these is possible thanks to the technologies in the D-house urban laboratory, including 3D printing, heat sealing, advanced robotics and digital embroidery. It adds social value, cultural significance and method to Research&Development through courses and master classes that allow training professionals specialized in the use of technologies and in the design of innovative projects, thus responding to the demand of a constantly evolving labour market.

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