Dainius Bendikas is one of the lecturers taking part in the Fashiontex project. He  is a multidisciplinary artist, fashion and costume designer specialising in garments with technically complex sculptural constructions and in many cases engineered functional solutions. Starting professional career in 2008, he presented his work in Estonia, Poland, Latvia, Iceland, Denmark and worked as designer and head designer at various menswear labels. Dainius Bendikas is an associate professor at Vilnius Academy of Arts since 2018, where he teaches experimental, conceptual fashion design and sculptural research, as well as 3D fashion design.

We asked Dainius Bendikas about his thoughts on digital fashion.

 

What do you think are the challenges in the fashion industry right now? How does digital fashion help to solve them? 

Today one of the most widely used digital fashion 3D tools in the fashion industry is product visualisation. I believe it is a great tool to help production companies communicate with customers, designers communicate with clients, etc. By creating a detailed digital version of a product, it is possible to predict the technical parameters, variations and adjustments of the future product more accurately. It helps to minimise the amount of prototyping, time, human resources and logistics costs. This is already a popular method of technical communication that solves the often complex and problematic stages in the production of fashion products. And it is only one of the many examples of the real changes these digital tools are making today. 

 

What is the future of digital fashion? 

Digital fashion developments show that the needs and opportunities for fashion production and consumption are becoming increasingly multidimensional. They are intertwining the digital and the real world. New technological possibilities allow designers to create in detail not only the clothes, but also everything related to the vision being created. As a result, the designer’s profile is expanding beyond the traditional fashion field. I think that targeted technological advances, creativity and its applicability will continue to expand.

 

How do you think students react to and embrace digital fashion? Is knowledge of digital fashion and apps necessary for every fashion student? 

Students at the Fashion Design Department of the Vilnius Academy of Arts have a very positive attitude towards 3D fashion design. Although the learning curve is quite steep, 3D digital literacy is uniquely integral to the traditional processes of fashion design development, design and technical execution. It can significantly expand the possibilities for creativity and technical mastery. 

Knowledge of digital tools is essential for the emerging designer for many reasons, one of the main ones being that these tools speed up processes. In our fashion design programme, we strive for a creative, technological relationship between analogue and digital design. This way, students have the opportunity to organically combine both of the design principles in their work. 

 

What do you expect from the FashionTEX project? How could this project change the way fashion design is taught in the long term? 

In this project we have an opportunity to collaborate between different European fashion schools and to integrate digital 3D fashion tools into our curricula. We can share important educational insights and experiences and fully form the foundation of digital fashion education for the next generation of designers. 

 

About FashionTEX project

FashionTEX is a 3-year project funded by Creative Europe and co-funded by the Lithuanian Culture Institute. Its aim is to create expertise and educate students in digital fashion at fashion universities.

 

Blitz questions: 

1. Artist that inspired you recently

          Thomas Pausz

2. Favourite tool for creation

         Hands

3. Best soundtrack for productive work

         Nils Frahm – Says

4. A book that is a must to read for fashion lover

          Daniel Kahneman – Thinking fast and slow

5. A place worth a visit

          Bench by the tree