Many breakthroughs have been made in fabric dyeing. The way that consumers choose color and patterns is changing with digital textile printing has already been revolutionized.

According to Ken Butts (global key account manager for Datacolor), “The sky’s the limit on what customers can order and get,” which helps retailers implement digital color solutions in their supply chain. It has only been possible for online businesses to do this for DIY craftspeople and in patterns, rather than for solid colors, on fabrics such as upholstery or curtains. However, it is now being expanded into apparel. He said that companies are investing in digital printers and print samples, with the goal of printing direct for customers.

Although digital printing allows for quick responses to consumer demand and interest, it is not likely to replace traditional dyeing in the near future. There are still many fabrics that can be printed on it.

Butts added that “it doesn’t mean it won’t get overcome some day.” “But your average polo shirt, which is first manufactured to look like a t-shirt and then dyed into the shape of a shirt. You cannot print it and you can’t turn it around. [the printer]” 

Traditional dyeing of clothing such as a poloshirt requires intensive processes with many gallons pigment, large-scale machinery, and significant time. But even at industrial textile facilities there are small machines that can test the color of samples.  

Butts explained that any factory which dyes fabrics using large-scale machines, thousands upon thousands of pounds, will also have a piece similar in their lab. That’s the place where they are testing their ability make the desired color. When a retailer requests a specific color, the first thing a supplier should do is test it with smaller equipment.

Although the smaller equipment requires water and chemicals, the end product will have to be disposed of. But, technology is improving rapidly and it’s not difficult for retailers to dye fabric in store, particularly larger flagship-style shops that are not limited in space.

It is possible for customers to bring their color selections with them to the store, which will allow software to convert it into dyes. However, timing is a problem for the in-store revolution of color-dyeing. Even at its best, chemical dyeing can take up to an hour to create the garment. This might be a better process for the consumer as well as the retailer.

“Now designers are choosing a palette that will appear in a store six to nine months from now, summer 2022, and trying to predict consumer trends,” Butts said. If they don’t know the trend, retailers may rush to produce and transport new products. This can lead to high cost and may miss the trend. He said, “This will allow you to respond to hot trends.”

A customer could walk into a shop with an idea of a color, or maybe they’ve seen someone wearing the same, and apparel can be made within days. The retailer doesn’t have to order 10,000 shirts ahead. Butts explained that dyeing fabrics to the customer’s preferences can be really thrilling.

Datacolor works to translate colors into numerical codes so that they can be shared between textile manufacturers and designers in the supply chain. The process reduces the shipping of samples back-and-forth during design and helps with quality control to ensure the correct color when manufacturing thousands of units. That is a more efficient approach to apparel production than a designer in one location sending color palettes to dye mills around the world, which then have to send back fabric samples for visual review — “back and forth until the designed finds something they like,” Butts said.

The retail sector faces a challenging sustainability problem, regardless of whether digital or dyeing innovations are involved. While faster communication is attractive for customers, it is also more cost-effective to make clothes. However, if a customer is changing their wardrobes more often, that does not mean they are being sustainable. And giving consumers more reason to come into stores — and potentially spend a longer time while waiting for a custom item to be finished, leading to possibly even more purchases — means more consumption.

Butts stated that while you can get rid of the most pigments from the machines, at the end of it all you still have a garment or fabric. This question must be answered. While I enjoy seeing color improvements, we must still address sustainability from an overall perspective.

Siegel replied, “Let’s face it.” In retail, it is best to stop selling the item.

Retailers and brands can benefit from manufacturing that is more sustainable, less expensive, and has a smaller carbon footprint. However, this does not address the problem of consumer waste or landfills. This is why many retail models have been evolving, with the emphasis on reuse and resale businesses like Rent the Runway which was publicly traded last week.

While the Ralph Lauren-Dow Partnership may seem unique because of the way it can tell an entirely new story in experiential retail for consumers, there is no better brand than Ralph Lauren.

The retailers do not just want to increase their sales, they are also interested in improving their sustainability. Siegel explained that it is up to Siegel to find the right balance between these two. They must balance the high-wire act to be better while not alienating customers, and convince consumers that walking away is best. That story has yet to be told.