Refashion: AI-Powered Software Designs Eco-Friendly, Reconfigurable Clothing

Fashion trends change rapidly, leading to massive textile waste. Now, MIT and Adobe researchers have created a solution: Refashion, an AI-powered software that designs clothing which can be easily reassembled into new items.

The new software system breaks down fashion design into modules. Users can draw, plan, and visualize each element of a clothing item.

Refashion transforms fashion ideas into a blueprint. It outlines how to assemble each component into reconfigurable clothing. For example, a pair of pants can become a dress.

With Refashion, users draw shapes and combine them. This creates an outline for adaptable fashion pieces. The system provides a visual diagram showing how to cut garments.

The software's interface starts with a simple grid in “Pattern Editor” mode. Users connect dots to outline the boundaries of a clothing item. This involves drawing rectangular panels and specifying how different modules connect.

Users can also customize each component's shape. They can create straight designs for items like chinos, or use Refashion’s templates. The system offers pre-designed blueprints for items like T-shirts, blouses, and trousers.

Users can change individual module designs. The “pleat” feature folds a garment like an accordion, useful for maxi dresses. The “gather” option adds a flourish, creating puffy skirts or sleeves.

The “dart” module removes a triangular piece from the fabric. This shapes garments at the waist for pencil skirts, or tailors the upper body for fitted shirts.

Refashion lets users connect garments efficiently. Edges can be seamed with double-sided connectors like metal snaps or Velcro dots. Users can also use brads, pins that secure pieces together.

These methods make reconfiguring modules easy. Damaged modules can be replaced or a new look achieved. The system creates a simplified assembly diagram, dividing the pattern into numbered blocks.

Researchers conducted a user study with designers and novices. Participants created garment prototypes with Refashion. They assembled items like asymmetric tops that became jumpsuits or formal dresses, often in 30 minutes.

The interface presents a grid where users outline clothing boundaries. They can also customize component shapes and use pre-designed templates.

Rebecca Lin, the lead author and MIT PhD student, stated that most clothes are static and discarded. Refashion maximizes garments by designing items easily resized, repaired, or restyled.

MIT Professor Erik Demaine noted the intersection of computation, art, craft, and design in Lin’s work. He hopes Refashion will make custom fashion accessible and sustainable.

While Refashion presents a greener vision, researchers are improving the system. They plan to support more durable items and new modules like curved panels. The team will also assess material usage to minimize waste.

Lin plans to develop tools to help designers create unique outfits using colors and textures. She is exploring patchwork design, assembling small pieces from materials like recycled denim.

Adrien Bousseau, a researcher at Inria Centre, praised Refashion as an example of computer-aided design supporting sustainable fashion practices. The novel interface and optimization algorithm help designers create garments with longer lifespans through reconfiguration.

Lin collaborated with Adobe Research scientists Michal Lukáč and Mackenzie Leake on the project. Their work was supported by various grants and presented at the ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology.