We know that designers are betting big on 3D. As 3D print services, movies, video and runway shows become common place, it’s evident that 3D is going to be an essential marketing tool in the years to come.

On November 30, 2011, Dassault Systèmes launched FashionLab in New York. The company’s intimate gathering brought together a small group of industry professionals, socialites and journalists at the Jay AHR showroom where Jonathan Riss also showcased his stunning collection of embroidered and ready-to-wear pieces.

Jonathan Riss, one of three European early ambassadors of FashionLab, introduced the concept with Julien Fournié and François Quentin. Dassault Systèmes, a company with global presence specializes in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, developed FashionLab as a technology incubator dedicated to fashion designers and stylists to explore and test new 3D concepts.

FashionLab’s mission is to develop 3D virtual modeling and collaborative tools that enable the industry to master the end-to-end creative process, from styling to final buyer. The site’s three main areas of focus for FashionLab are 3D design and visualization, trends gathering and store management.

With FashionLab, designers will go beyond the limits of their imagination, building tomorrow’s fashion industry using the latest leading software technologies. Digital tools and customization are transforming fashion industry at various stages of design and production. FashionLab is taking lead in this emergent marketplace and positioning itself to compete in Europe and North America, eventually expanding to Asia. Currently, FashionLab is a strictly a B2B product, but company doesn’t exclude a possibility of having B2C offering at a later time.

FashionLab is a platform that integrates design, simulation and collaboration tools required to create an entire collection. The ambassadors of FashionLab believe that 3D can take fashion to new heights–Julien Fournié for haute couture; Jonathan Riss for haute joallerie, embroideries and ready-to-wear; and François Quentin for haute watchmaking.

FashionLab will enhance the competitive advantage of its players and forge the future of the luxury goods market. Designers will have at their disposal every Dassault Systèmes brand to create a collection. FashionLab will help them imagine the world of tomorrow better and faster, bringing them closer to their clients. They will also be able to share knowledge through a social network in private, secure work sessions.

“The luxury fashion industry can benefit from this natural evolution of the creative process, where ideas can be captured and immediately made ‘real’ through the power of modeling and simulation.” — Jonathan Riss, Jay AHR

Riss spoke eagerly of possibilities arising from 3D imaging and other digital tools. He drew parallels between futuristic societies portrayed in sci-fi films and technologies available today for accelerating creative processes for fashion designers. In that sense FashionLab is an exciting platform that has been introduced at just the right time.