Is Emineo the Future of Body Inclusive Fashion?

We live in a world where consumerism is more conscious than ever before. Fortunately technology is advancing at the same rate of our awareness (for the most part). Fashion fas made a lot of progress when it comes to sustainable textiles, but our product development methods (pattern-making, fitting, size-grading) haven’t changed much since the Industrial Age. As a result, the fashion industry is good at marketing the idea of size inclusivity while we still lack technology needed to make it scalable! There has been some innovation with tools like digital pattern making software and laser cutters– but one of our primary tools– the dress form is still in yesteryear….until now! Earlier this year French robotic start-up named Euveka, launched the world’s first biomimetic smart mannequin– Emineo! 

In a time where fashion is more inclusive than ever, we need our design equipment to evolve with us. Click To Tweet

How does Emineo Work?

This incredible tool can literally shape-shift into any body type in under a minute’s time!

Biomimetic- Materials and systems that are modeled on biological entities and processes.

First the pattern-maker inputs a holistic set of body measurements into an Excel file. The file is then imported into a software program called Mimeo that connects to robotic technology inside of the mannequin. Within less than a minute, the form slowly reconfigures into an exact replica of that body. The mannequin not only grows in width, but also in height on key axes of the body.  Shoulder, bust, chest, waist, hip, and thigh measurements can all be independently adjusted and the “breast box” can adjust from size A to E! The team at Euveka says the form can literally transform into any female form from a “5’ pregnant woman to a 6’3” basketball player.”

Pattern-makers can access the Mimeo software from any Mac or PC tablet. 

So How Can Emineo Benefit Fashion Production?

Well from a design perspective…

How can you design inclusive garments if you’re draping your ideas on a rigid, idealized body shape? Emineo brings draping and creative development into the 21st century! If you’re waiting until the production fittings to start thinking about adjustability and wearability, then you’re already too late! 

From a pattern-making and sampling perspective…

Say you want to carry a few “petite-only” or “plus size-only” styles. Typically, your pattern-maker would need several different mannequins for each of these sectors. But what if you want your skirts and dresses to work for a pear-shaped woman who is “plus-sized” in the hips but slim in the bust? The typical dress form won’t account for this type of nuance. Traditionally pattern makers would have to sculpt and pad mannequins to replicate more nuanced bodies. Emineo’s shape-shifting abilities are much more convenient.

From a business perspective…

Good fashion labels don’t create one version of a design and simply scale up.

Developing garments on multiple fit models yields the best results, but it gets costly depending on how many iterations you make. Fittings are expensive enough with just one fit model!  But with biomimetic forms, there’s a possibility for designers to still fit on various body types, but not need as many fittings. Since the form can shape-shift into replicas of each model, you may not need to hold a fitting for each and every design tweak. Life-like mannequins ensure better quality controls and more accuracy from conception to production stage. And more accuracy means less waste on bad mock-ups and poor size runs.

But it doesn’t stop there…

Euveka is developing shape-shifting arms, legs, feet, and even various spinal curves and postures! Male and child forms are also in the works!

Having the equipment necessary to design for more bodies should result in better fitting clothes, happier people, and a more nuanced industry. Even though Emineo officially launched back in March, the price of this mannequin is still nowhere near ready for the masses. Running at a €96,000 price, only mega fashion houses like Chanel and Louis Vuitton can afford this incredible tool. But it’s nice to get a look at where we’re headed. As we become more adamant about body-inclusive design, companies like Euveka will surely meet our demand.

Do you want to learn more about the ins and outs of fashion production? Book a manufacturing tour in a city near you! Learn more here!

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