Fashion retailing – past, present and future

This issue of Textile Progress reviews the way that fashion retailing has developed as a result of the application of the World Wide Web and information and communications technology (ICT) by fashion-retail companies. The review therefore first considers how fashion retailing has evolved, analysing retail formats, global strategies, emerging and developing economies, and the factors that are threatening and driving growth in the fashion-retail market. The second part of the review considers the emergence of omni-channel retailing, analysing how retail has progressed and developed since the adoption of the Internet and how ICT initiatives such as mobile commerce (m-commerce), digital visualisation online, and in-store and self-service technologies have been proven to support the progression and expansion of fashion retailing. The paper concludes with recommendations on future research opportunities for gaining a better understanding of the impacts of ICT and omni-channel retailing, through which it may be possible to increase and develop knowledge and understanding of the way the sector is developing and provide fresh impetus to an already-innovative and competitive industr

Micro-Transfer Molding Of Su-8 Micro-Optics

SU-8 is a very promising polymer for micro-optics. It is mechanically robust with high thermal and chemical resistance, has high transmission at visible and near-infrared wavelengths, and has relatively high refractive index after curing. While lithographic patterning of SU-8 is relatively common, molding of SU-8 is more difficult due to challenges with solvent removal and cross linking. In this paper, we discuss techniques for micromolding of micro- and nano-optics in SU-8. Elastomeric mold templates are first cast from master structures fabricated using standard techniques. The elastomeric templates are then used in low pressure molding processes to produce high-fidelity refractive and diffractive micro-optics in SU-8. The use of the elastomeric replica mold enables realization of a wider variety of optical surfaces than can be achieved with conventional lithographic patterning in SU-8, and further enables conformal fabrication of SU-8 micro-optics on non-planar surfaces. Molding processes and experimental results for both thin (diffractive) and thick (refractive) elements are presented. Replication of SU-8 micro-optics on both planar and non-planar surfaces, and hybrid processes combining molding and lithographic exposure are demonstrated