IN-PERSON London Heritages. Section A

Abstract

While public museums and institutions have long adopted advanced strategies for digital preservation, many corporate archives – often of high cultural value but privately managed – lack dedicated conservation strategies. In these contexts, garments frequently remain invisible or forgotten, not for lack of cultural significance, but due to limited access and the absence of sustainable strategies for their valorisation. Although awareness around the preservation of such collections is growing, high costs and technical barriers associated with digitisation hinder independent initiatives. This project focuses on the case study of a fashion archive in the Emilia-Romagna region in Italy, which well represents a broader landscape of prêt-à-porter companies seeking to preserve and reactivate their heritage through accessible and replicable practices. Without relying on external consultants or high-budget infrastructures, these companies require technically feasible and sustainable approaches over time. Acknowledging that 3D digitisation is still not widely accessible due to the cost of advanced scanning technologies, this research explores a range of tools – from smartphones and mixed reality headsets to professional scanners – to produce digital replicas designed not only for conservation goals but also for cultural and creative uses. As a matter of fact, 3D scanning allows for more immersive, interactive and multi-sensory engagement with garments, making it particularly suitable for remote access, museological display, and integration into design workflows. In this way, the digital twin becomes a circulating cultural artefact, capable of generating new symbolic value and collective engagement. These dynamics raise new research questions regarding the sharing and use of digital replicas, like metadata interoperability, copyright and licensing frameworks, and the development of best practices to ensure the integrity and traceability of digital garments.