The International Research Center “CFC – Culture Fashion Communication” of the Department of Arts at the University of Bologna invites the scientific community to submit contributions to the ZoneModa Conference. Now in its fifth edition, the conference aims to explore the opportunities and challenges posed by the Digital Twin paradigm, not only from a technological perspective but also in its aesthetic, cultural, and social dimensions. For years, CFC has fostered an international network of scholars dedicated to analyzing fashion from interdisciplinary perspectives. This conference continues that mission by integrating socio-humanistic knowledge, design cultures, and computer science, facilitating the adoption of theoretical and methodological approaches that address the complexities of contemporary digital transformations in fashion.
The fifth edition of the ZoneModa Conference coincides with the conclusion of the three-year project Digital Services for Made in Italy: Digital Twins for Predictive Models and to Support the Lifecycle of Fashion Products, conducted by CFC-affiliated researchers. This initiative, part of Spoke 1: Digital Advanced Design: Technologies, Processes, and Tools of the extended partnership MICS – Made In Italy Circolare e Sostenibile, has been co-financed by the multi-brand group AEFFE S.p.A. under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). Notably interdisciplinary, the project has explored new scenarios for the integration of Digital Twins in the Italian fashion supply chain. In its first two years, the research has focused on implementing extended reality technologies (XR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in processes and services related to both product promotion and sales, as well as to the preservation and enhancement of corporate heritage, aiming to identify models of responsible innovation for the Made in Italy industries.
In alignment with the Digital Services for Made in Italy project, the international conference promoted by the CFC Research Center seeks to encourage critical reflection on the opportunities and challenges presented by digital transformation, with a particular focus on the role of the Digital Twin as a potential driver of innovation in the fashion sector and the cultural and creative industries. The concept of the Digital Twin is currently at the center of a process of definition and theorization through multiple perspectives and interpretations. It contributes to the creation of a renewed paradigm of fashion product design and consumption, considering it both as a commercial and cultural asset. The conference aims to investigate both the technologies and methodologies used in creating digital objects – such as 3D reproduction techniques and AI – and those that enable their employment, including virtual and augmented reality. The objective is to establish a space for dialogue among different generations of scholars with diverse research approaches in different fields, mapping ongoing research at national and international levels. The conference particularly welcomes proposals presenting the results of projects exploring interactions between Made in Italy fashion and these technologies. More broadly, it invites contributions regarding the digital transformation of products, processes, and services, with the aim of enriching the debate on methodologies, practices, and strategies related to sustainable development and the enhancement of fashion’s historical and cultural heritage.
In the fashion sector, the circular and sustainable economy increasingly relies on Digital Twins to optimize design, production, promotion, and e-commerce processes, as well as to manage product lifecycles through tools such as the digital passport. Alongside these applications, sustainability-oriented strategies include approaches related to eco-design, additive manufacturing, and upcycling and recycling techniques.
In this regard, the conference seeks to encourage theoretical and methodological reflections on digital objects and their contexts of use, with particular attention to technological integration in support of both creative and production processes on the one hand and promotional and sales practices on the other. The following thematic areas will be explored, without excluding additional lines of inquiry:
In recent years, discussions on cultural heritage have been enriched by the possibilities offered by integrating XR technologies into conservation and enhancement practices. Within this framework, Digital Twins emerge as strategic resources capable of redefining traditional modes of interaction with the heterogeneous materials stored in fashion archives, which are seen not only as valuable repositories but also as dynamic entities to be sustained, reactivated, and promoted. From this perspective, the conference aims to stimulate theoretical and methodological reflections on the potential adoption of these technologies in archival and museum contexts, exploring – without excluding other lines of inquiry – the following thematic areas:
Proposals must include:
Speakers are required to submit the full paper and presentation slides by October 27. Based on these submissions and discussions held during the conference, the Scientific Committee will select the most significant contributions for inclusion in a publication that will further disseminate the shared knowledge and perspectives.
Conference Languages: English
Abstract submission: July 23
Notification of acceptance: August 4
Submission of full papers and slides: October 27
For further information and proposal submissions, please contact dar.cfc-conference@unibo.it with the subject line: CFP_CFC Conference 2025.
Early registration (by September 14th): €150
PhD (Early): €100
Late registration (by October 5th): €180
PhD (Late): €130
Participation is free for PhD candidates and students at the University of Bologna.
Pasquale Cascarano (University of Bologna), Gustavo Marfia (University of Bologna), Chiara Pompa (University of Bologna), in collaboration with Maryam Arjmandi (University of Bologna), Irene Calvi (University of Bologna), Eleo Stacchiotti (University of Bologna).