ANALYSING THE EMERGING PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES IN CLOTHING INDUSTRY: PERCEPTION OF FASHION DESIGNERS WITHIN ADENTA MUNICIPALITY, GHANA.

Abstract

This paper aims to investigate the emerging production technologies in clothing production in Ghana and the awareness and usage by fashion designers. The research was based on quantitative and studio-based approaches, which employed questionnaires and observation for data collection. The population comprises 120 fashion designers who have their workshops within Adenta. The results indicated that the emerging production technologies in the clothing industry were ranked, and Computer-aided design (CAD) represented first (1st), Automated inspection (AIN) ranked second (2nd) and Automated material handling devices (AMHD) ranked third (3rd). The study showed that 82.1 % of the respondents agreed that fashion designers' design activities involve the effective use of computers for drawing and designing products. Also, 86% agreed that fashion designers used automated inspection machines to perform inspections. However, 83.3% of the respondents disagreed that fashion designers use a reprogrammable, multifunctional manipulator designed for the automation of assembly lines for apparel making. The study concluded that to demonstrate creative and professional skills, fashion designers should be able to generate original designs from unique concepts and effectively manipulate most of the emerging production technologies in realising their concepts.