A team from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and Adobe has created Refashion, a software platform that treats garments as modular, reconfigurable components. By digitally breaking down clothes into interchangeable parts, the system enables users to redesign and reassemble outfits—turning shirts into dresses or trousers into jumpsuits—with ease.
At the heart of Refashion is an ambition to curb waste. The fashion industry discards around 92 million tonnes of textiles annually, largely due to fleeting trends and rigid garment construction. Refashion offers an alternative: users can sketch, simulate, and assemble virtual garments whose modules connect with snaps or Velcro instead of stitches. The tool then produces digital blueprints and assembly instructions, allowing easy reconfiguration and repair—an approach that blends sustainability with creative freedom.
Researchers describe the project as “reuse by design.” Future iterations plan to integrate more durable materials, curved components, and waste-minimizing algorithms. The broader vision is to democratize adaptive clothing systems—merging computational precision with artisanal craft.
As CSAIL’s Erik Demaine observes, the intersection of art and algorithms may help fashion evolve from disposable to dynamic, where yesterday’s garment becomes tomorrow’s innovation rather than landfill waste.
