DESIGN AND DIGITAL FASHION: A Scoping Review on Continuing Education, Enabling Technologies, and Sustainability

Abstract

This study presents a scoping review on continuing education in fashion, focusing on garment patternmaking and three dimensional virtual prototyping, as well as curriculum alignment with the demands of Industry 4.0 and the human centered perspectives of Industry 5.0. It examines the availability of pedagogical models that integrate emerging technologies with the development of technical, socioemotional, and sustainability related competencies, which remain insufficiently consolidated. The objective is to map instructional resources and pedagogical strategies used in digital fashion education and to identify competency gaps in undergraduate programs, lato sensu postgraduate courses, and extension programs that incorporate software such as CLO3D and Style3D, augmented reality, and virtual simulation systems. The study followed PRISMA ScR guidelines, using the TQO model to structure the search strategy and the SSF method to select and organize the bibliographic portfolio. Searches were conducted in the CAPES Periodicals Portal, Web of Science, ERIC, EBSCO, and gray literature, resulting in 61 studies published between 2021 and 2025. These were organized into ten thematic groups, including digital tools, soft skills, digital competencies, Industry 4.0 and Society 5.0, digital creativity, Sustainable Development Goals, higher education and industry collaboration, leadership and management, specific technologies, and emerging topics. The findings indicate a predominance of operational training in 3D software and immersive technologies, alongside a shortage of pedagogical models that integrate technological fluency, critical thinking, and sustainability, highlighting the need for more integrated curricula in continuing digital fashion education.