Forming digital futures: 3D CAD technology adoption among small fashion designers and its implications for sustainable practices

3D computer-aided design (CAD) tools are widely promoted as catalysts for efficiency and sustainability in fashion, yet evidence from small and micro enterprises (SMEs) remains limited. This study examines how independent designers and digital specialists in London adopt and experience 3D CAD, with particular attention to its sustainability implications. Eight semi-structured interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings show that designers adopt 3D primarily for efficiency and creative exploration, while sustainability benefits arise only when virtual sampling meaningfully replaces physical iterations. Adoption is constrained by the total cost of ownership (licences, capable hardware and specialist labour) together with steep learning curves, scarce mid-level training and workflow misalignment for pattern-first designers. The study advances a capability-threshold and portfolio-integration perspective, arguing that 3D CAD yields value only when embedded within a wider set of practices, including selective physical prototyping and responsible production. This SME-centred account reframes sustainability gains as contingent rather than inherent and identifies education and shared-access infrastructure as the most actionable levers for enabling equitable adoption. Given the small, anonymized sample, findings are indicative rather than generalizable; future mixed-methods research should quantify operational and environmental outcomes.