What Are Digital Product Passports? How Traceability Is Changing Fashion and What Indian Design Students Need to Know

Imagine buying a beautifully designed cotton jacket and scanning a small QR code on its label. Instead of seeing only the brand’s website, you discover information about the garment’s fabric composition, manufacturing process, care instructions and possibilities for repair or recycling.

You may be able to understand where its materials came from, how the product was made and what should happen to it when it is no longer wearable.

This is the idea behind a Digital Product Passport (DPP), a developing approach to making product information more accessible throughout its lifecycle.

Fashion has traditionally focused on how garments look, feel and fit. Today, the industry also faces questions about material sourcing, production transparency, environmental impact and what happens to clothing after use.

Digital Product Passports are becoming an important part of this conversation.

For Indian fashion design students, understanding this technology is particularly relevant. India’s textile and apparel sector connects traditional craftsmanship, modern manufacturing and international fashion supply chains.

As traceability becomes more important, future designers may need to understand not only how to create garments but also how to document their materials, production decisions and long-term usability.

What Is a Digital Product Passport in Fashion?

A Digital Product Passport is a structured collection of digital information associated with a product, component or material.

In fashion, it can provide relevant information about a garment’s identity, composition, production and lifecycle.

The exact information depends on the product, the system used and any applicable regulations.

A Digital Product Passport may contain details such as:

• Product name and identification number
• Fabric and fibre composition
• Material sourcing information
• Manufacturer or production details
• Relevant certifications and supporting documentation
• Care and maintenance instructions
• Repair and reuse guidance
• Information supporting recycling or end-of-life decisions

However, not every Digital Product Passport contains all these details. The mandatory information required under European legislation will depend on the rules established for each product category.

The purpose is to make relevant product information more accessible, consistent and useful to different people involved in a product’s lifecycle.

For consumers, this may support more informed purchasing decisions.

For manufacturers, it can improve information management and supply-chain visibility.

For repairers and recyclers, it may provide practical details about materials and garment construction.

For designers, it introduces a new responsibility: thinking about a garment’s information requirements alongside its physical design.

1. How Does a Digital Product Passport Work?

A Digital Product Passport connects a physical product with a structured digital record.

A QR code is one possible way to access this information, although the underlying system involves much more than printing a code on a clothing label.

Step 1: Collect Product Information

The process begins by gathering reliable information about a garment.

This may include the textile composition, production records, material suppliers and relevant manufacturing details.

Different businesses in the supply chain may contribute information.

For example, a fabric producer may provide material specifications, while a garment manufacturer records assembly and production details.

Step 2: Organise and Verify the Data

Information must be organised in a consistent format so that it can be understood and used.

Businesses may need documentation to support claims about materials, manufacturing or environmental characteristics.

Simply collecting information does not guarantee that it is accurate.

Step 3: Create a Digital Product Record

The collected information becomes part of a digital record associated with the product.

The record may be managed by the responsible business or an authorised service provider.

Step 4: Connect the Physical Product

A digital data carrier, such as a QR code, can connect the garment to its passport.

Depending on the applicable system, the code may appear on the product label, packaging or accompanying documentation.

Step 5: Provide Appropriate Information Access

Different users may have access to different information.

Consumers might see composition and care details, while authorised businesses or regulators may access additional technical documentation.

The information can also be maintained or updated according to the rules governing the passport.

The key concept is straightforward: the physical garment and its relevant digital information remain connected.

2. Understanding Fashion Traceability and Supply-Chain Transparency

To understand why Digital Product Passports matter, students should first understand the meaning of traceability.

Fashion products often pass through several stages before reaching a retail store.

Consider the production journey of a cotton shirt.

The cotton may be grown in one location, processed into yarn elsewhere, woven into fabric at another facility, dyed, cut, stitched and finally distributed to customers.

Each stage involves different materials, processes and businesses.

What Is Fashion Traceability?

Traceability refers to the ability to identify and follow relevant information about materials, products or processes through the supply chain.

For example, a manufacturer may want to determine which batch of fabric was used to produce a particular collection.

Accurate records can help establish that connection.

Traceability vs Transparency

Although the terms are closely related, they are not identical.

Traceability concerns the ability to follow a product or material through recorded stages.

Transparency concerns the information a business makes available about those stages.

A company may collect detailed supplier information internally but disclose only selected information publicly.

Digital Product Passports aim to make specified product information more accessible and interoperable.

However, publishing information does not automatically make a supply chain fully traceable.

The underlying records must be reliable, sufficiently detailed and connected to the correct product.

Why This Matters to Designers

A designer selecting fabric for a collection may need to understand its fibre composition, availability, performance and sourcing documentation.

If the selected material cannot be identified consistently during production, maintaining accurate garment records becomes difficult.

Traceability therefore begins much earlier than the final packaging stage.

It can influence material selection, design documentation, supplier communication and production planning.

3. Why Digital Product Passports Are Becoming Important in Fashion

The fashion industry produces a wide variety of garments using complex combinations of textiles, dyes, trims and manufacturing techniques.

Understanding these products throughout their lifecycle can be challenging.

Digital Product Passports are being developed to address several of these information gaps.

Supporting Informed Consumer Decisions

Consumers may want to know what a garment contains, how it should be maintained or whether it can be repaired.

Clear product information can make those decisions easier.

Improving Supply-Chain Information

Manufacturers and brands may work with multiple suppliers.

Organised digital records can make it easier to exchange relevant product information and identify missing documentation.

Supporting Repair and Reuse

A product passport may provide information about garment care, components or repair methods.

This could help extend the useful life of clothing when appropriate services are available.

Helping Recycling Processes

Textile recycling can become complicated when garments contain several types of fibres, coatings or accessories.

Reliable information about material composition can help recyclers assess possible processing routes.

However, a Digital Product Passport cannot make an inherently difficult-to-recycle garment automatically recyclable.

Strengthening Product Accountability

When claims about materials or production are linked to documentation, businesses may be better positioned to support and verify those claims.

This does not mean every product displaying a passport is sustainable or ethically produced.

A Digital Product Passport is an information system, not a sustainability certification.

4. The European Union’s Digital Product Passport Rules: What Is Happening in 2026?

One of the major reasons Digital Product Passports are receiving attention is the European Union’s regulatory framework.

The EU adopted the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), Regulation (EU) 2024/1781, which establishes a framework for sustainability-related product requirements and Digital Product Passports.

The regulation covers a broad range of product groups, with specific requirements introduced progressively.

Textile and apparel products have been identified as priority categories.

Are Digital Product Passports Already Mandatory for Fashion?

As of November 2026, there is no general requirement for every fashion garment sold in the European Union to carry a Digital Product Passport under the planned textile-specific ESPR framework.

The European Commission currently expects to adopt the relevant textile delegated act in late 2027.

A delegated act is a legal measure that will establish the detailed requirements for a particular product category.

The specific information fields, product coverage and implementation conditions for textiles are still being developed.

Under the general ESPR framework, delegated acts ordinarily provide a transition period of at least 18 months before their requirements apply, subject to the legislation’s conditions and exceptions.

This means the expected 2027 adoption date should not be confused with a universal 2027 compliance deadline for fashion businesses.

Why Should Indian Fashion Students Pay Attention?

Indian textile manufacturers, garment exporters and fashion businesses may supply products to brands operating in European markets.

As EU requirements develop, businesses placing covered products on the EU market will need to meet applicable rules.

Indian suppliers may consequently be asked to provide more structured and verifiable product information to their buyers.

The exact obligations will depend on the final legislation, the product and the role of the business.

There is no need to assume that every Indian fashion label selling only within India must immediately implement an EU-compliant DPP.

Nevertheless, understanding the concept gives students useful preparation for future industry requirements.

5. What Information Could a Fashion Digital Product Passport Include?

The contents of a fashion Digital Product Passport will depend on the final requirements and the information made available by the responsible business.

For educational purposes, consider a hypothetical cotton-linen shirt designed and manufactured in India.

Its proposed digital record might include the following information.

Product Identification

The record could identify the shirt’s style, product category, manufacturer and unique product identifier.

Material Composition

It could specify that the shirt contains 70% cotton and 30% linen, provided this composition has been verified.

This information would help explain the basic textile structure.

Manufacturing Details

The record could include relevant information about the production facilities or manufacturing stages.

The availability and permitted visibility of these details would depend on the system and applicable rules.

Care Information

Washing, drying, ironing and storage instructions could help consumers maintain the garment.

Repair Guidance

The brand might include information about replacing buttons, repairing seams or accessing a repair service.

Recycling Information

The record could provide available information about fibre composition and suitable end-of-life routes.

Importantly, these are illustrative fields, not a confirmed mandatory checklist for all future EU textile passports.

A credible product passport should distinguish verified information from estimates, and avoid presenting unsupported environmental claims as established facts.

6. How Digital Product Passports Connect With Sustainable and Circular Fashion

Digital Product Passports are closely connected to the idea of circular fashion.

Traditional linear production often follows a sequence in which materials are extracted, garments are manufactured, products are used and eventually discarded.

Circular fashion aims to keep products and materials useful for longer through better design, maintenance, repair, resale, reuse and suitable recycling.

Designing for Durability

A garment that withstands repeated wear and appropriate cleaning can remain useful for longer.

Designers can consider fabric performance, seam strength, fastening quality and garment construction.

Designing for Repair

Clothing with replaceable buttons, accessible seams and repairable details may be easier to maintain.

A Digital Product Passport could provide relevant repair instructions or component information.

Designing for Material Recovery

Garments made from complex combinations of fibres, coatings and trims can be difficult to process after use.

Designers may explore constructions that simplify separation or material recovery where this is appropriate.

Supporting Second-Life Use

Clear information about garment composition and care may also be useful in resale, rental and repair services.

However, digital information alone cannot guarantee that a product will be reused or recycled.

Actual environmental benefits depend on the product’s design, consumer behaviour, available infrastructure and what happens throughout its lifecycle.

Students interested in the creative side of garment reuse can explore LSOD’s article on upcycling in fashion and giving old clothes new life.

Digital Product Passports and upcycling address different parts of the same broader challenge: making fashion products more useful and responsibly managed over time.

7. The Technologies Behind Digital Product Passports

Digital Product Passports bring together several digital technologies and information-management processes.

Fashion designers do not necessarily need to become software engineers, but understanding the basics can improve collaboration with technical teams.

QR Codes and Other Data Carriers

A QR code can provide a convenient connection between a physical garment and its digital record.

Other identification technologies may also be used, depending on the applicable standards and product requirements.

A QR code alone is not a complete Digital Product Passport. The associated data, identifiers, accessibility, accuracy and governance are essential.

Product Identification Systems

Digital records require dependable ways to identify products.

These may involve unique identifiers associated with a model, batch or individual item, depending on the system and legal requirements.

Correct identification helps prevent information from becoming disconnected from the physical product.

Databases and Digital Platforms

Product information must be stored, maintained and made available to authorised users.

A brand may use supply-chain management systems, product information platforms or specialised DPP services.

Blockchain Technology

Blockchain is sometimes discussed in connection with supply-chain traceability.

It can support certain forms of record sharing and tamper-evident documentation.

However, blockchain is not inherently required for every Digital Product Passport, and it does not guarantee that information entered into a system is truthful.

The quality of the original evidence remains critical.

Data Standards and Interoperability

Different suppliers and businesses must be able to exchange information in usable formats.

Interoperability helps reduce problems caused by disconnected systems.

For future designers, the important lesson is that technology should support accurate product information rather than merely add a fashionable digital feature.

8. What Digital Product Passports Could Mean for India’s Fashion Industry

India has a diverse textile and apparel ecosystem that includes fibre producers, spinning mills, weaving clusters, dyeing facilities, garment manufacturers, craft communities and fashion brands.

This diversity is a source of strength, but it can also make consistent documentation challenging.

Better Coordination Across Suppliers

For an apparel exporter, product information may come from several organisations.

Maintaining records of fabric composition, production batches and supporting documents can help suppliers respond to customer information requests.

Opportunities for Traditional Textiles

Digital product records may offer useful ways to communicate information about textile composition, production methods and care.

For example, a handwoven textile brand could create a consumer-facing digital experience explaining its fabric characteristics and craft process.

Any statements about artisan identity, origin, certification or production conditions should be based on appropriate evidence and consent.

Challenges for Smaller Businesses

Some small manufacturers and craft-based enterprises may face difficulties with digital recordkeeping, software costs or obtaining information from earlier supply-chain stages.

Introducing a digital system is not simply a matter of attaching QR labels.

It requires practical processes for collecting, verifying and maintaining information.

Opportunities for Emerging Designers

Indian fashion designers who understand material documentation and responsible sourcing may be better prepared to work with international brands or export-oriented businesses.

These skills can also be useful for independent labels seeking to improve product communication.

The opportunity is not limited to compliance. Clear product information can become part of a more thoughtful fashion-design and customer-experience process.

9. How Traceability May Change the Fashion Designer’s Role

Traditionally, fashion design education has placed strong emphasis on sketching, textiles, colour, pattern development, draping and garment construction.

These skills remain central to the profession.

However, traceability introduces additional questions into the design workflow.

Material Selection

Designers may need to examine whether fabric composition and supplier information are adequately documented.

A fabric with attractive texture and colour may still require further investigation before it can be used in a product with particular sourcing claims.

Design Documentation

Technical specification sheets can help connect garment designs with the materials, trims and construction methods used during production.

Accurate documentation becomes especially important when multiple suppliers or manufacturers are involved.

Collaboration With Production Teams

Designers may work more closely with sourcing professionals, merchandisers, quality teams and sustainability specialists.

Each function contributes different information about the garment.

Product Lifecycle Planning

Design decisions can affect durability, repairability and end-of-life handling.

For example, a detachable accessory may simplify future repair or reuse, while an inseparable decorative element may complicate material recovery.

Customer Communication

Designers may also contribute to communicating product information through labels, packaging and digital interfaces.

A well-designed digital passport experience should be accessible, understandable and consistent with the brand.

This is where fashion design, product information and graphic communication intersect.

10. Challenges and Limitations of Digital Product Passports

Although Digital Product Passports offer important possibilities, their implementation presents several challenges.

Incomplete Supply-Chain Data

Brands may not have reliable records for every stage of material production.

Information gaps must be addressed rather than hidden behind a polished digital interface.

Data Accuracy

Incorrect information can spread across systems if it is not verified.

A digital passport is only as dependable as the information and evidence supporting it.

Privacy and Commercial Confidentiality

Some supply-chain information may be commercially sensitive.

DPP systems need suitable access controls so that information is available to the intended users without unnecessarily exposing confidential details.

Differences Between Product Categories

The information needed for a cotton shirt may differ from that required for a heavily embellished bridal garment or a technical jacket.

Some products contain multiple fibres, coatings, linings, components and accessories, making documentation more complicated.

Cost and Technical Readiness

Implementing reliable information systems can require training, coordination and investment.

Smaller organisations may need support to adopt appropriate processes.

Risk of Greenwashing

A product with a Digital Product Passport is not automatically environmentally responsible.

Brands should avoid using the presence of a QR code or digital record as proof of sustainability.

The value of the passport depends on the accuracy, usefulness and verification of its information.

These challenges show why fashion traceability is both a technical and organisational issue.

11. What Indian Fashion Design Students Need to Learn

Students preparing for fashion careers can begin developing relevant skills even before textile-specific Digital Product Passport requirements become mandatory.

Textile and Fibre Knowledge

Understanding natural, synthetic, regenerated and blended fibres is essential to accurate garment descriptions.

Students should learn how different materials behave during manufacturing, wear, maintenance and end-of-life processing.

Responsible Material Sourcing

Designers should become familiar with supplier documentation, material specifications and the difference between substantiated and unsupported claims.

Fashion Technical Documentation

Skills in creating specification sheets, bills of materials and production records can help students connect creative concepts with manufacturing information.

Digital Literacy

Spreadsheet tools, digital asset management, product information systems and basic database concepts can all be useful.

Students do not need to master every technical platform, but they should understand how structured information is collected and maintained.

Circular Design Principles

Students can explore durability, repairability, garment reuse, material selection and design for disassembly.

Communication and Collaboration

Product information may come from several specialists.

Designers who can communicate effectively with sourcing, production and technology teams are better positioned to contribute to traceability projects.

Critical Evaluation

Students should learn to question environmental claims and distinguish verified information from assumptions.

Understanding what data does not prove can be just as important as understanding what it shows.

LSOD’s article on smart textiles and the future of fashion explores another area in which textile knowledge and technology intersect.

Together, these subjects show why modern fashion education benefits from combining traditional design skills with emerging digital concepts.

12. Student Project Idea: Create a Digital Product Passport for a Garment

One practical way to understand the concept is to develop a Digital Product Passport prototype for a student-designed garment.

The project does not need to use an expensive enterprise platform.

It can begin as a structured documentation and visual communication exercise.

Step 1: Design a Garment

Create a shirt, jacket, dress or other garment using selected fabrics and construction techniques.

Prepare a fashion illustration and basic technical specification sheet.

Step 2: Record the Materials

Document the main fabric, lining, thread, buttons, zips and other relevant components.

Where the composition has been verified, record it accurately.

If any details remain unknown, identify them as unverified.

Step 3: Map the Production Process

Create a simple diagram showing the known stages involved in producing the garment.

Distinguish documented suppliers and processes from hypothetical or incomplete information.

Step 4: Develop the Product Record

Prepare a prototype digital record containing information such as:

• Product identification
• Material composition
• Garment construction
• Relevant production information
• Care instructions
• Repair considerations
• Available supporting documentation

The project should clearly indicate that it is an educational prototype rather than a legally compliant EU Digital Product Passport.

Step 5: Create a Digital Interface

Design a simple web page or mobile-friendly product information screen.

The layout should allow users to find important information easily.

Fashion design students can collaborate with graphic or web design students to develop the interface.

Step 6: Connect a QR Code

Generate a QR code linking to the prototype information page.

Place it on a sample swing tag or garment label.

Test whether the code works reliably on different mobile devices.

Step 7: Present the Complete Project

A strong portfolio presentation could include the garment, textile samples, technical specifications, production map, prototype digital passport and QR-enabled label.

The final presentation should explain which information is verified, which is illustrative and what additional documentation would be required in a real commercial project.

This exercise demonstrates material knowledge, design thinking, research, documentation and digital communication.

Students interested in developing these foundational skills can explore the Diploma in Fashion Design at Leher School of Design.

The programme includes areas such as textile science, garment construction, digital imaging, production management and portfolio development, which can support projects connecting creativity with product documentation.

13. The Future of Fashion Traceability and Digital Product Passports

Digital Product Passports represent a shift towards more structured product information.

As technical standards and regulations develop, fashion businesses may increasingly need to connect material information, manufacturing records and lifecycle guidance with the products they create.

However, adoption will not happen uniformly across every market, brand or garment category.

The regulatory requirements, technical infrastructure and commercial expectations will continue to evolve.

For Indian designers, the most useful approach is to build adaptable skills rather than focus only on a particular technology.

Understanding textiles, keeping reliable records, evaluating material claims and designing products for longer use are valuable capabilities regardless of the final form of future passport systems.

Fashion design will continue to depend on creativity, craftsmanship and an understanding of how people wear clothing.

What is changing is the information that may accompany a garment and the responsibility involved in communicating it accurately.

Future designers may increasingly contribute to both the physical product and the digital information that helps explain its journey.

Conclusion

Digital Product Passports are introducing a new way of thinking about transparency, traceability and product information in the fashion industry.

By connecting physical garments with structured digital records, these systems can support access to information about materials, production, care, repair and potential recycling routes.

Their development is closely linked to wider efforts to improve product sustainability and circularity, particularly through the European Union’s evolving regulatory framework.

For Indian fashion design students, the important lesson is not simply learning how to create a QR code or use a digital platform.

It is understanding the complete journey of a garment, from material selection and design development to manufacturing, use and end-of-life decisions.

As the industry places greater emphasis on reliable product information, designers who combine creativity, textile knowledge and responsible documentation will be better prepared to contribute.

The future of fashion is not only about what we wear. It is also about understanding what our clothes are made of, how they are created and how their useful life can be extended.