Material Is Your Business

Julie Golden (Operations Manager) Amy Adair (Production) of ADAY Clothing (consciously designed clothing reinvented with technical fabrics) join Stephanie Benedetto and Samanta Cortes in the MouthMedia Network studios powered by Sennheiser.

• How ADAY Clothing was founded by Meg He an active runner  and Nina Faulhaber a competitive gymnast, different in everyday activities and clothing they wore at work
• Comfy, great for travel, filling void in market
• Sweat wicking, breathable , all stretchy, many are wrinkle resistant, all machine washable, making life easier
• Company started buying from stock fabric companies environmentally conscious, and eventually developed own fabrics as they’ve grown, which drape nicely, and polyester is recycled
• All about seeking fibers and fabrics that feel great or have properties they love, no internal R and D team developing fibers
• Aim to get the best of both worlds – performance and feel beautiful to touch
• An ethos of minimalism
• Using one fabric in a garment
• How the company doesn’t think in seasons, wanting clothing to be a staple worn multiple times a week for different purposes
• Creating a hero piece that can be worn over something else
• “Something borrowed shirt” the most popular item
• A color palette primarily of neutrals and blacks, navys, launching some greens
• As colors go in and out of seasons, that palette allows clothing to be more versatile despite trends, including whit
• Initial problems in construction were identified and solved by customer feedback
• Supply chain, some US, some internationally – criteria for choosing factories includes both technical and sustainability abilities
• Why ADAY started working with a Portuguese factory
• How design helps manage return rates
• New developments in new collection – “Experiments in Conscious Design” – focusing on working out how to optimize an improve the way they are designing
• A jacket made from 41 recycled plastic bottles
• Working with women doing amazing things like Britt Bergmeister. ODM/ODC (Off Duty Model, On Duty Citizen), and Summer Rayne Oakes, model and super environmental activist, who are using their platform for their efforts
• The company culture
• Moving from corporate America to a fashion startup
• Considering a one year rotation in London

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Steve Greenberg, President, Pointcarre, North America, joins Stephanie Benedetto and Samanta Cortes in the MouthMedia Network studios powered by Sennheiser.

• CAD textile software, computer aided design, allows almost anyone to design own fabric and print and simulate before end product to see exactly what it would look like
• Loom networking to send immediately to a loom anywhere in the world
• Can see yarns, determine knit and woven structure (more than 4,000)
• Set up gauge correctly, and in correct weave structure
• Working with a print and repeats of the design
• Easy to pick up software if you have basic knowledge
• Different kind of materials, even utilizing silver, want to know attributes of fibers to know how they will react
• Software does costing too
• How this software allows changing business model, cost structure
• Take any photo of your product, apply grid, then can map and wrap with any fabric/pattern and fully envision the product
• Full Pantone color palette
• People are trying so many new types of stitches and structures
• 3D envisioning software
• Can go right to digital print in tonal ranges, big thing with watercolors
• Doing what you love

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Matt Kolmes, CEO of Supreme Corporations (creator of the VOLT Smart Yarns) joins Stephanie Benedetto and Samanta Cortes in the MouthMedia Network studios powered by Sennheiser.

• Doing military work, being approached by military defense contractors, Top Secret, who said “Don’t ever say our name,” – what did this mean, and they realized the contractor probably realized they had perfect equipment for making conductive yarn, and an “aha “ moment
• How Kolmes was always jealous of wearable tech and smart yarns
• Most yarns had metal on the outside of the yarn, which exposed the conductive service
• How Supreme assessed they were disappointed, evaluated there was a solution, and designed insulation that could be soldered without stripping
• Sewing thread is the superhero of yarns
• Invention of protected copper wires so won’t break
• 185 patents in 54 years in 60 countries, with 15 more pending
• Why it is important to only protect what is protectable, what’s new, novel, and hasn’t existed before, looking at prior art (other patents relatable)
• How Supreme makes sure to keep half the invention a trade secret
• How a father’s offer changed Kolmes’ career path
• All their yarns are composite yarns, and they adding one new yarn per month
• Conductive yarn that changes color at a certain temperature, color shift yarn, can set temperature color changes
• Why North Carolina is a great place for fashion
• Changing color of yarn with electricity
• How apparel with conductive yarn can have a logo that can become an on-off switch
• A reality show, and sharks
• How yarn is exciting.
• A passion for savings lives, and a yearning for filmmaking, and how being a dad gives him the best moments of his week

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Manon Clavel is a Business development professional and consultant for textile and garment manufacturing companies working with apparel Industry leaders across categories including Levis, Nike, Ralph Lauren, the VF corporation, Vans, Theory, Marc Jacobs, Tory Burch, Brooks Brothers, Burton Snowboards, Athleta, Gap, Banana Republic, Target and other US brands. Clavel joins Stephanie Benedetto and Samanta Cortes in the MouthMedia Network studios powered by Sennheiser.

• How Delta Airlines decided to renew uniforms, trying to make more comfortable and make more stylish
• Working with a designer like Zac Posen and what that means strategy wise
• How new uniforms raises image of the airline around the world
• The importance of an American company and American designer
• Stretch and stretch fabrics and why bi-stretch is important
• Testing and testing, with so many technical aspects for textiles, apparel and uniforms to produce high quality, and the challenges to accomplish that
• Everyone is going to be wearing the same uniforms in an airline, so they have to look alike, they can’t have variance, and color consistency is important
• Need to work with a factory that has the ability to maintain consistency over a long period of time
• Clavel’s consulting business, and getting a start into a brand, with vendor and supplier, and understanding them and what makes them different
• Keeping internal drive and motivation, needing a certain type of personality to avoid getting discouraged, some wins Clavel’s proud of such as Nike
• The crucial nature of sustainability and the continued learning curve for the industry
• Traveling to Europe, and loving a new family

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Alejandro Muther, CEO of Kimetric (increases sales by creating unique customized experiences for consumers at point of sale while collecting and analyzing information about their profiles and behavior) joins Stephanie Benedetto and Samanta Cortes on location at NRF Big Show. MouthMedia Network is powered by Sennheiser.

• With Kimetric, a 3D camera tracks reactions and how consumers are looking at touching or picking up products
• Real time data analytics
• Aggregating data so a retailer can know how things are working in the store
• The process Is not recording personal info, but instead general attributes and generating a profile of consumer
• Is can be as big or small an area as wanted, each camera covering 60 square feet
• 3D sensors create a 3D map
• Neck, elbows, feet, etc. as data points
• Changing lighting, smells in a retail space in reaction to the data gathered
• Kimetric was one of the first participants in a Microsoft accelerator
• Consumer goods companies are paying more attention to measuring customer behavior, but physical retailers are behind
• Getting data to store associates in real time for employee reactions
• Access to raw data and monthly/weekly report raw data to actionable items
• Map, measure and trace is not something enough people are paying attention to

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David Marimon, PhD, CEO & Co-founder of Catchoom (easy, flexible, reliable tools for branded mobile apps and websites.) joins Stephanie Benedetto and Samanta Cortes on location at NRF Big Show 2018 in New York. MouthMedia Network is powered by Sennheiser.

• Taking a picture and allowing the tech to translate info on what it is, including type of fabric and more
• How there are a lot of data and marketplaces which manage more and more products from different brands, and they don’t have time to create all the descriptions
• How those brands and marketplaces can do better job, more efficiently, training a system with AI with all aspects, type of sleeves, collar, neck, finish, etc.
• Machine learning is a component – as the AI fails as people can fail, then the system learns and gets better and better than humans, and learning from its own mistakes and making corrections, then doesn’t make the same mistake as often
• Also, static page of advertisement, but hovering over it with the iPad it became 3D and content and story from a piece of paper with Augmented Reality
• Connecting online with the physical and what’s on the shelves
• It is about making the connection
• The pattern itself in the image is the code, the image must be designed to contain it and be recognized
• Various use cases and partners, how Catchoom has special focus on recognition of objects, different than others on scalability and reach
• Running a pilot is one thing, but afterwards both vendor and brand want to be more successful
• Measuring results, why one shouldn’t just implement a solution from an innovation perspective, but instead think about how it can increase business
• A lot more people search by camera — even smaller businesses should be thinking about how people can purchase by taking a photo of a product
• Vendors are eager to help brands do better

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RFID technology lives in thread and is embedded in fabric, and can carry all information on that product forever, helping business with counterfeit control, inventory tracking, and improving sustainability. It can connect everyone it touches, and is new technology with endless possibilities. How will we create the future with it? Natasha Franck CEO/Cofounder of EON-ID (developing the first global system for textile recycling powered by the internet of things) joins Stephanie Benedetto and Samanta Cortes in the MouthMedia Network studios powered by Sennheiser.

• The intersection of physical assets and the blockchain, something that gives products a digital identity, with RFID tags, and connecting it with a cloud, on RFID platform and on blockchain
• It’s a thread, a chip and antenna, giving a product a birth certificate
• One of the biggest barriers to recycling is material transparency
• RFID info will help with a system to sort and sepearte intelligently, then upcycle from that
• Tracking inventory in real time to affect turnaround time of products and meet customer needs,
• By combining IoT, RFID and circular economy you get great benefit for business
• Weaving vs. aseembly, attached in the seam during assmbly, and will eventually change into integration into weaving
• No geo-locate, not sending a signal from the RFID
• What is future vision, for brands, connected supply chain, how to use IoT in the future, then design to address those business needs
• All parts of a brand acting as one brain instead of supply chain not talking to production not  talking to retail etc, and not being so siloed.
• Embedding tech into what you’re already doing, versus designing something from scratch
• The need to layer this into standard business practice, as things will happen more organically and faster, instead of looking at it as a sustainability expense. By reducing waste, we’re improving a business

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Panelists:

Mark Rose, SVP, American Eagle Outfitters

Liz Hershfield, Chief Supply Chain Offer, Bonobos

Bill McRaith, Chief Supply Chain Offer, PVH

Bjorn Bengtsson, Chief Merchandising officer, UNTUCKit

About Sourcing Summit 2017: Pain Points + Pivots – October 17, 2017

It’s no longer news that sourcing is facing uncertain times or that retail is evolving faster than most companies can adapt. So now it’s time to talk about which points along the supply chain are causing the most pain and how to pivot and move forward.

Today’s consumers are all but easy to please, Amazon is testing drones that can deliver product in as little as 13 minutes and though most things trade have been verbally upended, nothing concrete has yet been settled or confirmed.

With all this considered, sourcing companies can’t afford to keep doing what they’ve always done.

The Sourcing Journal Summit is the most exclusive gathering of supply chain executives leading the sector’s latest initiatives. Top thought leaders will share key insights, talk about how they’re transitioning in this altered landscape and discuss the kinds of pivots and plans that will keep bankruptcy at bay—all through keynotes and interactive panel discussions designed to bring today’s sourcing issues to life.

More news and information at SourcingJournal.com

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Fiona Anastas and Elodie Ternaux, Co-Founders of Hyloh (a global collective who approach design, manufacturing and business from a materials perspective and consult, create and educate) join Stephanie Benedetto and Samanta Cortes in the MouthMedia Network Studios powered by Sennheiser.

• The Hyloh website and why there is not much info there, screaming by whispering
• Looking at products and seeing the materials, how Anastas and Ternaux have eyes that do not look at things the same way as others
• Why the Hyloh team has the background to understand materials in an elevated manner
• Doing practical activities helps people to understand materials — they bring that process and thinking to the work
• Not everyone will know everything about materials, so a technical vernacular doesn’t work
• The “value prop” of Hyloh, being all designers, less serious, like a sharing economy of knowledge and ecosystems
• Why plastics can be an awesome material
• The opportunity for startups to start with material and innovate instead of starting with a product and finding differentiation with materials
• Understanding processes of integrating materials into garments is helping people think about materials more these days
• Series of lectures called “After Tomorrow” – answering the question starting with several scenarios of what tomorrow could bring, many outcomes, and how sustainability a key question
• Connected devices are giving garments more functions they can do, the possibilities of humans becoming immortal, living on Mars
• Considering materials in space exploration, finding new materials, and 3D printing in space
• Several polymers can offer qualities of degradability, even compostable, and materials such as a slice of a mushroom, rabbit fur
• Touching velvet, and growing up sewing in Australia
• Challenging materials, and why every material is a challenge to replace

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Patrick Duffy, Founder of Global Fashion Exchange (an international platform promoting sustainability in the fashion industry with inspiring forums, educational content and cultural events, which through interactive clothing swaps empowers consumers to take action for a better environment while they stylishly renew their wardrobe and save hundreds of thousands of cloths from going to landfill), joins Stephanie Benedetto, Samanta Cortes, and guest host Charles Beckwith (American Fashion Podcast) in the MouthMedia Network studios powered by Sennheiser.

• Duffy discusses how the Global Fashion Exchange has become something which travels all over the world, how it started when he did a collaboration with the UN Peace Boat with an information booth along with other sustainable fashion organizations
• How he was later invited to the UN, then asked to be a moderator, how so many people thought the travel industry was fluff and realized how much more there was later once the info was deployed
• Global Fashion Exchange (GFX) started as a clothing swap to engage people en masse
• Now GFX takes the mission around the world, promoting sustainability and what to do with clothing consumers and brands don’t want
• How GFX has turned into a communications platform and a consultancy, with a global network of people who want to create change in the fashion industry
• GFX’s partnership with major brands, and a fashion week in Lisbon
• Duffy explains how people bring clothing, creating a swapping experience that looks and feels like a high end department store, and after the exchange people keep clothing and recycle the rest
• GFX Local, having a clothing swap in one’s hometown, with the goal to get 100 cities by end of year
• Why Duffy is a man without a physical address, after he had an “aha moment”, and when from the tail end of running a restaurant, to self education in industry and soul searching, and ultimately decided to go full on into it, become nomadic with his efforts, and got rid of everything he owned
• The main goal of a million tons of clothing swapped
• How lack of knowledge in the industry causes ignorance of the issue and a need for action
• And how positioning as for planet and profit can get more brands on board
• Duffy discusses the massive excess of goods sitting in warehouses costing money, and what if you can monetize that
• The need for legal regulation to force
• Deforestation in fashion manufacturing
• How Duffy works out twice daily, pushing heavy things
• What’s possible given the inspiration of what Duffy has accomplished, from singing on tables to speaking at the UN, and the power to make change

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