Implementing PLM is a risky business. Whilst no one can reasonably deny the need for a way of managing the huge amount of data that is involved in product development, there is however a lot of debate as to how effective PLM is as a solution to the ever increasing complexity of successfully getting retail products to market. For starters, … Read More
Supplier Collaboration – Why it is needed more than ever
Greater supply chain challenges Supply chain challenges have increased for many retailers due to globalisation and uncertain economic times. Executives involved in the retail supply chain have found that an increasing number of products have to be moved more expediently than ever before, whilst costs have to be minimised in today’s competitive marketplace. With the increased use of social media … Read More
Online Adobe Illustrator CC training for fashion designers
Adobe Illustrator has long been the de facto application for the design department in fashion retailers and brands, used to produce visualisations of designs. However for new designers, and even seasoned designers that are used to more traditional mediums of design communication i.e. pen and paper, the learning curve of Adobe Illustrator can be steep. The scope of the program … Read More
Styleicona: how the selfie will help fashion retailers bring products to market
It wasn’t going to be long before someone commercialised the “selfie” for retail. A newly launched app from Styleicona has done exactly that. The basic premise behind the app is consumers are able to get real time feedback on their purchases or potential purchases (think quick selfies from the changing rooms) from an online community of users, helping them make … Read More
PLM: challenges of connecting the supply chain
PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) sells a good story. Having one version of the truth available at the click of a button across your supply chain is a tempting proposition to say the least. But how often does this remain fiction rather than fact? The problem is there are significant challenges to rolling out across the supply chain. An obvious one … Read More
Alive Shoes: create your own shoe brand, no start up costs
Yes you read the title correctly. Imagine being able to design and sell shoes through your own brand, with no start up costs. Well that’s exactly what new start up Alive Shoes is offering budding designers out there. In a model similar to drop-shipping, Alive Shoes provides a powerful design platform for you to design your own shoes, customise your … Read More
Iconeme: mannequins that talk to your smartphone
The fashion and retail landscape has long been omni-channel, with clear distinctions between each channel. However that is now changing and the channel lines are blurring thanks to a revolutionary new technology, VMBeacon. VMBeacon brings together the traditional retail store and online retailing with interactive shop window mannequins that communicate directly to passing smartphones via the Iconeme app, allowing the … Read More
Holodeck: the future of sampling?
One of the downsides of a global supply chain is the challenges it presents during the sampling process. The resulting miscommunication from trying to collaborate over disparate locations often leads to costly errors, and shipping multiple physical samples often from one continent to another adds weeks to the overall lead time. For years fashion technology providers have been trying to … Read More