Category: Press Releases

Key fashion software industry professional joins the global Optitex
management team

Tel Aviv, Israel, July 22, 2021 – Optitex®, a global provider of integrated end-to-end 2D & 3D CAD/CAM software solutions for the fashion and apparel industry, is pleased to announce the recent leadership appointments of Richard Jessup, VP Sales, and Tom Aziel, VP Finance & Operations, who have joined the Optitex management team.

In keeping with Optitex’s consistent growth strategy, the new appointments will serve to strengthen and further expand Optitex’s global customer base, and its penetration into new global markets. This is best exemplified by the recent onboarding of Richard Jessup. Richard brings over two decades of rich fashion, automotive, and upholstery CAD software experience and expertise, combined with both enterprise level software and technology-based capital goods. A sales savvy industry professional, prior to joining Optitex, he held the position of Sales Director, EMEA at Gerber Technology, and earlier, at Lectra, as Sales Director, UK & Ireland, where he built, developed, and managed the regional sales team.

Tom Aziel, Optitex’s recently appointed VP Finance & Operations, brings over a decade of experience in the financial sector, and is a Certified Public Accountant. Prior to joining Optitex, Tom served as the Director of Finance, and earlier, as the Controller at Vayyar Imaging, a leading semiconductor company. Earlier in his career, he held the position of Senior Associate in the Hi-Tech Assurance division at Ernst & Young.

Optitex CEO, Amir Lehr, commented, “I am confident that the nomination of both Richard and Tom, will significantly strengthen our leadership, and bring immeasurable added value to the Optitex management team, to our global operations, and to our customers. We invite all of our valued customers to contact Richard directly at richard.jessup@optitex.com, with any and all sales related questions, requests, or comments.”

Tel Aviv, Israel, July 8th, 2021 – Optitex®, a global provider of integrated end-to-end 2D & 3D CAD/CAM software solutions for the fashion & apparel, automotive, and upholstery industries, collaborates with two internationally-acclaimed market leaders, VIZOO, a provider of the advanced industry-leading U3M-compatible 3D fabric scanner, xTex, and swatchbook inc, a leading cloud-based digital materials platform. Partnerships with both vendors will enable Optitex customers to access and enjoy a rich variety of scanned materials, and create more realistic 3D garments, to share with their buyers and marketing channels, and in turn, make fabric management easier and more affordable.

The latest Optitex version, O/21, includes a host of newly digitized fabrics from VIZOO and swatchbook (downloadable via PDS 3D SamplePack), from ubiquitous suede, rib, knit, heather, and corduroy, to specialized materials, such as zipper backing, dry fit, birds eye mesh, leather snake, and laces. These materials are ready for use in Optitex PDS, bringing superior realism to digital garments. Moreover, the swatchbook-Optitex partnership gives users access to 70 additional real sourceable materials available for free download from a dedicated swatchbook-Optitex portal. For details, contact Optitex support at optitex.support@optitex.com and follow the video below.

To further enrich their digital material library independently, users can deploy Optitex’s Material Converter to import additional VIZOO materials, and materials hosted on swatchbook to Optitex PDS, and expand their material range even more, with additional options for realistic 3D rendering. With the surge in e-commerce and digital workflow adoption that demands both high fidelity and accurate simulation, combined with appealing, eye-catching 3D rendering, Optitex uniquely offers the exact combination of both, plus its prime focus on highly-accurate garment simulation.

Amir Lehr, CEO of Optitex, said, “Our extended partnership with market leaders, VIZOO and swatchbook, brings concrete added value to our customers, enabling them to access a wide selection of digital fabrics in their virtual design prototypes to create impressive and reliable 3D rendering of fabrics. This is an integral part of Optitex’s recent and planned enhancements in our rendering infrastructure, to consistently give our customers the digital tools they need – from design to development and marketing, on every job.”

“We have witnessed an unprecedented demand for premium-quality digitized fabrics from global retailers and brands,” said Martin Semsch, Founder & CEO of VIZOO. “Extending our close partnership with Optitex, will enable us to offer our accumulated experience and expertise to Optitex customers, allowing them to benefit from a rich materials library, and ultimately, boost the quality of their 3D rendering across the board.”

Yazan Malkosh, Founder & CEO of swatchbook, said, “We are proud to partner with Optitex, and complement Optitex’s advanced digital design tools with a broader selection of digital fabrics and scanned materials coming directly from suppliers. Together, we can enrich the user experience for Optitex customers around the globe, and in turn, help them create exquisite, high-quality designs with real sourceable materials, rather than abstract shaders.”

About VIZOO

VIZOO is the number one supplier of solutions for the physically accurate digitization of material swatches in the fashion industry. Since 2013, the company has helped fashion brands and their supply chain to digitize their material processes and create digital twins of physical material samples. Clients are using their technologies from 3D Design to eCommerce in 30+ countries globally. To learn more about xTex technology, reach out to www.vizoo3d.com/contact.

About swatchbook, inc

swatchbook is a design & software company that develops applications that make you smile. Founded in 2017, the company focuses on the development of cloud, desktop & mobile software applications that help integrate the creative community within an organization into the product development process. swatchbook is located in sunny Irvine, CA. Its founders share a deep passion for good design & workflow, as well as a deep understanding of the challenges in the digital product development process & the future needs of companies in many industries. For more information, visit www.swatchbook.us.

Tel Aviv, Israel, April 8, 2021 – Optitex®, a global provider of integrated end-to-end 2D & 3D CAD/CAM software solutions for the fashion and apparel industry, and Alvanon, the global leader in body technologies for the apparel industry, today announced the extension of their long-term collaboration to support Optitex’s enhanced O/Cloud platform, and enable O/Cloud customers to enjoy the benefits of Alvanon’s rich selection of fit standards and 3D avatars.

This enhanced collaboration will allow Optitex customers to facilitate teamwork between brand and vendor designers, patternmakers, and collection product managers dispersed around the globe in different locations and time zones. Further, irrespective of the lockdown requirements still in place, it will enable teams to make both collection and style-level decisions exceedingly faster and easier.

By integrating the Alvanon Body Platform’s (ABP) vast library of over 6,000 3D virtual avatars, each representing a specific brand’s fit standards, into Optitex O/Cloud’s 3D environment, Optitex customers, apparel design and development teams, fashion brands and retailers, can enjoy the benefits of Alvanon’s range of correctly sized and shaped 3D avatars to test patterns in all sizes, and validate fit.

Optitex O/Cloud enables seamless 3D collaboration, from concept to production, all on a single cloud-based platform, where users can manage the end-to-end development process by sharing their digital workplace with the supply chain – teams, vendors and partners, all in a high-quality digital 3D environment.

This collaboration will enable Optitex O/Cloud users to share and review 3D garments simulated on Alvanon virtual bodies over O/Cloud, collaborate with various view options and a variety of tools, including real-time 3D sphere rotation, and commenting. Alvanon’s library offers both standard (ASTM) and brand-specific avatars.

With access to Alvanon’s extensive library of 3D virtual bodies, patternmakers can run online fit sessions via the cloud, and collaborate with all stakeholders – supervisors, designers, and team members, to review how garments look and feel on their Alvanon virtual body, using a variety of Fit tools, such as Tension Map, Mesh View, and Distance Map. Users will also be able to navigate the model, view all of its colorways, and add comments directly on the garment, all of which will help accelerate the design review process. As all garment-related information is easily viewed in 3D, users no longer need to share static images of their garment in different map views.

“At Alvanon, we believe that the 3D journey begins with the 3D avatar. Not just any avatar, but the fit standard that represents the brand’s target customers’ body shapes and sizes,” said Jason Wang, COO of Alvanon. “We are pleased to further our collaboration with Optitex, to enhance their customers’ design capabilities, and the overall user experience. It’s via close collaboration with leading 3D digital software providers such as Optitex that we can deliver our range of virtual avatars, and provide the fit accuracy that brands and retailers demand.”

Amit Ben-Sheffer, VP Products at Optitex, commented, “As a market leader, we are committed to helping our customers streamline their operations, and to achieve and maintain their high ranking in the fashion industry. Our continued collaboration with Alvanon is yet another example of how Optitex helps its customers tailor their digital workflow by enabling a collaborative and efficient fit process based on their virtual fit models of choice.”

About Alvanon

Alvanon is a fashion technology company, focused on the body and its application and implications in the apparel industry. It has developed a unique and innovative body data-driven approach, with a consumer-scanning element, to solving the challenges of sizing and fit inherent in the fashion industry.

Since 2001, it has dedicated itself to body shape data research and has gathered more than 1.5 million body scans in 30+ countries, most recently, in China, Colombia, Costa Rica, and the US. Combined with its deep apparel knowledge, this has allowed Alvanon to develop thousands of fit standards for hundreds of brands globally. For more information, visit www.alvanon.com.

The Alvanon Body Platform (ABP) is the central database of virtual bodies created by Alvanon. It is the starting point for brands 3D journey. The ABP Platform is a response to the industry’s need for a digital, 3D solution that cuts costs and increases speed-to-market. It virtually replicates the costly process of physical fitting. It is already being successfully used by 250+ major fashion brands, retailers and designers, including Columbia Sportswear, Lululemon, The North Face, Under Armour, PVH Europe, and Walmart. For more information, visit www.abp.alvanon.com.

Taking the digital collection showcase to the next level

Tel Aviv, Israel, July 1, 2020 – Optitex®, global provider of integrated end-to-end 2D & 3D CAD/CAM software solutions for the fashion and apparel industry, today announced its integration with Daz3D, a renowned 3D character and avatar software suite and digital marketplace. This partnership will provide Optitex 3D users access to Daz3D’s 5 million smart-content assets, including top-of-the-line 3D characters, enabling them to showcase and share visually appealing collections with teams, buyers, vendors, and marketers.

Daz3D’s digital marketplace offers hobbyists and professionals tens of thousands of 3D products with millions of inter-compatible 3D assets allowing users to make photo-realistic characters.

Optitex customers over the world benefit from a rich suite of avatars, including scanned avatars. Powered by a robust avatar editor, users can customize avatars to meet their needs, easily adjusting morphs, adding accessories, and visualizing garments in various sizes and poses.

Click here to learn how it works and follow the video below.

Acknowledging the growing need for fashion and apparel companies to market and sell online, Optitex looked to expand its avatar range and creative freedom and sought after a strong avatar provider who would enable designers to showcase digital garments on advanced, high-end detailed avatars, to management, buyers, and online consumers.

Recognized over the world for its cutting-edge avatars and complementary assets, Daz3D was the perfect fit. With the latest Optitex version O/19.5 released at end of March 2020, Optitex customers are able to use Daz3D avatars directly within Optitex pattern making solution. This enables them to deliver exceptional high-quality, high-precision digital garments to all stakeholders in the supply chain, strengthening their commitment to the 3D ecosystem, and further supporting sustainability by creating true-to-life models and garments.

“We are pleased to be the solution of choice for Optitex customers, giving them the content they need to impressively exhibit their digital garment designs,” said Daz3D Chief Revenue Officer, Steve Spencer. “We believe that our 3D avatars – real-life-like models, matched with our rich library of associated content, will give Optitex customers measurable added-value, helping to make their design process fast, easy, and even more realistic.”

Amit Ben-Sheffer, VP Products at Optitex, commented, “We believe in giving our customers a real competitive edge, to help them achieve and maintain their leading positions in the fashion industry. With Daz3D avatars as part of the design process, we’re putting our customers one step ahead of the competition, so they can easily mix, match, blend and transform their designs into attractive, true-to-life garments. Daz3D has helped enhanced our solutions offering today, and we’re excited to see what the future will bring to our customers.”

About Daz3D

Daz3D is a software suite for creating your own high-resolution 3D stills and animations while building professional quality 3D scenes. Founded in 2000, Daz3D’s digital marketplace offers hobbyists and professionals tens of thousands of 3D products with over five million inter-compatible 3D assets for Daz Studio and other 3D applications. Daz 3D has created the most artist-friendly digital marketplace, paying nearly $100 million to its global network of contributing artists. With over 2.5 million downloads, Daz continues to drive efforts at the forefront of digital identity and expression. For more information on Daz3D, visit www.daz3d.com.

About Optitex

Optitex is a global software provider of integrated 2D-3D computer-aided design (CAD) solutions for fashion & apparel, automotive, upholstery and industrial fabrics. Our solutions digitally streamline design, development and production throughout the supply chain, enabling efficient workflows and quick response to market demands. Optitex offers brands, retailers and manufacturers a one-vendor solution for delivering high-quality products on demand and on budget. Backed by over three decades of experience and a growing base of 30,000 users, our innovative solutions are highly accurate, sustainable and cost-effective. To learn more about Optitex, visit www.optitex.com.

The collaboration will help speed the production process and increase accuracy

Tel Aviv, Israel – 18 May 2020 – Optitex®, a leading provider of digital solutions for fashion and apparel, automotive, upholstery and industrial fabrics, today announced its collaboration with the YKK Group, one of the world’s leading zipper manufacturers. YKK® products are available to Optitex users since recent version O/19.5.

Optitex customers will now be able to easily access and embed YKK 3D images from YKK’s rich library of fastening products in their 3D models and enjoy the visual standards and rendering precision of YKK products. In addition, having the zipper data embedded in their design will enable customers to track the zipper model all the way to sourcing and inventory management later in the production process. This partnership will help fashion and apparel companies to create more accurate digital models of their products, collaborate more efficiently, get to market faster, and reduce production errors.

”We are thrilled by the incorporation of our high-quality zippers into Optitex’s design process,” said Takashi Tsukumo, Vice President, YKK Corporation Global Marketing Group. “We’re proud that our partnership will deliver a sustainable and smarter workflow, saving our joint customers time and money.”

Amit Ben-Sheffer, VP Products at Optitex, said, “We are continuously striving to expand our fashion and apparel toolset. The collaboration with YKK, a leading industry vendor, enriches our users’ options and supports the level of detail and precision we are committed to delivering from design to production.”

About YKK

Since the company’s founding in Tokyo in 1934, YKK has continuously set industry standards for quality, service, value, and innovation in the production of zippers, plastic hardware, hook and loop fasteners, webbing tapes, and snap and buttons. With integrated production and supply systems in 72 countries and regions around the world, YKK is positioned to meet the needs of the textile and sewing product industries as they increasingly diversify and require shorter product cycles. Guided by the CYCLE OF GOODNESS® philosophy – no one prospers without rendering benefit to others – YKK aims to contribute to a sustainable society through its products and manufacturing operations and constantly seeks new ways to serve the changing needs of its customers while at the same time investing in its employees and giving back to its communities.

About Optitex

Optitex is a global software provider of integrated 2D-3D computer-aided design (CAD) solutions for fashion & apparel, automotive, upholstery and industrial fabrics. We digitally streamline design, development and production throughout the supply chain, enabling efficient workflows and quick response to market demands. Informed by over three decades of experience and a growing base of 30,000 users, our innovative solutions are highly accurate, sustainable and cost-effective. We offer brands, retailers and manufacturers a one-vendor solution for delivering high-quality products on demand and on budget. To learn more about Optitex, visit www.optitex.com.

Optitex will operate independently, benefit from long-term business continuity and stability, and continue to innovate its market-leading solutions

Tel Aviv, Israel – April 17, 2020 – Optitex®, a global provider of integrated 2D & 3D CAD/CAM software solutions for the fashion and apparel, automotive, upholstery and industrial fabrics industries, today announced its recent acquisition by FOG Software Group (“FOG”), a division of Constellation Software, Inc. [TSX:CSU].

Optitex will continue to operate as an independent company within FOG, and will revert to its historic “Optitex” name and brand, allowing the company the strategic and operational freedom to focus on the unique and specific needs of its users. Optitex will continue to innovate its products, expand its suite of software solutions and services, and directly support its customers worldwide.

With Constellation Software’s long term strategy to acquire, build and retain companies, Optitex will benefit from Constellation’s additional strategic support. Having completed over 500 acquisitions, Constellation Software brings a robust set of business best practices and investment strength to its portfolio companies to ensure their steady and continuous growth.

“This acquisition provides significant added-value to Optitex, its customers and partners. While retaining independence of business operations, we reinforce our strong commitment to innovative product development,” said Amir Lehr, CEO of Optitex. “This investment also shows a tremendous vote of confidence in both our team, and our technology, particularly in these challenging times. Optitex expects to achieve lasting business stability supported by Constellation’s long-term vision, and further benefit from Constellation’s financial support, networking opportunities and well-honed management best practices.”

“We are excited to enter the 3D digital design space and impressed with the product and market vision of the Optitex team. With our historic investment in similar companies in this market this reinforces our commitment to the segment and we are very pleased to add Optitex to the FOG family,” said Sandy Scott, FOG Software Group Portfolio Manager for Retail and Textile Technologies. “We look forward to supporting continued product innovation to create value for customers around the world.”

About FOG Software Group

Deerfield, IL-based FOG Software Group is a division of Toronto-based Vela Software and Constellation Software, Inc. [TSX:CSU]. The companies acquire, manage, and build software companies in a variety of vertical markets. By helping their acquired companies improve operations, grow through organic initiatives, and seek additional acquisitions that can strengthen their market position, their portfolio companies become clear leaders in their industries. For more information, visit www.fogsoftwaregroup.com.

About Optitex

Optitex is a global software provider of integrated 2D-3D computer-aided design (CAD) solutions for fashion & apparel, automotive, upholstery and industrial fabrics. We digitally streamline design, development and production throughout the supply chain, enabling efficient workflows and quick response to market demands. Informed by over three decades of experience and a growing base of 30,000 users, our innovative solutions are highly accurate, sustainable and cost-effective. We offer brands, retailers and manufacturers a one-vendor solution for delivering high-quality products on demand and on budget. To learn more about Optitex, visit www.optitex.com.