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YKK Zippers

Starting from the O/19.5.0 release, Optitex customers are now able to easily access and embed YKK 3D objects from YKK’s library of fastening products in their 3D models and enjoy the visual standards and rendering precision of YKK objects.

Follow the steps described below to start using YKK Zippers:

  • Download the YKK Zipper.zip file. Note that the download may take some time, depending on the strength of the internet connection.
  • After the download is complete, unzip the YKK Zippers.zip into PDS Content Library directory – this is usually found on C:\Users\Public\Optitex\Optitex 21\Content Library.

After the download is complete, unzip the YKK Zippers.zip into PDS Content Library directory

  • Check that the YKK Zippers directory and the corresponding sub-directories were created correctly.

Optitex customers are now able to easily access and embed YKK 3D objects

  • You can now load and use these zippers in your PDS virtual designs. Zippers are called “Button Shapes” in PDS. You need to add a button, create a stitch on it, open a 3D Stitch Properties Dialog and navigate to the YKK Zippers directory when loading button shape.

YKK Zippers - Optitex

  • After selection, YKK zipper part could be visualized in PDS 3D window.

YKK Zippers - Optitex

For more information, please visit the YKK website.
Additional OBJ Files can be requested through your YKK contact.

New Optitex eLearning Platform Offers an On-Demand, Unique Training Platform and Added Value Content

FREMONT, Calif., Jan. 28, 2019 – EFI™ Optitex® continues its commitment to providing added value to its customers with the new EFI Optitex eLearning Platform, powered by Electronics For Imaging, Inc. (Nadaq:EFII).

This unique, on-demand training platform features how-to guides, videos and podcasts, as well as full eLearning courses that can be purchased individually or as part of a complete EFI Optitex training package. Users can progress through courses in an eLearning environment that provides job-specific training for patternmakers, marker makers, technical designers, 3D designers and more across 10 different Optitex technologies.

Customers are already successfully using the platform and are receiving significant value for money. The eLearning platform’s $300 annual subscription fee makes it a cost-effective, high-value solution for EFI Optitex software users across the globe.

Moreover, major players in the textile industry including apparel brands, design houses, suppliers and retailers, can improve the on-boarding process for staff, thanks to the eLearning site’s easy-to-use, detailed training platform. The new eLearning offering has far greater importance than educating current industry professionals, it is also shaping the next generation of professionals.    

“The eLearning courses are terrific,” said Margaret McWilliams, R&D at Margaret McWilliams Studio, a design business in Frederick, Maryland, that develops workflow solutions to bring tailoring back into the mainstream using accurate 3D prototyping based on 2D patterns. “EFI Optitex’s unique workflow and the courses’ on-demand availability make it worthwhile to go through all of the them. Unexpectedly useful capabilities that improve the patterns coming out of my workflow have emerged thanks to the detailed explanations eLearning has to offer.

“I see this essential tool as a turning point in my work,” she added. “Through the online courses offered on the eLearning platform I was able to manipulate the abilities of the Optitex software with very good results, which affects my entire workflow.”

The eLearning platform also provides Optitex certifications upon completion of critical stages of the training program. As a result, it not only empowers knowledge among industry professionals, it also confirms that individuals have indeed mastered the innovative tools that shape the textile industry.   

Education to facilitate the apparel industry’s CAD transformation

This newly launched eLearning content reflects EFI Optitex’s longstanding commitment to maximize value for users with coaching, training, advising and consulting. EFI Optitex products – along with the training provided – give businesses the significant advantage of being able to perfect their garments before cutting or sewing the first piece of fabric for faster cycles and products that better fit consumer needs.

Always glancing at the future, EFI Optitex will actively continue to empower knowledge and assist industry professionals in gaining new and critical skills that will contribute to the optimization of the supply chain in the most cost-effective way possible.

A brief video overview of the EFI Optitex eLearning offering is available at https://learn.optitex.com/index/.


Optitex Empowers Canada’s Next Generation of Professionals with Software Donation to Wilson School of Design

FREMONT, Calif., Feb. 04, 2019 – Electronics For Imaging, Inc. (Nasdaq:EFII) has donated a number of Optitex® 2D/3D design software licenses for students and faculty members at the Kwantlen Polytechnic Institute’s Wilson School of Design in Richmond, British Columbia, as part of the company’s ongoing commitment to empower knowledge and help provide critical skills for the next generation work force in the fashion and apparel industry.

EFI Optitex is one of the world’s leading integrated 2D and 3D CAD/CAM apparel platform technologies. It allows users to visualize and perfect garments before cutting or sewing the first piece of fabric, offering rapid prototyping for faster time to market. The donation of this modern, intuitive software gives students the necessary skills to enter the textiles and apparel industry, and to become change ambassadors for the industry as it continues towards the digital transformation journey. Students and faculty will also have access to the Optitex eLearning site, which features user-friendly training materials, videos and webinar recordings that provide job-specific training for patternmakers, marker makers, technical designers, 3D designers and more across 10 different Optitex technologies.

“EFI Optitex is proud to work with educational institutions such as the Wilson School of Design to promote knowledge and empower industry professionals,” said EFI Optitex General Manager Amir Lehr. “Moreover, as fashion design goes increasingly digital, access to EFI Optitex software solutions, will provide students with the requisite skills to hit the ground running as they start their new careers in fashion. We are pleased to be able to provide this advanced capability to this prestigious institute, and to help ensure the right skill set for the next-generation workforce.”

The Wilson School of Design offers a wide range of programs in fashion design and marketing as well as continuing education programs for fashion professionals. Its faculty is an eclectic group of individuals who are passionate about inspiring and guiding future designers and come from a wide range of industry segments.

“We are grateful to EFI Optitex for partnering with us and providing this generous donation,” said Wilson School of Design Associate Dean Andhra Goundrey. “We are dedicated to providing our students with access to the latest tools and technology they will encounter once they graduate. This donation is an important addition to our curriculum and our ability to deliver against our educational goals.”

A brief video overview of the EFI Optitex eLearning offering is available at https://learn.optitex.com/index/.

New Optitex Release Keeps Users Ahead of Demand with its Powerful Automation Tools and Revolutionary Print & Cut Solution

Software premiering at Texprocess gives apparel manufacturers the power to produce small mixed orders on a single roll, better address market trends and offer increased sustainability in fashion design and development

FREMONT, Calif., May 13, 2019 – Electronics For Imaging, Inc. (Nasdaq:EFII) has released the newest version of the EFI™ Optitex® 2D/3D CAD platform, creating a more powerful end-to-end digital solution. The new software version delivers key enhancements to Optitex’s industry-leading end-to-end solution capabilities for fashion, apparel and textile, including a new and innovative Print & Cut solution that enables printing of all garment patterns on a single roll. The new release also features several innovative technology breakthroughs and strengthens its position as a full and sustainable end-to-end solution that helps brands and retailers get products to market faster.

The new software version release will make its worldwide debut at Texprocess 2019, in Frankfurt, Germany, May 14-17, in hall 4, stand B41.

“In order to respond to the fast pace of fashion and changing buying behaviors today, implementing end-to-end digital workflows is no longer a nice-to-have; it is survival. With this new Optitex release, full design-to-production preparation can be automated, enabling customers to focus on creativity, to quicken execution, and allow for the customization required in today’s demanding market,” said Amir Lehr, general manager, EFI Optitex. “As on-demand manufacturing of fashion and apparel continues to gain traction around the world, this new release offers the necessary efficiencies required to meet market requirements for faster time to market, accuracy, customization and personalization, as well as profitable and timely production of small mixed orders.” 

EFI Optitex solutions support the fashion industry’s rapid development pace and consumer demand in the digital and mobile-driven “see now, buy now” era. The technology addresses retailers’ and brands’ urgent need to bring new products to market faster than ever before. It offers features such as advanced automation tools including true-to-life fabric simulation, cross-size simulation and multi-colorway-multi-angle rendering; new power tools to simplify complex stitching; improved grading; ease of design for bags & pockets; an expanded library of 150 commonly used fabrics; an all-in-one avatar solution; and an improved user interface. 

The new Optitex version’s industry-changing Print & Cut solution for complete garment printing on a single roll enables significant savings in fabric roll inventory, with typically 15%-40% greater efficiency compared to traditional methods. 

Fashion and apparel manufacturers also benefit from an improved nesting algorithm that increases fabric utilization by up to 4%.

Additional capabilities in the new Optitex release include:

  • Advanced automation tools including true-to-life fabric simulation, cross-size simulation and multi-colorway-multi-angle rendering
  • Power tools that simplify complex stitching and grading, including designs for bags and pockets
  • A gusset creation tool that simplifies definition of complex gusset shapes for bags, jackets, coats, pants and more
  • A rich library of more than 150 commonly-used fabrics and support for a new licensing mechanism for the Alvanon all-in-one avatar editor
  • Automation of routine tasks such as rendered image creation, and simulation of sized garments, avatars and poses. 

The new release also enables custom views of designs for consistent and adaptable 3D sample displays for product catalogs and design review meeting, minimizing the need for physical samples and costly photo shoots across the design and production workflow.

Optitex Puts Emphasis on APAC in a 3D Educational Seminar in Korea

KOREA, July 18, 2018. World leading provider of integrated 2D & 3D CAD/CAM software solutions, EFI Optitex, recently hosted its first APAC exclusive event focusing on the latest developments in 3D technology and industry best practices through a wide array of case studies and the strong knowledge base of seasoned industry professionals.

Always an innovator, EFI Optitex continues its global efforts, promoting a digitally optimized supply chain and maintaining a sustainable production cycle. The invitation-only educational event held at Emerald Hall, Lotte Guro Hotel, in South Korea welcomed more than 60 Industry professionals from leading local brands and companies. With a constant emphasis on education regarding the benefits of cutting-edge technology, this strategic forum was demonstrated how the latest developments by EFI Optitex such as O18 and 3D ReVu can optimize the supply chain with powerful out-of-the-box functionality.

“EFI Optitex is able to help the market in various manners. We have a vigorous team of professionals and a strong global presence that enables us to support the technology implementation plan. Moreover, EFI Optitex’s cutting-edge technology offers an end-to-end software solution that connects brands and manufacturers through digital innovation, allowing our client to save valuable resources and get faster to market.” says Jan Chan, Director of Sales, EFI Optitex.

The move into the Korean market is not accidental. EFI Optitex views the APAC market as extremely valuable and puts a lot of resources into education regarding the benefits of 3D technology in this significant market. Together with the its local partner, OptiKorea, EFI Optitex’s management presented an overview of the APAC textile market, discussing customers’ key challenges, and establishing future objectives based on customers’ real needs. One such requirement is education – providing the tools needed to better understand the benefits of 3D technology and the way it can accelerate and streamline the entire supply chain.

At the same time, local partner of EFI Optitex, OptiKorea, announced the launch of the Optitex GuideBook, a step-by-step introduction to the system provided by EFI Optitex, all in Korean.

 

“The Asian market is no longer an OEM market. In recent years, Korea’s domestic market has moved from traditional OEM to ODM, where bringing 3D technology on board would significantly increase manufacturers’ competitive edge. Moreover, 3D can potentially help leading brands differentiate from other market leaders, no longer competing on price alone, but now, delivering real value to end products for both local and global customers.” said Jan Chan, Director of Sales, EFI Optitex.
Always glancing at the future, EFI Optitex will continue promoting the benefits of digitizing the supply chain on a global scale. The success of this seminar prompted EFI Optitex to schedule additional meetings and workshops, while similar events for industry professionals will be expanded into other APAC countries, together with dedicated webinars for APAC industry leaders.

 

For further information please contact Mr. Jan Chan (jan.chan@optitex.com) or our partner, OptiKorea (opti@optikorea.com).

Optitex launches 3D Design Illustrator to validate and customize 3D garments in Adobe Illustrator

LAS VEGAS, January 25, 2018 – EFI Optitex, the world’s leading provider of integrated 2D & 3D CAD/CAM apparel platform technology, has launched the Optitex 3D Design Illustrator, a plug-in tool allowing designers the freedom to validate and customize 3D garments in Adobe® Illustrator®. The new 3D Design Illustrator was announced this week at 19th annual EFI Connect users’ conference in Las Vegas.

Through working in the native design environment on a PC or a Mac, designers can visualize 3D garments, with accurate proportion and scaling, and customize the garment’s fabric, texture, print patterns and graphic placement without waiting for a printed sample.

The plug-in works by importing 2D and 3D pattern files or building block libraries into Adobe Illustrator and activating a window with a 3D representation of the pattern side-by-side. Users can export the final file as a picture or 3D file, validate designs among teams, and send directly for digital or sublimation printing.

“3D adoption is already a necessity for nearly every successful fashion company, and in that space, it is important to onboard all teams from design to production,” said Guy Alroy, head of Textile product management, EFI Productivity Software. “Now, entire teams can enable 3D capabilities to streamline the whole design to print workflows, letting them focus on creativity, reduce physical prototypes, and get to market faster than before.”

A video of the new plug-in software is available here.

EFI fuels success
EFI develops breakthrough technologies connecting the online world to the physical one, providing the industry’s largest portfolios for the textiles, signage, packaging, ceramic tiles, personalised documents and corrugated segments. EFI Optitex software is the world’s leading provider of an integrated 2D/3D platform that enables users to quickly create true-to-life 3D digital garments, empowering apparel and soft goods companies to revolutionise the way they develop, produce, and market their products. Visit www.efi.com/optitex for more information.

Carhartt Turns to 3-D Models to Speed Product Development

Carhartt Inc. is exploring how it can use 3-D modeling to see how its clothes will fit before it manufactures physical products, a move the company says could save money and speed time to market. If you can get to where you’re getting to a final product in a digital manner, that has incredible opportunity,” said CIO John Hill.

By Steven Norton – Wall Street Journal

Carhartt Inc. is exploring how it can use 3-D modeling to see how its clothes will fit before it manufactures physical products, a move the company says could save money and speed time to market.

The clothing manufacturer is working with tools from fashion-design software firm EFI Optitex and Shima Seiki, maker of computerized knitting machines and design systems, among other companies, to visualize how certain clothing items will drape over a body, Carhartt CIO John Hill said during a visit to The Wall Street Journal’s New York office.

Rather than developing physical samples to see how a button size affects a certain piece of clothing, software can understand how weight impacts a fabric and show it on a digital model.

3-D modeling stands to speed up Carhartt’s product development process by limiting the number of physical product samples it has to create. Sometimes the company sources some physical manufacturing abroad, increasing the time it takes for Carhartt’s designers in Dearborn, Mich. to receive the samples. The digital designs can allow them to visualize different styles and accessories while dealing with fewer physical materials.

“The question is how can we make that experience almost the same without having to produce the sample,” Mr. Hill said. “If you can get to where you’re getting to a final product in a digital manner, that has incredible opportunity.”

Digital designs could also help Carhartt spot potential problems with clothes before they hit a physical store. In the past, issues with a piece of clothing, such as too much color in a particular area, wouldn’t be seen until it’s on the floor. Technology now allows the company to create digital models of a retail store to see what its product line would look like in the real world.

Down the road, Mr. Hill envisions using technology to allow customers to try on clothes using their smartphone cameras and digital avatars, so they can see how things will fit before making a purchase. “You can imagine being able to take your own avatar…and you can actually try (the clothes) on you.”

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Patrizia Pepe Chooses Optitex as Its 2D/3D Strategic Partner

MILAN, October 2, 2017 – EFI™ Optitex, a world-leading provider of an integrated 2D & 3D CAD/CAM software platform for the apparel and textile industries, is pleased to announce a new strategic partnership with Tessilform, the Tuscany-based company owner of the famous brand, Patrizia Pepe.

The partnership includes the acquisition of a large configuration of 2D and 3D EFI Optitex licenses by Patrizia Pepe, which will initially drive the digital transformation of its apparel department before extending the solutions to its bags department.

As 3D is seen as a key success factor to face the new challenges of the fashion market, Patrizia Pepe chose EFI Optitex after a thorough evaluation of what the market had to offer. “EFI Optitex is a trusted partner and the well-established leader offering a cutting-edge technology and the greatest knowledge regarding best practices for adopting 2D and 3D integrated solutions,” said Sebastiano Lombardo, Patrizia Pepe’s general manager.

“By incorporating EFI Optitex digital solutions into the company design and production workflows, we expect to decrease our time to market by 30%, while better streamlining our internal processes and significantly reducing our costs,” added Lombardo. “Moreover, we expect to launch high-quality offerings more frequently in order to meet our clients’ needs.”

Asaf Landau, EFI Optitex’s vice president and general manager, stated that the partnership with Tessilform is “very meaningful as Patrizia Pepe is another leading brand leveraging 3D to gain competitive advantage via digital transformation. We see the wave of 3D adoption accelerating with leaders which are leading the industry evolution.”

EFI Optitex’s portfolio includes 8,000 apparel and fashion companies, including famous brands in Italy and the world.

EFI fuels success

EFI develops breakthrough technologies connecting the online world to the physical one, providing one of the industry’s largest portfolios for the textiles, signage, packaging, ceramic tiles, personalized documents and corrugated segments. EFI Optitex software is one of the world’s leading providers of integrated 2D/3D platforms that enable users to quickly create true-to-life 3D digital garments, empowering apparel and soft goods companies to revolutionize the way they develop, produce, and market their products. Visit www.efi.com/optitex for more information.

How Target Convinced Its Designers to Embrace 3-D Technology

In the few years since Target has started using 3-D virtual prototyping provider Optitex, product development has sped up by about two weeks and sampling has been reduced by roughly 65 percent.

With stats like that, it’s hard to believe that Alexis Kantor, director of apparel and accessories product development, and Sandra Gagnon, senior group manager of NIT and 3-D virtual product development, ever struggled to sway the squad behind America’s second-largest retailer to move to the virtual platform.

The biggest hurdle, not surprisingly, was the design team.

“We had expectations that design was going to be our most innovative partner. They were going to jump in and we were going to all live in this happy 3-D virtual technology land—that land did not come about so quickly,” Kantor laughed, describing Target’s not-so-easy transition to 3-D development to attendees at the Product Innovation

Apparel conference in New York on Tuesday. “What were they worried about? Very quickly we understood that our teams thought that we were going to change the way they had to think and create, but really we just asked them to use a different medium.”

Plus, as Gagnon pointed out, it’s hard to convince skeptics when the virtual images you’re presenting to them are not yet up to scratch.

Kantor agreed: “We needed to build credibility and trust very quickly. Fashion is emotional: you want to touch, you want to feel, it’s tactile. It was hard to convince people you could make really good decisions from seeing a virtual sample so we had to instill trust in them.”

“But as the technology has improved—and as we have improved—the images have just gotten better and better,” Gagnon said, adding, “We’ve really relied on a whole suite of software to do this and it’s really allowed us to create mannequins where designers can look at the garment and feel comfortable.”

The real game changer was adding fabric-drape testers and better textures to the mix, as well as buttons and trims, which built up the believability for design teams. “The more you can add in texture and lighting really goes a long way,” she continued, noting, “If teams know that their fabrics are going through the physical testing, they’re being checked for stretch and bend and friction, and all these physical properties are being fed into the software that will give us conscience that when we see it on that avatar it’s going to look the way the real garment would look.”

Kantor added, “We really could win over trust by giving people more photo-realistic rendering.”

That included using virtual in-store mannequins which, as Gagnon explained, also offered Target’s merchants a perspective on what the product would look like months ahead of when they would see a physical sample.

As Kantor put it, “I think what’s cool about that is the win for the other parts of the company. Before they had to wait for our information coming out of our big meetings and now we can do things in real time right there and pass along the information. Initially when we thought speed we were thinking speed in product development but we’re seeing speed across the enterprise.”

Gagnon echoed this sentiment. “Teams have had to reset their cultural mind to it but they’re really starting to see how it can come together now. Once you have those 3-D garments created, virtually putting them into the floor plan, recoloring them, seeing how they look in your lighting, it really helps to make a decision,” she said.

As much as it’s improved the process, Kantor doesn’t think it will ever fully replace physical samples. “Although I wish it would, but we can iterate and do so many things upfront before we actually have to see that physical sample,” she said, adding, “We develop a lot of product at a potentially 3-1 ratio—sometimes higher, sometimes lower—and 3-D gives us an opportunity to really hone in on what is that real style that we want, how do we ask for the right stuff, not just continue to sample but iterate so much faster and get to that perfect sample quicker.”

“In women’s ready-to-wear it’s all about speed,” Gagnor agreed. “With this technology, we can take a blazer and mock up 20 pieces of art in five minutes if we need to.”

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New IEEE Industry Group to Focus on Immersive Shopping Experiences

IEEE, the world’s largest professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for humanity, announced the launch of a new IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA) Industry Connections (IC) program aimed at bringing together diverse stakeholders from across technology, retail, research and standards development to build thought leadership around 3D body processing technology standards. Initial participants include Body Labs; Browzwear; Fishman & Tobin (a division of Global Brands Group); Gerber Technology; Intel; Intervisual; Optitex; Size Stream; USC Center for Body Computing; USC Institute for Creative Technologies; Volumental; and Zappos.

“We are specifically integrating complex systems thinking and cutting edge research and innovation into this effort in order to help reduce technology and market silos, as well as to accelerate the creation of shared value in an open and collaborative environment,” said Luciano C. Oviedo, chair, IEEE-SA IC 3D Body Processing Activity; and strategy & product development, Intel.

“Intel is excited to work with the industry to support open standards development that will help make realistic body model visualization a norm for shopping. Enabling consumers to have a realistic visualization of clothing on themselves before making a purchase solves real pain points for people and helps retailers save costs over time. Platforms that deliver a high quality immersive shopping experience represents a major opportunity for the ecosystem at large,” said Sanjay Vora, vice president, client computing group, Intel.

“Today there is no uniform standard for shoe sizing that is actually being used by footwear companies around the world. As 3D scanning and measurements are becoming an integral tool for buying custom footwear and offering fitting recommendations, we look forward to playing a role in creating a new standard for the industry,” said Josef Grahn, vice president, technology, Volumental.

“Since we’ve lived through the challenges of building support for multiple OS’s and opening up our platform, we’re excited about the potential value that comes from standards that will help ensure interoperability and interconnectivity across the ecosystem,” added Avihay Feld, COO, Browzwear.

With continued advances being realized across the body processing pipeline such as from 3D scanning, modeling and visualization, it is becoming easier to construct detailed, highly accurate models of inanimate “On-the-Body” objects like clothing, as well as animate “Of-the-Body” objects, such as the human form. Used in concert, these technologies promise to elevate the virtual and in-store retail shopping experience to a new level of immersion by giving consumers a deeper sense for how garments will fit their individual body and personal sense of style through realistic and interactive visual representations. As such, standardization efforts around format types and classifications; quality specifications and metrics; test methods; communication, sharing and security protocols; and privacy guides are under consideration.

“The online shopping experience can be hindered by ordering the wrong size. We feel that immersive technologies, like what companies in this initiative are creating, can help to lessen that. Since we’re constantly evaluating different ways to improve our customer’s experience, immersive technologies that work well together will allow us to do this in new and exciting ways,” said Galen Hardy, senior director, clothing, Zappos.

Karsten H. Newbury, vice president and general manager, software, Gerber Technology, added, “In our experience with fashion design, we have seen the benefits of bringing players together from across the ecosystem to share perspective, learn from each other and collaborate to create shared value. An IEEE standards initiative around 3D body processing has the potential to achieve this and more across the immersive shopping value chain.”

Core members are in planning mode for a spectrum of research and innovation as well as standards scoping activities over 2016 in both virtual and face-to-face formats. A dedicated online forum for group discussion, networking, and documentation of work products will complement meetings.

“As a software provider in 3D virtual clothing, we are interested in pursuing standards in body processing technology to enable consistency and ensure quality during virtual clothing try-on sessions. Working with IEEE will promote interoperability of virtual clothing and virtual bodies from different sources, and allow Optitex, as well as the other stakeholders, to focus on innovation in their respective areas of expertise,” added Dr. Rony Goldenthal, CTO, Optitex.

Through IC activities, IEEE-SA facilitates like-minded organizations and individuals coming together quickly, effectively and economically to build consensus at strategic points in a technology’s lifecycle. IC activities have the unique opportunity to leverage IEEE resources in a customized format to produce a variety of shared results.

“The potential value for standards to address challenges such as quality metrics and protocols around human shape, pose and motion are very high. These standards could reduce fragmentation by enabling independent parties to consistently process sensor data, extract measurements or body geometry from the same relative locations, and easily integrate into broader platforms,” said Bill O’Farrell, co-founder and CEO, Body Labs.

“If we do the right standards in the right way, then it’s a win-win: consumers win with improved buying and wearing experiences and the ecosystem wins with improved supply chain efficiencies and product capabilities,” concluded George Borshukov, founder and CEO, Intervisual.

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