California Apparel News

The latest advancements in technology lured a steady audience during the Oct. 20–22 Technology By Design show, which officially debuted as a new element of the Los Angeles International Textile Show at the California Market Center.

While a few enterprise-wide software packages were a little overwhelming for some of the smaller companies at the show, many exhibitors said they gained excellent leads and exposure. The event was put on by the California Fashion Association and the California Market Center and was supported by Microsoft Corp., FedEx Corp., theCentral City Association, the California Apparel News and Southern California Edison.

“For a first foray within the textile show, it was very successful,” said CFA Executive Director Ilse Metchek. “It proved a point that the industry is everevolving. You can’t just have a fabric or a design. Technology is part of it, too, and there’s a dearth of knowledge about technology in this industry.”

Most of the exhibitors and buyers were pleased with the traffic and networking that took place.

“This has been a great show for us,” said Arnie Wachman, principal of ApparelLink, a company in Tujunga, Calif., that develops online showrooms and Web sites for apparel and textile businesses for $180 per month and up.

Henry Cherner, a principal of Apparel Information Management Systems (AIMS), a business management software provider in Santa Ana, Calif., said he picked up a few sales that made the show worthwhile. “It was good for me, but some of the other companies may be too high-end for the smaller companies and start-ups here,” he said.

Some buyers, including designer Darcie Emmerson of Long Beach, Calif.–based DRC Clothing, agreed. “Some of these technologies are not plausible for me right now, but it’s definitely something to consider for the future,” she said.

Elee Hadad, of womenswear wholesaler Elee Los Angeles, said he was looking for a business management system that was “justifiable” for the volume his company handles. He said he made several contacts at the show.

New gadgets and software

The products on display included state-of-the-art software applications that handle everything from accounting and shipping management to inventory tracking. Exhibitors also showcased the latest in CAD equipment, Web technology and conferencing, and sizing.

Among the emerging technologies featured were new color management solutions that perform color matching over the Internet for designers, mills, dyers and other players in the pre-production process.

Los Angeles–based Tukatech Inc. and France’s Lectra announced new ventures with color management companies. Tukatech is partnering with Malaysian-based color management company eWarna Ltd. to facilitate color services through its TukaCenter production studios. The centers will soon house color spectrometers that will measure the “DNA” of color swatches in order to maintain color consistency throughout the supply chain.

Tukatech Chief Executive Ram Sareen said the process could shave weeks off production schedules because it eliminates most of the back-and-forth shipping of colors between suppliers.

Lectra is also integrating color management into its product line. It forged a partnership with Lawrenceville, N.J.–based Datacolor Inc. to make color palette developers, color target measurers and color match solutions to be used with Lectra’s PrimaVision software module.

Three-dimensional graphics continue to gain attention among CAD companies. Gerber Technology Inc. of Tolland, Conn., launched a venture with Israeli company Browzwear Ltd., which is linking its V-Stitcher 3-D application to Gerber’s CAD solutions to shave production time off the sample-making process. Tukatech, PAD System Technologies and Lectra also highlighted 3-D products at the show.

Ilona Foyer of Malibu, Calif.–based Shapely Shadow Inc. showed repeatable dress forms that use body scanners to recreate the specifications of fit models.

On the information-technology front, business management systems took center stage. Cherner of AIMS promoted his Internetbased product, which starts at $195 and helps young companies manage everything from order processing to electronic data interchange (EDI).

John Murphy of ApparelMagic highlighted the latest version of his enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution, which addresses style development, inventory control, purchasing and production, EDI, and integrated accounting. Garment Center Software marketed its products to smaller companies that were looking for full-package management, from EDI to product data management.

Porini, which set up its American headquarters earlier this year in Westlake Village, Calif., showed its ERP system to the industry.

The big guys show up

Even corporate powerhouses such as FedEx and Microsoft turned their focus to the textile and apparel industries by offering new services. They hosted separate seminars on supply-chain logistics and Web conferencing.

In his seminar, FedEx’s John Wilkins said that technology is only part of the solution to compete in a global marketplace.

“The successful companies are the ones focused on collaboration through the retail level— technology is what brings all the pieces together,” he said. He added that increasing consumer demand, coupled with the intricacies of garment manufacturing, is creating demand for speed and visibility.

The company is addressing those issues in its Insight and Global Trade Manager solutions, which allow users to track shipments without the use of tracking numbers and set up self-sufficient international distribution operations.

During Microsoft’s seminar, General Manager, Sales Dana Manciagli showed off the company’s new Microsoft Office Live Meeting Web-conferencing service, which it recently acquired from Mountain View, Calif.–based PlaceWare Inc. The service allows companies to set up interactive “Webinars,” training sessions and live meetings with a Web browser and telephone. The aim is for companies to reduce travel costs and increase productivity.

Microsoft Goes ’Live’ With Apparel Execs

Microsoft Corp. wants to bring members of the apparel industry closer together.

Having recently acquired PlaceWare Inc., an online-meetings producer in Mountain View, Calif., the technology giant has revved up its marketing muscle and is encouraging the apparel and textile industries to conduct meetings over the Internet rather than in person.

Microsoft unveiled the service, called Microsoft Office Live Meeting, during Technology By Design at the recent Los Angeles International Textile Show at the California Market Center with a seminar and demo booth. While PlaceWare has demonstrated the concept for about four years, Microsoft has just integrated the service into its Office suite. Now users can implement popular software applications such as Word, Outlook and PowerPoint into the online service. Microsoft hopes to bring the service to meeting-intensive industries that have expansive supply chains, such as the apparel and textile industries.

“This is such a visual industry with visual thinkers. Why conduct meetings over the telephone?” asked Microsoft General Manager, Sales Dana Manciagli.

With only a low-bandwidth Web browser and telephone, users can connect to live meetings or view recorded meetings. They can get interactive training or view “Webinars” —online seminars. The service has voice-over capabilities, including interactive chat boxes.

“It’s highly collaborative and flexible. It would be great for things like CAD/CAM training and demonstrations,” Manciagli said.

Microsoft will not be alone in this market. San Jose, Calif.–based WebEx Communications Inc. has already snared some major apparel industry clients, including Lectra, the French company with U.S. headquarters in Marietta, Ga. Centra Software Inc. has CAD developer PAD System Technologies as a client. Microsoft is already working with Los Angeles–based Tukatech Inc. and its TukaWeb online CAD service.

In recent months, Lectra and PAD have been using online meeting engines to conduct training and seminars for their range of customers around the world. Those companies have found the online services to be valuable for their visually intensive CAD and collaborative products.

The cost savings have been advantageous when compared with travel expenses, Manciagli said. The costs for these interactive services are usually on a subscription or per-use basis to appeal to both small and large companies. Microsoft’s meeting costs range from 35 cents per minute to $750 per month for a 10-seat meeting and beyond. The company has hosted meetings for more than 1,000 participants.

Online meetings have blossomed over the past few years thanks to improvements in telecommunications technology. The days of slow-streaming video feeds and unclear voice-overs are pretty much over, according to technology executives.

Microsoft estimates that by 2007, some 250 million people will be using online meeting services. “I see it being as critical as e-mail,” Manciagli said. —R.M.