California Apparel News

PI Apparel is set to hold PI Apparel Los Angeles 2022 March 15–16 at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites in downtown Los Angeles. The event brings together leaders from the fashion, apparel and footwear industries to discuss the challenges and technologies disrupting the industry.

Topics to be covered include digitization and the impact digital technology has on the design, manufacturing, logistics and sales of products; how to elevate sustainable strategies to become a more sustainable operation; what technologies are being used in the footwear industry; and what new business models are available that help move into a more on-demand, local, customizable and sustainable operation.

Other topics and activities held during the two-day event include panel discussions on sustainability and the new technologies and ways to shape the consumer buyer experience such as using augmented and virtual realities to provide a new shopping experience and how a maketo-order production model in footwear can challenge the traditional sales models and provide a better consumer experience while driving product sustainability and long-term profits.

PI Apparel Los Angeles’ focus-group sessions will focus on the topics of moving a business toward fabric and material digitization and the challenges faced in doing so and how, in order to create a viable domestic manufacturing sector, partnerships should be reached with local vocational schools to create a curriculum around manufacturing needs.

Featured speakers at the event include Gina Patterson, fit engineering manager at Columbia Sportswear; Mark Charlton, technical design leader at Carhartt; Mitch Harvey, senior 3D innovation manager at Deckers Brands; Dale Bathum, president of Expivi; and the founder of Senza Tempo, Kristen Fanarakis, among others. Sponsors of the event include Lectra, Browzwear, CLO Virtual Fashion, Twine Solutions and Expivi.