[TC]² Bi-Weekly Technology Communicator
Fast Fashion in a Recession
At Fashion Business Inc., California Market Center
May 28, 2009
UK’s Industry Forum, and [TC]² are joining together to present a Fast Fashion workshop for the West Coast May 28th at the Fashion Business Inc. at the California Market Center in Los Angeles. In a recessionary environment with unpredictable demand, having shorter supply chain pipelines becomes critical.
The presentations will include Fast Fashion examples of tools and techniques which have been successfully applied in Europe. [TC]² will show how Fast Fashion meets the sustainability agenda and how advances in digital technology will make processes even faster.
This workshop is a must in understanding the management processes and behavior required to achieve speed and low cost - two key criteria in a recessionary market.
AVID Ink and Lawson are Gold Sponsors of this program. The workshop has also been endorsed by the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) and IAF (International Apparel Federation).
Registration fee is $200 for the one-day program (9 a.m.-4 p.m.). For more information or to register, contact Debra Gill at 919.653-3501, or complete our contact form.
 |
 |
 |
 |
|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|---|
Deeply Rooted In Technology
Part 1
By Jud Early, Corporate Vice President, [TC]²
It is said to be a sign of old age when one reminisces about the good old days. My reflections on the past are not so much a desire to return to those days, but an expression of amazement at how far we have come during the life of [TC]². In order to reduce an oral history to something more permanent, I am writing today about the technology roots of this company and the path along which we have advanced.
Many readers of this article will have little memory of 1980. The big three auto makers were beginning to adopt robots in the production of automobiles. Personal computers did not exist, except as hobbyist devices, usually a bare printed circuit board with an audio tape recorder for program storage. Land lines for communication were the norm, with satellite communication only within the realm of broadcast programming or high cost satellite phones. Cell phones were not yet a consumer item. Radiotelephones were “car phones” of the day.
To read this article in its entirety, please click here to be redirected to the techexchange.com library.
Seminar Offerings at [TC]²
June 2 – 4 |
Pattern, Grading and Marker Development |
[TC]² offers a 3-day crash course including apparel patternmaking, grading, and marker making that is a condensed version of our popular Pattern Development and Grading for Fit seminars. Patternmaking terminology and principles related to sloper manipulation, drafting from measurements, and the derivation and application of grade rules from specifications and measurements will be introduced during this program. The relationship between patterns, markers/production and final garment will also be discussed.
June 10 |
Lean Strategies for Product Development |
This one day program explains how lean concepts apply to a company’s product development area and the hindrances which block the path to effectiveness.
Key areas of “waste” are spotlighted that lead to many other areas of improvement.
The seminars will be presented at [TC]²’s facility - 5651 Dillard Drive, Cary, NC.
For additional information on these programs or to register, contact Debra Gill at 919.653.3501, or use our contact form.
To download or print a copy of [TC]²’s 2009 seminar offerings, click here (pdf).
Call for Presentations
5th Annual SizeUSA User Group Meeting
**New Online Webinar Format**
[TC]² is soliciting submissions from academic and commercial SizeUSA users for inclusion in a one-day SizeUSA webinar update. This online user group meeting format will provide more attendee accessibility and lower the cost of participation – which will be free for existing SizeUSA users and those who submit approved presentation content.
[TC]² will be presenting its latest research on shape and sizing analysis, especially with regard to virtual product development and virtual fashion. Its new avatar creation capabilities utilizing SizeUSA data will be highlighted.
The webinar date will be announced in the next Technology Communicator newsletter. An outline of proposed program content should be sent to Kerry King (via our contact form) for consideration by May 15th . If you have questions, please contact Kerry at 919.653.3523.
Connecting Through Creativity, Technology and Business
Designers and Product Developers Meet the Challenge
August 12-13, 2009
Philadelphia University, Philadelphia PA
‘Connecting Through Creativity, Technology and Business’ is a symposium for professionals working in design and product development areas of the textile, apparel, home furnishings and related soft goods industries. Program attendees will have the opportunity to hear from a diverse group of experts that will address topics and issues related to:
• Sustainability
• Emerging technologies for product design, communication and production
• Product design and management within the global supply chain
• Innovation in product design
• Maintaining and/or generating creativity among designers
• Managing product cost and quality
In addition, attendees will have the opportunity to network with other professionals in the design field and discuss technologies and business strategies that support innovation, creativity, and sustainability as key factors in the development process for soft goods.
Confirmed speakers include: Duncan Ross, AVA CAD CAM; Tom McCall, TCM Group; Datacolor (speaker to be named); Joy Boutrup, Designkolen Kolding; Lisa Hayes, Drexel University; Gary Barraco, ecVision; Dani LoCastro, First2Print; Gerber Technology (speaker to be named); S. Lee and Michael Pope, Kwantlen Polytechnic University; Jill Simmons, Lectra; Trevor Little and Lisa Parillo-Chapman, North Carolina State University; Gretchen Morrisey; Marcia Weiss, Philadelphia University; Scott Constance and Kevin Schwartz, PRTM Management Consultants, Inc.; Kerry King, [TC]²; Joe Walkuski, TEXbase; Duncan Neil, University of Ulster, Belfast; and Ellen Piper.
Click here to register. For program details, click here.
Co-Produced by
[TC]², AATCC, and Philadelphia University
[TC]² Activity
Implementing “Lean” Product Development
By Tim Curran, [TC]²
"Lean" is defined as performance without waste, with waste being any activity that does not add value to your customers. “Lean” concepts have been applied in manufacturing for decades to remove days from a delivery schedule. Applying these “Lean” concepts within Product Development (PD) and sourcing can remove weeks and even months from a development calendar. This is achieved by identifying and reducing the non-value added activities from your development and sourcing departments. There are eight types of waste that exist in every business and [TC]² has developed a unique methodology for identifying areas for improvement and developing an action plan for improvement. [TC]²'s Business Process Alignment (BPA) for PD and Sourcing operations enables companies to strip months out of the concept to delivery timeline while reducing costs. This process also provides huge benefits as a precursor to PLM Software Initiatives, as well as after the project completion. Also, our unique BPA service offers tremendous value for companies who are planning to acquire or have acquired a new brand. The scope of a PLM implementation or brand acquisition is enormous and making sure that your people and processes are aligned is a must.
To learn more about lean product development practices and how implementing them can benefit your business, attend the Lean Strategies for Product Development seminar on June 10th. Click here for registration information.
Member Profile - Edge of Urge
By Karen Davis, [TC]²
Edge of Urge, located in historic downtown Wilmington, NC, is a boutique and an independent design label specializing in products that are handmade, DIY, innovative, and creatively crafted. President and CEO Jessie Williams is a clothing designer and visionary who brings her appreciation and understanding of quality, individuality, color, form, lines, and texture to all her efforts. She draws her inspiration from the infinite potential these attributes lend to fabric, needle and thread. Specializing in high quality jerseys, Williams constructs pieces with a luxurious feel and a perfect fit that move with the body. This quality of clothing is attained through a free-hand technique rather than using a set pattern, allowing the fabric to actually be draped on the body creating a much more natural fit.
Open since 2002, the store has expanded to include the boutique on one level, design studio on the second, and a third level contains screen printing equipment.
The boutique has been listed in the New York Times travel section as a place to visit/shop as well as cited in Lucky and other major fashion magazines. Actors on the television show, One Tree Hill, have appeared in the brand’s designs, and several segments have been filmed in the shop. The store has received many accolades, including being named Wilmington’s Best Women’s and Men’s clothing store for 2009; Best Women’s for 2008, and Williams was one of five finalists in the fashion category from hundreds of entrants in the Race to BE USA. The Race to BE is the signature event of Global Entrepreneurship Week/USA, developed to encourage young people to leverage their artistic abilities in film, music and fashion into entrepreneurial endeavors. Hip-hop pioneer, clothing designer, and entrepreneur Russell Simmons hosted the Race to BE competition on October 2, 2008 at the New York Stock Exchange.
 |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|
Designs by Jessie Williams |
The Edge of Urge boutique includes offerings from other independent designers to provide a matchless collection of unique, one-of-a-kind items for its clientele.
"I enjoy the challenge and the opportunity to earn the trust of a client - it is even more rewarding to see them return for something new or special. I am thankful for such loyal and supportive following, not only in my hometown but internationally. I design and make many custom orders for all shapes, sizes and paths all over the world. I have even made wedding dresses for people I have never met in real life,” comments Ms. Williams.
On May 9th, Edge of Urge is organizing a fashion show/handmade market fundraiser in Wilmington to benefit the DREAMS Center for Art Education organization, which provides free-of-charge, high-quality classes in the creative, visual and performing arts to economically disadvantaged children ages 8-17.
Important Dates
May
12-14 |
FESPA Digital Europe, in Amsterdam. Go to www.fespadigital.com for conference information. |
19-21 |
Apparel Sourcing Show- Guatemala, for more information http://www.apparelexpo.com/apss |
28 |
Fast Fashion in a Recession, Los Angeles, for more information click here (pdf). |
June
2-4 |
Pattern, Grade and Marker Development - Seminar at [TC]² . For details, click here. |
4-6 |
SPESA Annual Meeting - Loew’s Portofino Bay Hotel, Orlando, FL. For information or to register go to www.spesa.org. |
10 |
Lean Strategies for Product Development - Seminar at [TC]² . For details, click here. |
For detailed information about industry events, visit www.techexchange.com
Thanks to the techexchange site sponsors
Apparel Magazine, Gerber Technology, Lawson, Lectra, Methods Workshop and Reach Technologies.
A Look Ahead in the Newsletter
PeruModa
FESPA
View previous editions of this newsletter
[TC]²
5651 Dillard Drive
Cary , NC 27518
www.tc2.com
Phone: 919-380-2156
Fax: 919-380-2181
Email our editor:
If you are not on our mailing list and wish to receive this bi-weekly newsletter, via email:
To subscribe to the newsfeed, copy and paste the following URL into your newsreader:
http://www.tc2.com/newsletter/newsfeed.xml
If you would prefer not to receive this free bi-weekly newsletter, and wish to be removed from our mailing list:
