Browzwear and Metail Partnership

The ability to see virtual 3D garments on real people enables businesses to better leverage 3D technology to eliminate samples and speed time to market.

September 22, 2020
Browzwear , a global leader in 3D technology for the apparel industry, announced a partnership with Metail to integrate its EcoShot 3D garment-on-model technology. As an extension of Browzwear’s VStitcher design solution, the powerful visualization tool serves as a virtual photo studio, enabling businesses to showcase clothing to real people. This capability facilitates decision-making, communication, collaboration, and merchandising while reducing the need for physical samples.

The integration is the product of a three-year collaboration between Metail and Browzwear followed by an extensive beta testing and review process with key customers, including Otto International, part of the Otto Group, one of the world’s leading privately owned multi-channel retail groups, PUMA, the third-largest sportswear manufacturer in the world and Odlo, a global leader in performance sportswear.

EcoShot’s realistic visualizations are made possible by combining VStitcher’s accurate simulation of garments and Metail’s “Scanatars.” The Scanatars are digitized versions of human models created using 3D body scans, photography, and computer vision algorithms.

In addition to EcoShot’s value as a tool to improve communication and “sell” concepts to internal stakeholders, which speeds product development and time to market, EcoShot renderings can also be used instead of physical samples for merchandising, consumer testing, and eCommerce. This capability became especially valuable to fashion businesses challenged by the inability to produce and ship physical garment samples during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“EcoShot images are even more convincing than regular 3D, as customers less distracted by avatars can better accept that this is what the garment will look like in real life,” said Katharina Bobrowski, General Manager featuring LIMITED, the virtual product development division of Otto International. “Also great is that, because only approved ideas are turned into physical samples, we save a lot of time as well as the resources we’d otherwise use to make multiple samples for each garment.”

“When Covid-19 travel restrictions caused our global 360 Go-To-Market meetings to be switched to a digital event, EcoShot gave us the flexibility to show our 3D garments on real people,” said Bernd Sauer, Apparel Development Director at PUMA. “EcoShot helped ensure that our Go-To-Market and Business Units chose to incorporate 3D garments into their virtual merchandise planning for the next season.”

“We’re elated to incorporate Metail’s EcoShot technology into VStitcher and enable businesses to get more out of their investment in 3D,” said Joy Foo, Strategic Partnerships and Solutions Director of Browzwear. “We also believe the amazing true-to-life visualizations made possible by the Scanatars will help more businesses realize the impact that incorporating 3D technology into their workflows can have on creativity, efficiency, and revenue.”

“At Metail we believe that technology, and especially 3D design tech, is fundamental to a more sustainable future for the fashion industry,” says Jim Downing, CEO of Metail “We’re excited to work with partners like Browzwear to help brands and manufacturers forge ahead, using solutions like EcoShot”

VStitcher users can now add Metail’s plugin and seamlessly render Metail garments. Register and watch Browzwear’s webinar on the practices of Selling with 3D hosting featuring Ltd and Metail today.

* Garments and rendered images courtesy of featuring ltd.