A Trip Down Memory Lane: Browzwear’s 2021

2021, a year in which we all hoped to return to normality , has taught us there is a new normal that we have learned to adapt to our daily lives. 2020 presented the world with many new obstacles, however, the inevitable shift to digitzation gave many businesses the opportunity to adapt to the digital age. Over the past year, digital transformation has not only been a path to survival but is now embraced by many companies as a crucial step in enhancing their value chains, and future-proofing their businesses, resulting in many technological advancements across a variety of industries.

For Browzwear, 2021 has been a year of great milestones, fruitful partnerships, and advanced innovations in which we are excited to share:

Sustainability Initiatives

Fashion’s historical reputation of being one of the most wasteful global industries, accounting for about 8-10% of global carbon emissions is something that we strive to combat. Last April, in honor of Earth Month 2021, we sat down with sustainability experts to gain valuable insights into how apparel businesses can take on more sustainable strategies to contribute to a greener industry. With that in mind, we took it upon ourselves to launch our very own Environmental Impact Calculator to enable designers to get an idea of how much carbon dioxide and water can be saved by increasing the number of styles that can be designed in 3D instead of creating physical samples.

We also collaborated with Cotton Incorporated to give VStitcher users the ability to leverage minimally processed cotton fabrics and create unlimited styles while reducing textile waste throughout the process. To ensure that every aspect of a garment is covered, we joined forces with Ideal Fastener and expanded our YKK asset library, to enable designers to work with fully-digital, eco-friendly, and recyclable zippers throughout the design workflow.

Cotton Incorporated Collaboration

Fruitful Partnerships

From our design-forward partnerships with premium providers of innovative textile solutions, Polartec® , multinational manufacturer of adhesive labels, and tags, Avery Dennison , in collaboration with Substance by Adobe , and global trend forecasters, Fashion Snoops. To learning-focused initiatives with Vietnam-based Bridgt Atelier and Otto International which saw the launch of several Digi-hub training centers in both Bangladesh and China. We also partnered with the industry leader in 3D Content Management Software, VNTANA , further expanding the use of 3D from B2B through to eCommerce. 2021 has been a year of digital upskilling and educational expansion, and we are able to attribute both to our long-standing and new partners who have played such an essential role in helping us revolutionize the 3D fashion industry.

Partnership with Polartec®

Memorable Milestones

We were thrilled to have earned our first institutional financing round of $35 million from growth equity firm, Radian Capital. This was an outstanding accomplishment for us at Browzwear, the investment will further reinforce the value of digital transformation and connectivity across the fashion industry’s ecosystem. In addition, the funding round will enable us to drive the delivery of our goals for platform development and market expansion. “The fashion industry has made great strides toward digital transformation, but there’s so much more we can do. We at Browzwear have an ambitious vision for a future in which systems and tools throughout the ecosystem are connected,” said Avihay Feld, Co-founder, and CEO of Browzwear.

$35M Growth Funding Round by Growth Equity Firm, Radian Capital

Influential Achievements

Following this exciting announcement, we were honored to have been named on the 2021 Fortune Impact 20 List, dedicated to companies that are doing well while doing good through digital innovation. “We are extremely honored to be among the elite group of companies recognized by Fortune as successful businesses that are also having a positive impact on the world around us,” said Sharon Lim, CEO, and Co-founder of Browzwear. We were also thrilled to have received this year’s SBR Award for Enterprise Software in the Apparel Industry, for our collaborative efforts with leading activewear manufacturer, Bodynits .

2021 Fortune 20 Impact List

Company & Community Growth

We are constantly in awe of the talented members of our Indie Program , which we have recently launched in China, and are delighted that we have gained over 1000 new Indie Program members in 2021 as well as 19 new Professional Guild members with more to come. We were also thrilled to welcome several new executive hires to the Browzwear family, including Eric Cheung , Chief Financial Officer, Derek Rathel , VP of North America, William Tan , Managing Director, Greater China, and Hanan Lifshitz , VP of Products – we’re pleased to have you on board!

“Joining Browzwear has been a really great experience for me – from collaborating with amazing product managers, engineers, and fashion designers to enabling some of the world’s most influential brands to unlock the value of 3D. I can’t wait to see all the powerful features that we’re currently working on now come to light in 2022 – it’ll be exceptional!” says Hanan Lifshitz, VP of Products.

Webinars & Events

Earlier this year, our enlightening VStitcher and Daz3D Animation Workflow webinar conducted by the world’s first all-digital modeling agency, the Diigitals , gave viewers a sneak peek behind the scenes of a state-of-the-art animation featuring Browzwear’s VStitcher Animation Workspace and avatars by Daz3D . We also co-hosted a style-focused webinar with Fashion Snoops , giving viewers the opportunity to gain expert insights into the upcoming trends for Fall/Winter 22/23 and how to best recreate them in true-to-life 3D by leveraging 10 pre-defined trend blocks.

Fashion Snoops Collaboration

We were thrilled to participate once again in the Digital Zero-Waste Challenge as part of the Redress Asia Design Competition in collaboration with TAL Apparel Group, during which the finalists took on the task of transforming digital deadstock fabrics into new garments using VStitcher. In addition, several of our Indie Program members took part in the very first New York Digital Fashion Week , creating outstanding looks for the digital runway.

Kicking Off In-Person Events

In March 2021, we were overjoyed to be back at an in-person event once again, participating at the CHIC, China International Fashion Fair, in Shanghai, which brings together representatives across the entire apparel supply chain to explore new business opportunities and share innovative insights. It had certainly been a while and we were thrilled to be back! Later on in the year, our North America team represented Browzwear at PI Apparel New York in November 2021, exploring the strategies and technologies practiced by some of the most forward-thinking fashion, apparel, and footwear companies globally. We hope to see more in-person events take place in the coming year.

Innovations & Upgrades

As our software continues to evolve and our family of Browzwear avatars continues to grow according to user feedback and industry demands, 2021 saw the release of brand new, feature-forward version releases for both VStitcher & Lotta. Firstly, the launch of the 2021.1 Edition , focusing on enhancing our users’ 3D visualization capabilities as well launching our very own dynamic VStitcher Animation Workspace , allowing users to see their designs in motion. Next up was the 2021.2 Edition which was geared toward upgrading the user experience for a sleeker, simpler, and more streamlined 3D design workflow.

Simultaneously, we also launched the third course series, VStitcher 301 , of our on-demand learning platform, Browzwear University , which covers a range of advanced topics and workflows from additional avatar features and pattern shape functions to renders and exports, as well as releasing the platform in French , broadening digital upskilling across the globe. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for more courses and languages to come on BWU! To accompany the learning process, 2021 saw the release of our new and improved Browzwear Help Center and integrated Community Forum for an all-in-one content search experience with the ability to interact and share ideas with other Browzwear users around the globe.

Our Growing Family of Parametric Avatars

Inspirational Stories & Captivating Campaigns

During the pandemic when global lockdowns kicked in, the Browzwear team brainstormed ways to brighten up the lives of parents and children who were stuck at home. In collaboration with our talented Indie Program members, we decided to step into the imagination of children and bring their fashion drawings to life , with the magic of 3D. Independent designers who took it upon themselves to onboard to the world of 3D are always a source of creativity and we love learning about their digital journeys.

Children’s Fashion Drawings Brought to Life

Throughout 2021 we caught up with a variety of talented 3D designers including, Astrid Hanenkamp , Robert Bazeley-Harris , Afsha Iragorri , and others to hear their first-hand experience with 3D. Members of our professional guild also took part in The Diigitals ‘It’s Only Love’ campaign for SID magazine , creating breathtaking designs for the world’s very first digital supermodel, Shudu .

The Diigitals X SID Campaign

As we ring in the new year, we are very much looking forward to another year filled with flourishing partnerships, creative innovations, and memorable milestones. See you in 2022!