Customers
Portland User Meetup: Navigating the 3D Journey at Columbia
Adrianne and Johanna reflect on their experiences working at Columbia as the company navigates its 3D journey.
About the Company
Perry Ellis International is a global fashion house that represents a diversified portfolio of fashion lifestyle and licensed brands including premier names such as Perry Ellis, Perry Ellis America, An Original Penguin by Munsingwear, Laundry by Selli Segal, Rafaella, Cubavera , Savane, and Nike swim and a leader in the golf industry with brands such as Callaway and PGA Tour to name a few. As a global lifestyle brand that creates high-quality apparel and accessories for both men and women, with a focus on innovation, the company constantly looks for new ways to push the boundaries of the fashion and sports lifestyle to create fresh, versatile, and on-trend apparel for its customers. From material sourcing through to product packaging and supply chain management, together with its retail partners, Perry Ellis International is a longstanding advocate for environmental sustainability, seeking to reduce fashion’s environmental impact through various global initiatives.
The Need for 3D
Through a combination of online education through Browzwear’s e-learning platform Browzwear University, with support from several Browzwear 3D superusers, the Design and Technical Design teams began to familiarize themselves with the software. With no time to waste, the Technical Design team began to build a custom block library of the company’s core styles that would enable designers to begin their creative process without having to construct each garment from scratch each time.
“ Our goal is to focus on efficiencies and speed to market and by utilizing 3D garment blocks, designers can quickly grab their base pattern, adjust it according to their design concept, visualize aspects such as logo and pocket placement, and finalize it in a matter of seconds. As the different teams enhance their knowledge and skillset in 3D and define new methods of operation, we have adopted a digital mindset first mentally, as we work to gear up the supply chain for what’s next to come,” stated Oscar Feldenkreis , CEO & President, Perry Ellis International.
As with any new technology, the adoption phase often requires a shift in mindset, and the willingness to adapt to new strategies. However, for the design teams at Perry Ellis, the impact was almost immediate when it came to the production of salesman samples (SMS). Spearheaded by Sr. Director of Innovation at Perry Ellis International, Isaac Korn , the company began its 3D rollout with Browzwear towards the end of Q1 of 2021. “ Working in 3D is so much more than just a realistic rendering, if our designers are utilizing pre-approved garment blocks that also exist as physical products, there is no longer the need to leverage physical samples when they already know what works and what doesn’t and can therefore implement any feedback instantly,” says Isaac.
The Impact of 3D
In such a short amount of time, the company has seen a remarkable impact since implementing 3D technology into the workflow. “ Not only have we been able to shorten our apparel calendar by 2-months, but we have also managed to conduct business in a sustainable fashion and reduce the number of Salesman Samples by over 50%, a true benefit for us,” stated Oscar Feldenkreis , CEO and President. “As over 80% of our brands already utilize 3D technology and enjoy efficient digital workflows, they are able to take advantage of 100% digital selling.” This ultimately eliminates the physical aspect of the SMS process, which historically, has been one of the most wasteful and longwinded. “We are practically giving time back to designers to do what they do best – design!” he adds.
The Next Steps
Kicking off the process with a block-driven approach, the company is now looking to expand the usage of 3D per product category, as well as onboard more team members to VStitcher. The journey with a block-driven approach has allowed the company to expand the usage of 3D and set up digital standards for all product categories. “We are living in a digital age where customers are looking to do business with manufacturers and designers who are well-versed in 3D, as it provides them with an advantage offering advanced speed, efficiency, and agility,” says Isaac.
As the company, in its early stages of 3D adoption, looks toward the future, Isaac hopes to further utilize the technology for virtual fitting purposes, digitizing even more fundamental components of the product development process. By creating custom avatars with their target audience in mind, their designers will have the ability to create core sizes in 3D.
“ Not only have we been able to shorten our apparel calendar by 2-months, but we have also managed to conduct business in a sustainable fashion and reduce the number of Salesman Samples by over 50%, a true benefit for us.”
“Working in 3D is so much more than just a realistic rendering, if our designers are utilizing pre-approved garment blocks that also exist as physical products, there is no longer the need to leverage physical samples when they already know what works and what doesn’t and can therefore implement any feedback instantly.”
In this interview, Isaac Korn of Perry Ellis International discusses the process leading to the company’s successful adoption of 3D technology, and the way forward:
Benefits of 3D for Perry Ellis International
The number of Salesman Samples was reduced by over 50%
2-months shaved off the apparel calendar per season
Improved brand communication
Valuable time is given back to designers