Lectra, WGSN bridge trend & retail gap at New York event

Lectra, the world leader in integrated technology solutions dedicated to industries using soft materials—textiles, leather, industrial fabrics and composite materials—and WGSN—the world’s leading fashion and design trend forecaster—introduced their recent partnership in North America with an event hosted in Lectra’s New York office.

This was the second in a series of worldwide events to celebrate the commitment of the two companies’ to bridging the gap between fashion trends, design and development, and production.

Forward-thinking companies and schools including The Apparel Group, The Jones Group, Fashion Institute of Technology, Parsons The New School For Design, and Walter Wilhelm Associates were in attendance.

After a welcome by President of Lectra North America Roy Shurling and an introduction by Julie Harris, WGSN CEO, WGSN Director of Content (East Coast) Maren Hartman unveiled the Autumn/Winter 2013/14 Macro Trends. Anastasia Charbin, Fashion Marketing Director, Lectra then outlined the broad strokes of taking a trend to retail reality and the importance of reactivity and a fast time to market.

She also highlighted the Lectra-WGSN Starter Pack and how collaboration between creative and technical teams can tighten the development process. Guests received an exclusive pre-release copy of the Starter Pack.

“I think this partnership is so logical and I wonder why it didn’t happen sooner," says Professor Tamara Albu of Parsons The New School for Design. “This is really how it should be: the trends going right to the industry with common stories. It’s not only inspiring, but useful as well, no question about it.”

A Starter Pack to jumpstart development

Lectra and WGSN developed the Starter Pack to illustrate what is possible when development expertise and trend knowledge merge to carry concept to production. A promotional kit available to both WGSN and Lectra customers, the Starter Pack includes design elements for six upcoming key looks intended to jumpstart creativity and inspired from WGSN macro trends. The kit is intended to give designers and development teams an inspirational basis from which to adapt trends and build collections. The complete Autumn/Winter 2013/14 packs will be free for download from the Lectra and WGSN websites.

Positive feedback from those in attendance

“The fact that you are offering a Starter Pack combining two areas of the business, design and IT, that typically don’t work well together and the fact that you are breaking those barriers is great,” says Enrico Lara of Hokura.