Lectra and Wgsn sign global partnership

Lectra, the world leader in integrated technology

solutions dedicated to industries using soft materials, textiles, leather, industrial fabrics and composite materials, and Wgsn, the global trend forecaster service have announce a new global partnership.

The aim of the partnership is to bridge the gap between fashion trends and design development, as the two leading authorities claim there is a process gap for many apparel and fashion companies, as the trend research and design development don’t work closer enough together. Together, the two companies will offer best practices to build a more streamlined and collaborative workflow between trends, design, and development.

The first starter pack for subscribers will look at autumn/winter 2013 womenswear, which Wgsn will edit macro trends to use as the basis for key looks, and Lectra will develop Wgsn’s colour and textile inspirations into a complete design package, including mood and presentation boards; printed, woven, and knitted fabrics; colourway suggestions; seasonal palettes and production-ready spec information. To really give designers an advantage, Lectra will also develop flat pattern blocks and 3D prototypes for key looks.

“Design and development have to be efficient from step one,” says Anastasia Charbin, Marketing Director, Fashion at Lectra. “A production-ready trend and design pack, complete with patterns and virtual 3D prototypes, gives designers and product developers an enormous advantage. The ability to visualize style, patterns, colour, and texture in 3D cuts their workload enormously.”

The partnership will be launched at several global events over the next few months, starting with London in May, followed by New York in July, and Shanghai in the autumn.