For this special episode, Emma speaks to Andreu David, the Vice President of SOURCING at MAGIC and is joined by Ben Hanson, the Editor-in-Chief of The Interline.
Together, the three discuss how technology has become a deep part of many fashion professionals’ day to day lives, and how software, hardware, and innovation are touching and transforming the workflows of fashion professionals – from creative design to sourcing, production, sustainability, and marketing.
This is something SOURCING at MAGIC – which is part of the MMGNET Group (formerly Informa Markets Fashion) – know is the driving force behind some big evolutions in how milestone fashion industry events, are integrating technology into both their live shows and the year-round content and communication around those events. For several seasons they have been putting fashion technology at the heart of some of the industry’s biggest events in North America, including bringing The Interline on board as partners.
The exchange between Andreu and Ben explores the evolving relationship between fashion and technology, highlighting the changing personas and roles within the industry. They delve into the critical themes of sustainability and AI, discussing their significance for fashion, and the conversation also offers insights on how all stakeholders in the fashion industry can tackle major challenges and seize opportunities through creativity, community, collaboration, and technology.
Listen to the full 35-minute show below (or by following The Interline Podcast through your podcast / audio app of choice) and read on for some additional details.
Key talking points from Emma’s conversation with Andreu and Ben:
- The most important strategic considerations for fashion brands at the moment and what is shaping the industry’s direction most strongly today.
- Why it is important for technology to be represented at long-running, milestone events like SOURCING and how this has evolved over the past few years.
- How fashion’s attitude to technology has changed over time, and how much of that is down to the technology itself versus the industry mindset.
- The way that the personas and the people involved in technology have shifted and why that has happened.
- A deeper exploration of the cornerstone themes of sustainability and AI for the upcoming SOURCING at MAGIC events in August in Las Vegas, and September in New York.
- The importance of having a platform where vital industry conversations happen year-round – not just during live events.
- Whether technology – for big enterprises, micro-brands, and everyone in between – needs to be bespoke for each group based on the challenges currently facing the fashion industry.
- Essential advice for all of fashion’s stakeholders on how to navigate some of the industry’s biggest challenges, as well as how to grasp its biggest opportunities.
Upcoming events and reports:
Don’t miss the fusion of fashion and innovation this summer at SOURCING at MAGIC in Las Vegas from 19th to 21st August, and then in New York from 22nd to 24th September. You can also find out more year-round by visiting www.sourcingatmagic.com. Explore where style intertwines with technology, offering a glimpse into the future of sourcing.
With a forward-thinking approach and commitment to the evolution of the global apparel supply chain, SOURCING at MAGIC consistently provides access to emerging fashion technology, solutions, sustainable resources, educational content, networking, and extended visibility into the industry’s most critical global issues.
And be sure to check out our recent AI Report 2024, which is sponsored by MMGNET, as well as keeping an eye out for the next instalment in our Fashion Technology Foundations series of downloadable reports soon – this one focused on the fundamentals and the future of generative AI.
Catch up and follow the show:
Use the embedded players above to listen to the latest episode of The Interline Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, to catch up on episodes from our past, or to follow the show on those popular platforms so you’re notified when future episodes release.
The Interline Podcast is also available on most other podcast platforms – simply search for us in your listening app of choice. And look for our next episode very soon.