Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/925208
STRATEGIES | RESOURCES 44 • Textile Insight ~ January/February 2018 textileinsight.com Online Services are Making a Big Impact on Many Industries, Including Ours. By Suzanne Blecher n our ever-connected world, important innova- tions are happening online. Here Textile Insight takes a look at three web-based offerings to see how they translate into the textile community. Cyber Sourcing In sourcing textiles for apparel and interior brands, Benita Singh traveled the world. She often met innovative and sustainable suppliers who did not exhibit at international trade shows. In starting Le Souk, "I wanted to put these suppliers online so that their sole marketing channels were not just word of mouth and sourcing trips," said the exec. As the site connecting designers and mills has grown, all types of suppliers (even those who exhibit at shows) have joined. Through the platform, a designer can visit the latest collections from suppliers via Le Souk's online showroom technology, view high-resolution expert textile photography, read mill/tannery profiles highlighting specialties and innovations, and order swatches for next day delivery in the New York City area. In turn, suppliers can get new leads anytime, anywhere. Searches can be customized by end use, composition or country. Categories include fashion, interiors, leathers and fur, artisan, organic, Japan and Supima offerings. "Our most popular mills and tanneries have a clear commitment to offering something truly unique, creating it in a sustainable manner and producing at scale," said Singh. One vegetable-dyed cotton supplier in India has grown its business "meaningfully" through the platform, said Singh, while a recycled fish leather supplier in Brazil shares similar success. E-Education Becoming an entrepreneur can be a hard sell, especially for oneself. New designers "don't know where to start and what their next step should be," according to Jane Hamill, founder of Fashion Brain Academy. Hamill's The New Fabric Network Le Souk partner Klein Karoo.