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A New Generation of Business Models Combine Tailoring and Technology. By Emily Walzer oncerned about the impact of fast fashion's carbon footprint and spectacu- lar levels of textile and apparel waste, today's forward-thinking manufacturers are elevating the age-old concept of custom-make by investing in high-tech plat- forms built for efficiency, low minimums and transparency. The latest thinking is that future supply chains will be defined by "localized on demand place-based manufacturing" fash- ioned for an environmentally and socially responsible industry. "We need to go back to how clothes used to be made to understand the true cost of the good. In the last 50 years we've lost a relationship to how clothes are made," explained Tara St James, founder of the ethical womenswear brand Study NY, and Re:Source, a textile library. "When you can by a t-shirt that costs less than a cappuccino there is a disconnect." St James, speaking during the Fashion & Sustainability Summit 2020 (virtual) Series, added, "The future is about independent brands and new business models that will share a common thread of being able to adapt and pivot." A good example is Unspun, a hybrid fashion tech company that uses 3D body scans to create custom-fit jeans to order. Sustainability is the cornerstone of the business. Taking its cue from history and a custom-cen- tric approach, zero-waste and zero-inventory is a top pro- duction priority at Unspun, according to Beth Esponnette, co-founder of the California firm. According to McKinsey's latest Fashion Climate Change report, of the 110 billion garments made in the world, 60 percent will go to landfill. Esponnette added that in the U.S. there is $5 billion worth of unsold inventory and 50 per- cent of all textiles go to waste. Adapted for today's Covid- impacted world Unspun customers are now able to do their own body scans via a phone, to create a virtual avatar that supplies measurements and necessary fit information for indi- viduals chosen style of jeans. Speed and scale-ability are also paramount. The brand recently launched a collection with H&M in Stockholm. "They emailed body scans to the U.S., we did the tech and sent it back. It was all done digital," said Esponnette. "We are working on fast turn- around with the goal to make product in a couple of hours." Similar sustainability goals of streamlining the supply chain to reduce inventory ring true at OnPoint Manufacturing. "Our mantra is sell one, make one, ship one," explained SVP of sales Dave Prentice. Named 2019 Alabama Manufacturer of the Year, OnPoint can manufacture unique garments in any quantity on demand. "We are trying to shake things up," said Prentice. OnPoint's factory model auto- mates and integrates nearly every aspect of the manufacturing process from order entry to deliv- ery. The integrated components, driven by complex software solu- tions provide SKU's on-demand. When Covid suddenly upended manufacturing, OnPoint shifted to mask making within 36 hours of the initial crisis. "We proved we could pivot," said Prentice. "That's where manufacturing is going: On-demand orders and quick turnaround." Tending to Customer Needs Chung Yu knows all about adaptability. "Our business is constantly evolving," explained Yu, director, MCM Enterprise, based in Brooklyn. "We adapt with the times. First we did pri- vate label, then more cut and sew, and now its more small- batch USA for fast turnaround," said Yu. The company currently works with 100 different designers, whereas in the past the firm focused on three big retail cus- tomers. Yu explained that with an industry and economy that is ever changing, "we try to be C SUSTAINABILITY | SUPPLY CHAIN A Modern Make Beth Esponnette "We are working on fast turnaround with the goal to make product in a couple of hours." Chung Yu "Going forward you'll put a design on a virtual platform and anybody can download it, knit it and own it." Today's forward- thinking manufacturers are elevating the age-old concept of custom-make by investing in high-tech platforms. 46 • November 2020 sportstyle • sportstylemag.com

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