On February 11, the Première Vision Paris show opens its doors, welcoming, for the first time, fashion tech and sustainable fashion, in a common exhibition space. Igor Robinet-Slansky, press officer of Première Vision, explains why to Le Boudoir Numérique.

By Ludmilla Intravaia

Le Boudoir Numérique : This edition of Première Vision now brings together exhibitors of eco-responsible materials and services and those of fashion tech, in a single space dedicated to innovation, Smart Creation. Why did you make this choice ?

Igor Robinet-Slansky, press officer at Première Vision : Indeed, this new Smart Creation space is the result of the merger of two spaces, hitherto separate, Wearable Lab, created in 2017, for the February editions, in order to explore innovations for connected and intelligent fashion and Smart Creation, launched in 2015, for the September editions, to promote a fashion that is more respectful of people and the environment. However, by observing what is happening on the market, we have realized that, both for eco-responsible products and for tech, more and more players and proposals emerge and are renewed regularly, in a context where the demand for information from visitors continues to grow, all year long. We felt that they might be frustrated if they discover the recent eco-friendly alternatives only in September. This is why we wanted to present them also in our February editions, alongside with fashion tech to create a semi-annual event, where eco-responsible innovation and technological innovation would meet, and, above all, interact together.

What do you mean by that ?

Smart Creation is a place of innovation, where technologies will be able to support eco-responsibility. Take one of the Smart Technology exhibitors, for example, the Singaporean company BroWZWear, which offers design software to create 3D clothing. Basically, this production optimization technology promotes financial savings but associated with a brand that would like to be more eco-responsible, it also reduces prototypes, scrap fabric and textile waste. Likewise, the Russian company Verisium integrates chips into clothing which, once scanned, make it possible to verify the authenticity of a product. The primary goal of this technology is the fight against counterfeiting but it can also support the desire for transparency and traceability of brands and consumers. The Swiss firm Polygiene is developing a technology to prevent the spread of odor-causing bacteria so that you can wear clothes several times between washing. Garments are less damaged, more durable and less energy is used to maintain them. It is the same logic of durability for the stains and sweat-resistant cotton shirting fabric of the French company Induo. The idea is that innovations can serve multiple missions, including eco-responsibility.

Verisium stand, in Wearable Lab space at Première Vision, February 12, 2019, in Villepinte (© Le Boudoir Numérique)

Does that mean that fashion tech has an important role to play in the service of sustainable fashion ?

This is one of the tracks for the future and even a very near future because many startups are already interested in this question, especially since, on their side, many eco-responsible solutions are also the fruit of a significant investment in research and development. I am thinking in particular, among our Smart Materials exhibitors, of the Japanese company Spiber whose patented protein fibers come from spider silk, by an environmentally friendly fermentation process or the Spanish research laboratory Greendyes which develops natural dyes, pigments and additives for the textile industry, as an alternative to traditional chemical dyeing. This is why, it seemed important to us to bring all these innovative initiatives together, in the Smart Creation space, which will now take place twice a year, at Première Vision.

* Première Vision offers a series of conferences, among which the following are dedicated to technology :

- February 12, 2020, 12 PM : "In conversation with Google Jacquard" concerning textile innovation and how designers can integrate these new materials into their creative process.

- February 12, 2020, 5 PM : "Blockchain 101 for Fashion and Luxury" which explores how blockchain can be useful to the industry.  

- February 13, 2020, 3:30 PM : "3D Design Vision of Sport ‒ in the heart of the creative process" proposing an overview from design to materials and retail.

* The exhibit “Mutations”, on the theme of biomimicry, explores the connection between technology and nature, in the Smart Creation space. Alongside these works on display, the MateriO’ material library presents around thirty innovative materials, currently rarely or never used in textile manufacturing.

Première Vision program is here.

* Première Vision Paris is taking place from February 11 to 13, 2020, at Parc des Expositions in Villepinte. Première Vision website is here.

* Websites from brands and startups mentioned in this paper : BroWZWear, Verisium, Induo, Polygiene, Spiber, Greendyes.