INDUSTRY ISSUES
Next Steps in Fashion Tech: How New Tools Support Creative Work
By Dorothy Crouch, Contributing Writer | September 18, 2026
California Apparel News asked the fashion industry’s technology leaders: How are advancements in technology supporting creativity and artistry in fashion?
Google Unveils Plex Digital Banking Service
Technology company Google recently announced a digital banking service called Plex, which it will officially introduce in 2021.
Epson Unveils Printer for Direct-to-Consumer Biz
The direct-to-consumer business has skyrocketed in the past few years, and, in response to this boom, the Los Alamitos, Calif.–headquartered Epson has sought to support this segment of the apparel market with new technology.
3DLook Pumps Up Digital Body Measuring Technology
After winning a fashion-technology prize in 2019 from the luxury conglomerate LVMH, the parent company of Louis Vuitton, 3DLook, headquartered in San Mateo, Calif., intends to take its digital body-measuring technology a step further.
Zendesk Takes Customer Relations to Social Media
As digital commerce has skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, analysts have forecasted that doing business online will become even more important during the 2020 holiday season.
Social-Shopping Tools From Verishop Blend Social Media and E-Commerce Features
The social-shopping platform Verishop announced new features for its iOS application Nov. 9. The platform allows users to tag products, create and upload content to share on their own collection boards, as well as follow fellow users and brands.
Ortery Unveils StylePad to Support Fashion E-Commerce
Photography is an important part of selling any product in digital commerce and Ortery Technologies, which runs offices in Irvine, Calif., and Taiwan, has focused on developing automated-photography tools such as desktop photo booths, camera-control software and other items that allow digital-commerce entrepreneurs to take pictures of their inventory.
Shopify Announces Advertising Partnership With TikTok
Shopify, a global digital-commerce platform that includes a focus on small businesses, recently announced it was going to take a deeper dive into social media.
Retail-as-a-Service Business Re:store Acquired by b8ta
Expanding its retail-as-a-service reach into a heavier fashion presence, San Francisco–headquartered b8ta announced its acquisition of Re:store.
SML Group To Put Trims on a 3D Spotlight
Virtual showrooms have been increasingly popular since the COVID-19 pandemic put in-person meetings and events on hiatus. The SML Group has developed another way to virtually browse a garment’s details with its recently released Digitiz3D platform; however, its service will specifically focus on trims, labels, tags, buckles, buttons and packaging.
Aetrex Unveils Albert 2 3D Foot-Scanning Technology
New 3D-scanning technology introduced Oct. 26 by Teaneck, N.J., footwear-solutions company Aetrex Worldwide, Inc., has led to the launch of the brand’s Albert 2 scanner. Features including 3D measurements, pressure gauge, FitHQ software, and a voice-activated learning center affords greater profitability for retailers, in addition to aiding in the cultivation of customer loyalty.
Gerber Releases Atria Digital Cutter, 'Its Smartest Machine'
Gerber Technology has been developing automated cutting systems since the 1960s, and in November it will write a new chapter in its history of cutting systems when it releases the Gerber Atria Digital Cutter, which it calls the smartest machine to be manufactured in the company’s history.
Z Supply Unveils Digital Wholesale Platform
Z Supply, the Costa Mesa, Calif., manufacturer of contemporary women’s styles, is getting into the technology game.
Entrepreneurs Forecast What Will Be in Factory of The Future
The entire business of fashion has been undergoing major changes in the past decade. The Virtual Symposium, a webinar series produced by the TechTextil North America and Texprocess Americas trade events, charted what may happen next with manufacturing. The Zoom panels were webcast on Oct. 7 and 8.
GrooveNStyle Aims To Offer Digital Showroom With Human Touch
Over the past decade, there has been a demand for virtual-showroom platforms. Despite their success, all of these platforms have missed a crucial element of the business—sales, according to the founders of GrooveNStyle, a virtual-showroom platform scheduled to make its official debut on Oct. 19. The platform can be found at groovenstyle.com.
Marcela Martin Appointed as Squarespace Chief Financial Officer
The brand-building platform Squarespace has announced that Marcela Martin will join the company as chief financial officer on Nov. 1.
