Understanding the French Fashion Tech Ecosystem
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UNDERSTANDING THE FRENCH FASHION TECH ECOSYSTEM 2021 ABOUT About This White About Foundry About IFA Paris Paper Powered IFA Paris is a fashion school that offers students around the This white paper was created by by IFA Paris world a vast range of unique and Foundry Powered by IFA Paris, tailored courses at undergraduate a fashion tech lab based inside Our goal is to pioneer fashion tech in Paris and beyond. Foundry Powered and postgraduate level. We give International Fashion Academy. students the choice to study in All our partners and members by IFA Paris is driving the shift to solve complex industry problems three of the most globally influential are working at the intersection of fashion hubs – Paris, Shanghai and fashion & technology with a goal shaping the future of fashion. We aim to do this by providing specialist now in Istanbul that sets us apart to create new opportunities for the from other fashion schools. fashion industry. Whether this be spaces, programs and access to within the themes of sustainability, a network of individuals in areas Our value lies in our exposure to the retail or industry 4.0, this white paper from fashion and tech through to world and the interaction that allows highlights the initiatives happening entrepreneurship. Dedicated to the 50 nationalities constituting its globally and locally. Subsequently bridging the gap between academia student and teacher body to share we are creating a dialogue for the and industry, we’re actively in the projects and daily life taking various stakeholders endeavouring working with start-ups, students place within our schools. to make a meaningful impact within and organisations to push the boundaries of fashion tech. fashion tech. www.ifaparis.com Foundry’s unique ecosystem Note to Reader ensures that it is able to empower About Beyond those that wish to embrace digital This white paper was written with full transformation. The fashion tech Form independence. The organisations lab is an initiative launched in Beyond Form is a venture studio and initiatives featured inside this partnership between IFA Paris, building impact-driven fashion white paper have been done so at a fashion school with campuses technologies. They're on a mission the full discretion of the authors. in Paris, Shanghai & Istanbul, and to modernize the fashion industry Foundry Powered by IFA Paris Beyond Form, a fashion tech through tech innovations across has not received any financial venture studio. the value chain, and in turn create compensation or required to fulfill a more sustainable and efficient any partnership obligations with this Contact Us fashion system publication. 18 - 24 Quai de la Marne, Paris, 75019, France. Beyond Form partnered with IFA Paris to launch the fashion tech www.foundryftlab.com innovation lab in 2019 and runs the [email protected] Startup Program. Every 6 months founders from all over the world are welcomed to Paris to work with the Beyond Form team on building out their early-stage fashion tech businesses. www.beyondform.io Authors Paloma Bouteleux, Vongai N. Ruzive, Creative Director, VRTUOZ Lab & Community Associate, Foundry Powered by IFA Paris Contributors Anne Faubry, Arnaud Pelletier, Peter Jeun Ho Tsang, Consultant, IBM Studios Paris Director, IBM Studios Paris Director, Beyond Form & Foundry Powered by IFA Paris Page - 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 01 . FOREWORD P.4 0.2 INTRODUCTION P.5-10 Fashion Tech At Foundry Powered By IFA Paris P.5 Definition: Fashion Technology P.6 Spotlight: Stylé P.7-8 Fashion Tech Revolution Viewed by IBM Studios Paris P.9-10 0.3 MACRO OVERVIEW // EUROPE P.12-16 The Makers P.12 A Deeper Look Into The European Activity P.13-14 COSME & DeFINE P.13-14 UK & London P.13-14 Accelerators & Start-up Programs P.13-14 Spotlight: BFC P.15-16 0.4 MICRO OVERVIEW // FRANCE // PARIS P.18-22 LA French Tech P.19 Defi Mode P.19 Private Entities // France // Paris P.19 Viva Technology P.21-22 Station F P.21-22 0.5 FASHION-TECH SPECIFIC PROGRAMS // FRANCE // PARIS P.23-24 LVMH // La Maison De Start-ups P.23-24 IMPULSE by VeePee P.23-24 Platform A // Adidas // Plug & Play P.23-24 0.6 CONCLUSION P.25 0.7 GLOSSARY OF TERMS P.26 0.8 BIBLIOGRAPHY P.27-30 0.9 REFERENCES P.31 FOREWORD It has only been in recent years the relatively small fashion tech where the capabilities of technology ecosystem and why cultivating has been taken seriously by fashion such systems are important for brands, who are still somewhat ensuring that talent is supported nervous in fully embracing in their growth phases. This is innovations within their businesses. currently taking form in a variety of 2020 provided an even bigger ways including, fashion tech specific wakeup call to the industry with accelerator programs, competitions, supply chains severely disrupted, conferences, venture capital and physical stores closed, and teams educational courses. However, working 100% remotely due to there’s more yet still to be done for COVID-19. This sudden change industry-wide acknowledgement. Peter Jeun Ho Tsang has not fared well for many fashion Recent figures show that 85% of Director, Beyond Form & retailers, which has seen them corporates1 say that innovation Foundry Powered by IFA Paris going into bankruptcy. However, is an important element of their what the pandemic has done is growth strategies, yet only about shed a spotlight on fashion tech The tension 10% if innovation projects are and the urgency for the industry actually completed. For brands, it to embrace technology at greater between fashion can be a daunting task navigating speeds and with agility. and technology the world of fashion tech in order The founders of fashion tech start- to successfully execute innovation has been bubbling ups have suddenly become the pilots, especially when there is away for the past white knights for many parts of the currently no go-to reference point. fashion industry. Take for example, Therefore having an understanding decade, with both the huge explosion of 3D digital of what is happening within the fashion within the past 12 months, ecosystem is important for fashion industries trying to which was relatively ignored for the brands as they turn to fashion decode the other’s last 20 years but is now proving tech solutions, entrepreneurs and to be a viable method for creating, initiatives to help them to modernise language. producing and showcasing fashion. their organisations. It’s no longer as The pandemic is also highlighting scary as it once was. what is and isn’t working within 1. Coplex, 25 Corporate Innovation Facts, https://www.coplex.com/25-corporate-innovation-facts 2020 Page - 4 FASHION TECH AT FOUNDRY POWERED BY IFA PARIS Since the fashion tech lab launched This is a clear indication that at the end of 2019, we have seen the incredible talent is out there ready push on technological innovations to work with the fashion brands to through fablabs, makerspaces and make a better industry. 18 hackerspaces as well as push for We have also seen a keen interest textile innovations in major cities STARTUPS TO DATE from larger organisations which in around the world, however, fashion 2021 sees the launch of lab projects tech-focused spaces are still yet with partners such as Li & Fung, to be fully explored in France. The Global Brands Group and Le New French fashion capital has been a Black who are partnered with laggard in launching fashion tech smaller Foundry partners such as initiatives compared to the other Capassity and TG3D Studio. The fashion capitals which have been larger brands are not only interested 70% FEMALE launching programs as early as the in the startups, but also the future late 2000’s. The reason for this is generations of fashion professionals mainly that most of the operating that will be graduating from our MBA fashion brands in Paris are still Fashion Technology program that traditional in many ways. commences in 2021 (which is also Nonetheless, this has slowly seeing talent from all over the world started to change and we have fly into Paris). This demonstrates seen an increase in the number that there are opportunities being 20% SECOND of fashion executives interested created at all levels of the fashion TIME FOUNDERS in the possibilities of integrating tech ecosystem, with a wide variety technologies into their businesses. of perspectives and influences In addition we have seen many coming into play. entrepreneurial talents wanting to However, much of the fashion tech come to Paris to lead that change ecosystem is still fragmented and with the launch of our Startup confusing for anyone wanting to Program in April 2020. approach the subject. This white 75% FOCUSED ON To date we have accompanied 18 paper sets out to illustrate exactly SUSTAINABILITY early-stage fashion tech start-ups what is currently happening, where hailing from all corners of the globe and why. Our goal is to string the including USA, Canada, Vietnam, dots together for the readers of this Turkey, Lebanon, South Africa and guide in order to be better informed all over Europe. Of the founders when commencing any fashion tech that we are working with, 70% initiative. are female, 20% are second-time 80% FROM OUTSIDE founders, 80% are from outside of FASHION INDUSTRY the fashion industry and two thirds are focusing on sustainability. DEFINITION: FASHION TECHNOLOGY Without a clear framework, fashion The industry is facing a “cultural tech is often overlooked within revolution” as described by Ian the fashion industry - especially in Rogers, former Chief Digital Officer France where fashion is renowned at French luxury conglomerate, for its traditions and heritage.