Print specialist Kornit Digital and social enterprise Fashion-Enter have opened what’s said to be a first-of-its-kind Fashtech Innovation Centre in London, as they pledge to bring on-demand fashion and textile mass customisation back to the UK. The companies have aspirations of “modernising the fashion industry” and “driving more efficient and sustainable production” with the help of its state-of-the-art printing solutions.
Situated at Fashion-Enter’s headquarters, the centre will showcase Kornit’s arsenal of direct-to-fabric and direct-to-garment solutions, with a particular focus on spotlighting their sustainability credentials. According to Kornit’s most recent Impact and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report, 30 percent of textile production is overproduction. That said, the Israeli innovator believes its proprietary technologies can streamline the supply chain whilst significantly reducing resource use. The Fashtech Innovation Centre will provide prototypes for brands so they can explore how such solutions can benefit their operations.
“As our partner ecosystem continues to grow globally by aligning with such leaders as Fashion-Enter, companies are realising just how powerful sustainable, on-demand digital production can be and the countless inherent benefits it provides,” said Chris Govier, President Europe, Middle East, and Africa, Kornit Digital.
“We are pleased to put these technologies on full display in our new joint Fashtech Innovation Centre and bring on-demand manufacturing back home to the UK. Whether you’re a brand, apparel provider, custom fabric fulfiller, or creative designer wondering how to handle the next major market disruption, grow product lines, create a more eco-responsible and accountable production floor – or just want to waste less – the centre will help you achieve these goals.” In tandem to this, the site will also serve as an academy for training production, with Kornit’s Presto and Atlas Max technologies amongst the facility’s roster.
“This Innovation Centre makes it possible to capture the full, end-to-end production process in one, single location,” said Jenny Holloway, Chief Executive Officer at Fashion-Enter.
“The beauty of having print on demand means there are no minimums, so we can make one garment, or we can make up to 30,000 garments a week from all locations at the same fixed cost. Here, we can also train future generations on the right way of producing garments for today, responsive to demand, with minimal waste—ethical and sustainable. This is the future of fashion and textiles.”
