After the premiere of the IV Edition of Atelier, David Luquin has reviewed and analyzed the current situation of how technology is applied to the fashion industry. "I see more technology associated with research in certain fabrics that can improve certain functionalities. Also everything that has to do with sustainability and traceability of the garment to know at what stage of the process it is, where it has been manufactured and if the guarantees of circularity are being met".
It has not been easy to launch an edition in the midst of the pandemic and with the uncertainty as to whether it would be as successful as in previous years. "When we launched this fourth edition, there was a certain generalized pessimism as a result of the pandemic. But when I contacted the brands to find out what they wanted, what their needs were so that we could adapt to them, their response was that if they had one euro, they would spend it on technology. They gave me to understand that for them that was one of the ways to get ahead. It is clear that the brands know that technology is a very important lever to get ahead".
Juan Manuel Barrionuevo, CEO of Copernion, at a round table at the second edition of Atelier by ISEM
Atelier by Isem is the first Spanish startup accelerator that combines fashion and technology. The director of the program specifies that -more than an accelerator-, it is a pooling between small technology brands and large companies. A model that, in Luquin's opinion, is very enriching for fashion companies for two reasons.
"First of all because, although it is true that introducing technology within their company may cause them some reluctance to possible failure, in addition to the costs of the processes in this situation of economic crisis, they are looking for something that is faster and easier to implement. A dynamic of get in, try it and get out. This is what Atelier proposes and it works very well because the big brands can test this disruptive and technological product.
And, secondly, another challenge for large fashion companies is to know how to work with entrepreneurs, with these startups that are inexperienced to a certain extent, but have the ambition to create something new or bring about a change.
There are many examples of disruptive technology that Atelier has seen during these four years: virtual fitting rooms, the problem of the returns system, the increase in conversion through the optimization of sizes, data mining through Machine and Deep Learning, Artificial Intelligence or Augmented Reality, David bets that retailers are able to know the customer and be able to follow them wherever they are, whether online or offline. "That is the key to technology today," said the director.
"There is a need to break away from standards and canons. Fashion is going to become more and more democratized. Trends are not going to be in two hundred, but in thousands of places. Everything that is knowledgeable about the user and what is happening is going to be fundamental."
David Luquin during the presentation of the launch of Atelier by ISEM
Where is Atelier by Isem headed?
A question that investor Juan Manuel Barrionuevo put to David Luquin to conclude the half-hour discussion. "Retail is going to go beyond fashion. It will be in more places than just clothing stores. It will not only be outfit, clothing, jewelry... It will be applied to many more things such as lifestyle or even the automotive sector, restoration..... And is that Atelier also has IKEA, who this year has bet on a smart startup that matches online and offline retailers in order to facilitate the management of online product returns. "It's clear that the technology in this regard can be replicated," David asserted. "The model works quite well. It is true that there have been failures, but we have had more successes even so because we are doing just what an investor wants, which is to come across a proven and interesting minimum product for the market and entrepreneurs who are eager to do something very good," recounted the director of Atelier by Isem.
After these first four years of Atelier, David wanted to show Clubhouse listeners his vision of the program. "My way of understanding Atelier by Isem is like the new version of the song American Pie, with Don McLean and Home Free, a group of young people singing a capella. Atelier in this sense would be that union between senior people and young people collaborating, working together and rethinking things that have worked to make them successful again.
