Position Paper Lingerie

Lingerie Market
Overview
Lingerie has maintained steady
growth in the current economic
context. A staple of nearly every
woman’s wardrobe, recent years have
seen the interest in lingerie surge, especially
for name brand and luxury undergarments.
New technologies and materials offer companies
more options for creating innovative products for a
hungry consumer base. The marketplace is hugely
overcrowded, forcing companies to differentiate
themselves with compelling designs and
exceptional fit. Interestingly, some brands
and manufacturers are entering the retail
market to capitalize on a sector whose
growth shows no signs of slowing,
particularly in the BRIC regions.
Specific
challenges
The process of making
lingerie is as delicate, complex
and demanding as the final
product. Developing a lingerie collection presents numerous challenges,
from the intricacy of patterns and materials,
to sizing and quality requirements. Comfort
is a big concern. Subject to the pressures of fast
fashion, controlling cost in lingerie development
is particularly difficult considering the expensive
materials, significant prototyping requirements
and precision required in production. This
puts enormous pressure on designers
and product developers to keep
styles fresh and maintain high
standards, all while meeting
budget constraints.
Where fashion and technology meet.
lectra.com
A question
of style and fit
Technology
solutions for Lingerie
If there’s one sector where fit is crucial,
it’s lingerie. The variety of feminine forms
and sizes and lingerie’s close-fitting nature
demand that patterns be precise and
consistent to fit comfortably and encourage
consumers to return to the same brands.
Garments that lie close to the body naturally
require higher quality standards, both in
terms of fabric choice and construction.
Visibility and flexibility are key to overcoming
lingerie’s unique challenges. Integrating
production constraints early in design and
development gives companies a way to
achieve more accurate material estimates
and the power to simulate different production
scenarios. Unexpected events, such as textile
quality issues, can be tested and planned for
to avoid impacting margins or calendars.
Fine lingerie uses many expensive silks,
satins, sheer and elastic fabrics, as well as
delicately embroidered or textured materials,
laces and trims, all which contribute to high
material costs. Color matching this diversity
of fibers adds complexity to development,
particularly when communicating with
suppliers.
Perfect fit and high quality are facilitated
through the use of advanced pattern making
and 3D prototyping solutions. Dynamic size
charts, pattern interdependence, all-size
grading and automatic updates reduce error,
improve consistency and save time.
Determining which laces to use and how
to place them on products can also be a
very tedious and inaccurate task without
the right tools. Keeping detailed product
information organized and sharing it can
be a daunting task without a way to control
and communicate product details efficiently
and accurately among teams. Production
is just as important, as all pieces must be
accurately cut to make up a proper
and comfortably fitting
garment.
$209,74
Average annual
spending on lingerie
among 15-24 year-olds in
Europe and North America
Visualizing designs in 3D before physical
samples are produced allows designers to
evaluate style details–such as lace or motif
placement and color and component choices–
onscreen, to ensure choices are both beautiful
and cost effective, with fewer prototypes.
A PLM solution that links design, development
and production can improve information
sharing. Changes and approvals are easy to
track and manage throughout development,
which facilitates supplier relations, no
matter where teams are located.
Lectra for Lingerie
With 40 years’ experience in the fashion
industry, Lectra has the technology and
expertise to help lingerie companies
overcome style, fit and manufacturing
challenges. Lectra’s design, development and production solutions help
the world’s most prestigious lingerie
brands reduce time to market, increase
quality and cut down on costly samples
to preserve margins and meet
business objectives.