IFA Paris Set to Launch a Ground-Breaking Fashion Tech Innovation Lab Autumn 2019

IFA Paris is set to launch a revolutionary fashion tech innovation lab based at its Paris campus in the 19th district.

This autumn 2019, IFA Paris is excited to be launching their fashion tech innovation lab that will be situated in a 400sqm industrial space. The first of its kind in Paris, it will contain dynamic co-working spaces, tech demo room and an experimental maker-space equipped with cutting edge technical equipment to support the development of fashion tech solutions. The lab will enable students, startups and businesses to work alongside each other – creating the opportunity for them to make extraordinary leaps in fashion and innovation.

As part of the school’s efforts to pioneer fashion tech in France and beyond, the ground-breaking lab is designed to complement IFA Paris’ new program in Fashion Tech Innovation. Individuals will be nurtured to become the next fashion innovators of tomorrow and to do that they need not only world-class teaching but a hands-on experience through industry collaborations all set to happen within the lab. The fashion tech outputs will be displayed within the elegant tech demo area, which will also play host to industry events. Jean-Baptiste Andreani, Managing Director of IFA Paris, notes: “Our role as educators is to dispel stereotypes by making our students aware that technologies such as VR or AI are tools to foster creativity and not to restrict it.”

One of IFA’s partner is Neue, a fashion tech company based in Stockholm. They enable digital fashion by offering brands, designers, universities and agencies a complete platform for connected fashion. On working with the French University, Neue Lab Creative Director Kim Gustafsson said: “The lab will take on edgy commercial projects and will act as an in-house innovation spot connected to IFA. You can see similar collaborations in London (FIA+London College of Fashion) and New York (Infor Design and Tech Lab+Fashion Institute of Technology)”.

The lab will facilitate academic and  commercial activity, such as that with Coty, Fusalp and Zadig & Voltaire. IBM, a leader in digital innovation, will partner with the lab by bringing their expertise and forward-thinking vision to future proof the fashion industry. Lectra and The Bridge Fashion Incubator are other well-known partners, and in line with the lab’s philosophy of interconnectedness, emerging -startups like sizing specialists Bodi.me and 3D software provider TG3D will complete the stellar line-up of collaborators.

ALSO READ: Fashion School IFA Paris & Fashion Tech Company Neue Labs Bring Innovation to the Classroom

With the lab due to launch in late September 2019, Arnaud Pelletier, IBM Studios Paris Lead said: “IBM’s approach, led by the Studios, is dedicated to helping our clients in the fashion industry benefit from technologies, whether it concerns the in-store experience, trend analyses, sales optimization, customer knowledge or supply chain optimization. We provide Design Thinking and innovation methodologies to foster co-creation and guarantee the value of the initiatives brought to the market.”

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