Kornit Hosts Kornit Fashion Week London 2022

Kornit Digital is disrupting the fashion status quo during Kornit Fashion Week London, May 15-17 at the historic Freemasons’ Hall. The event highlights the power of digital production to transform an industry transitioning from the challenges of waste and overproduction to sustainable, efficient production.

Kornit Fashion Week London kicked off on Sunday, May 15 at 8pm UK with an opening gala featuring designs by world renowned Manish Arora – produced on demand and sustainably with Kornit technology, supplemented by a virtual reality presentation that illuminates his creative process for attendees before connecting it to the physical realization of those inspirations.

The following days offer spectacular runway shows combined with keynote and panel sessions by high-profile fashion industry experts addressing critical industry topics. The Kornit press event will take place on Monday, May 16 at 1pm UK at the Freemasons’ Hall.

“Attendees who experience Manish Arora’s virtual reality presentation drawing a direct route from his imagination to runway collection at our opening night gala will understand how we’re transforming what fashionX can and will be,” said Ronen Samuel, CEO at Kornit Digital.

“Kornit is enabling the connection between the virtual world and brilliant, finished apparel, unleashing creativity in new and fascinating ways,” added Samuel. “This program offers a glimpse into a completely new experience, from the moment of inspiration to the moment a cherished garment arrives, satisfying and invigorating every creator, brand, producer, and consumer throughout the fashion value chain.

“According to a new report by McKinsey & Co., the new face of this industry is digital and on-demand – with investments in technology expected to double by 2030,” Samuel continued. “Kornit embraces this potential with our leadership – from inspiration to the consumer’s door, powered by technology. We’re excited to explore these trends at Kornit Fashion Week, demonstrating the brilliance, diversity, and values of visionaries leading this transformation.”

The runway program by producer Motty Reif incorporates 12 outstanding designer collections created in days using Kornit’s on-demand production – each challenging the limits of creativity, color, and imagination. Attendees will explore the new ways Kornit is driving sustainability and efficiency in a fashion industry eager to overcome challenges of overproduction (30%) and water waste (95%).

In addition to the numerous fashion collections on display, another renowned designer, Preen by Thornton Bregazzi, will debut their “Breakfast in Bed” collection of home décor applications, also created using Kornit on-demand capabilities.

Keynote Sessions

According to McKinsey, three-quarters of fashion companies surveyed see shipping disruptions as the greatest threat to flexibility and speed. Seventy-one percent say they are looking to increase nearshoring by 2025 — bringing manufacturing sites closer to their consumer market — and 24 percent are planning to reshore manufacturing to the same country of operation as the brand.

The keynote and panel discussions explore exactly these critical industry issues such as the shift towards nearshore production, developing responsive, conscientious operations balancing responsibility and profitability, and achieving agility to meet changing customer demands.

“In the fashion world, success demands a great deal of agility – developing a global production structure and manufacturing footprint that strikes the right balance between cost and an ability to respond quickly to ever-changing consumer demands is critical,” said Bill McRaith, ex-chief supply chain officer at PVH, a company with an acclaimed house of brands including Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein. “Many of the rules that made the fashion industry successful over the last 30 years just don’t apply anymore. Companies must take a fresh look at their internal processes, value chains, inventory models, and the appropriate balance between producing product offshore and onshore. We’ll learn how to thrive during this transformation at Kornit Fashion Week London.”

“Kornit is flipping the script to supply by demand rather than produce for inventory,” concluded Samuel. “We are confident that fashion will change forever with a digital-first mindset, liberating brands and fashion producers from the waste quagmire, clearing a path to generations of boundless self-expression, unlimited creativity, and sustainable consumption. Those joining us in London will see and understand that complete new creation journey, fully realized by Kornit and our partners in fashion and tech innovation.”

VIP attendees are also invited to demo tours at the Kornit/Fashion-Enter Fashtech Innovation Center to observe the digital, sustainable, on-demand production experience – from inception to delivery of a finished garment, in real time. During these sessions, participants will join live demos of digital production of designs in action – acting as a catalyst for nearshore production and bringing fashion and textile manufacturing back to the UK.