Kornit's London Fashion Week Puts the Spotlight on Sustainability

Over the last few days, designers, artists, models, press, and more came together for Kornit Digital’s Fashion Week event that took place in London. The event — which kicked off on Sunday, May 15^th, and ran through May 17^th — is the second for the company’s 2022 lineup, with the first taking place in Tel Aviv in April.

Designed to disrupt the face of fashion, Kornit’s Fashion Week “is an expression of what we can accomplish when technology and the fashion world come together to solve the really big issues,” according to an article written by Omer Kulka, chief marketing officer for Kornit.

The London event opened with a gala featuring designs by Manish Arora — produced on-demand and sustainably with Kornit technology — and supplemented with a virtual reality presentation that illuminated his creative process for attendees before connecting it to the physical realization of those inspirations. “Kornit is enabling the connection between the virtual world and brilliant, finished apparel, unleashing creativity in new and fascinating ways,” said Kornit CEO Ronen Samuel in a statement. “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. Kornit embraces this potential with our leadership — from inspiration to the consumer’s door, powered by technology.”

The London experience featured a couple days of runway shows that included designers such as LOVE HERO, Just Hype, Ahron Genish, and more. These shows further blurred the boundaries between digital and physical with virtual performances built into some.

While the fashion trends of today were clearly on display throughout the entire event (can you say bold, bright colors?), the big conversation and focus was on the challenges currently facing the industry: overproduction, water waste, and current economic issues.

That’s where the numerous panels and keynote speakers came in. Monday, May 16^th, and Tuesday, the 17^th, were filled with industry names speaking on such topics. Monday kicked off with a keynote presentation given by Bill McRaith, former chief supply chain officer of PVH, titled “Are You and Your Partners Ready to Meet Changing Consumer Demands?” Other topics given by various presenters and panelists included “The True Cost of Traditional Fashion Practice – And Our Alternative” and “Connecting the Dots for Change.”

“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 McRaith in a statement. “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.”

“Kornit is flipping the script to supply by demand rather than produce for inventory,” added 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.”

To watch some recap videos of the event, visit Kornit’s Instagram and LinkedIn accounts.