- Danielle Wightman-Stone
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Sportswear brand New Balance has teamed up with fashion software company
Unmade to launch the customisable knitted trainer, the Unmade x New Balance
111 Knit.
Combining Unmade’s technology with New Balance’s manufacturing heritage,
the NB1 111 will be available on New Balance’s customisation platform and
will be offered in six colourways and three patterns, which consumers will
be able to manipulate to create their own knitted shoe upper with a choice
of graphics, colour and text, to create an entirely bespoke product.
The customisation experience is fully supported by Unmade’s
visualisation system, which delivers photographic renders of the customer’s
unique design before it has ever been made. It then connects to the New
Balance supply chain with Unmade’s patented algorithms that automatically
turn unique designs into production-ready data, marking the first time this
has been possible to the millimetre accuracy necessary for footwear
production, added Unmade.
The consumer experience can be curated and art-directed to the brand’s
specifications and may include mannequin shots, modelled studio shots and
lifestyle imagery, giving the customer a completely unique experience.
Unmade chief executive, Hal Watts said in a statement: “At Unmade,
developing partnerships with dynamic brands who have a genuine desire to be
demand-driven and customer-centric to reimagine the fashion experience is
absolutely fundamental to what we do.
“The fashion supply chain is broken, disconnected and needs to change –
we know it and our global customers know it too. Connecting demand directly
to supply and taking the guesswork out of fashion production is the only
way to evolve, and we love working with brands who grasp the importance and
urgency of these changes.”
Katherine Petrecca, general manager footwear, New Balance added: “Our
relationship with Unmade is helping us move our customisation offering to
the next level. The data that Unmade’s platform gives us has really pushed
the limits of what is possible in our manufacturing and fulfilment
processes and inspired innovation right across our domestic operations.
Without Unmade’s technology, it would have been technically impossible to
launch.
“At New Balance, we’re always looking for new ways to create truly
exciting customer experiences and the launch of the NB1 111 silhouette
helps us get closer to our customers, and further the ingenuity and
prestige of our brand.”
Images: courtesy of New Balance/Unmade
