New Products and Services from ADOTO, Optimer Performance Fibers, Sportif USA and Winterland
ADOTO Inc. has developed a solution designed to help apparel brands and retailers better understand customer fit preferences. ADOTO, which means "my fit" in Italian, was founded in 2000 by Cynthia Holcomb Rosendahl, whose career has included design work with Jantzen and Speedo, the launch of her own contemporary knit dress business (later sold to Jerell) and in-house and consulting roles with the Nordstrom Product Group. To use the ADOTO system, which is patented and can be licensed, apparel businesses would create product profiles for each style, capturing 72 data points, including color, fabric cut, country of origin, fabric content and various fit measurements, among other things. Then when firms are reviewing their POS sell-through data, they can refer to ADOTO profiles to identify traits of strong sellers vs. poor sellers. The ADOTO profile data can be sorted for a variety of different views to help apparel firms hone in on key trends. Rosendahl said the system takes some of the guesswork out of merchandising decisions (i.e., why does one pant sell so much better than another?), and also can help product developers address potential problems (for instance, quality problems with goods sourced in a particular country). Twenty-six software engineers have developed the ADOTO solution, and the firm's chief technology officer is a Nintendo veteran.
www.adoto.com 503-830-2139 [email protected]
Optimer Performance Fibers' Dri-release with FreshGuard moisture management textile technology is going into the 2005/06 technical line of Salomon XA Pro socks. In a unique approach for performance apparel, the new socks are engineered to work with the foot and footwear. Salomon's trademarked "Sensifit Zigzag" design is knit into the socks, which are built to work in tandem with the Salomon's XA Pro running shoe. The socks' mesh panels pair with the shoe's design to accelerate breathability, and the left and right anatomical shape of the socks helps to ensure a firm foothold. "The sheer number of technical and graphic styling features place these socks in a performance category all their own," said Karen Deniz, president of Optimer's European division and of marketing for Optimer Performance Fibers.
www.salomonsports.com or www.optimer.com
Sportif USA is rolling out its 2006 "Aventura" women's clothing line this month. Targeted to women ages 30 to 50, Aventura's latest collection has been created to be friendly to the environment and healthy for consumers, with a strong commitment to organic cotton and sun-protective fabrics. Seventy percent of the cotton collection is made with organic cotton, and 100 percent of synthetic products use SPF fabrics. "Aventura integrates women's everyday clothing with everyday adventures," said Tom Williamson, vice president of marketing.
Winterland, a T-shirt label founded by one of the rock 'n' roll industry's earliest promoters, is making a comeback. The company, launched by Bill Graham, who is said to have invented the first, official rock 'n' roll concert T-shirt, is out to quench the market's thirst for vintage rock T-shirts. A part of Signatures Network, Winterland Productions has resurrected the original designs for T-shirts it marketed in the 1960s and '70s, including graphics featuring The Doors, KISS, Motley Crae, Meat Loaf, Fleetwood Mac and others from its artist roster of 19 bands and musicians. The goods retail from $13 to $57 at major retailers nationwide as well as boutiques.