Retail revolution: Combining technology with tailoring

Published on Sunday 18 October 2009 12:28

IN M&S you might be a size ten, in Harvey Nichols it's more likely to be a 12 and in Gap it's an eight.

But even within these fairly wide parameters, invariably your trousers are too long, the hips too wide (or the waist too small), the sleeves too droopy and the body too short. Which all makes a mockery of the phrase retail therapy. No wonder bags and shoes are so popular; shopping for clothes is likely to leave most of us hot and bothered.

Face it. Traditionally sized clothing generally looks better on the hanger than it does on the body. Of course, bespoke tailoring would be the answer; if only it wasn't so expensive.

Fifteen years ago, the development of body-scanning technology was hailed as a revolution for fashion. Taking a woman's precise measurements – from thigh-width to arm-length and depth of torso – would mean the days of trouser hems scraping the ground and shirts bursting at the bust would be consigned to history. In theory.

At the time, Patrick and Jenny Gardner were at the helm of the cutting-edge Hungarian design team Studio Artista. Determined to make the most of this emerging technology, they sent a mailshot to 5,000 British women asking what they wanted from their wardrobes. "I knew from the minute the replies flooded through the letter box that I was on to something," says Patrick. "Since that day, I don't think there has been a moment when I haven't felt that, if we could get it right, this was really very important and industry-changing."

However, turning the technology into fashion reality proved tougher than first imagined, taking nine years of the couple's time – and 4 million of their cash. "It was much, much harder to do than I thought when I first got started. I think I could fairly say that if I'd known how hard it was going to be I'd never have started. However, we kept at it and, internationally, we're probably the last man standing on this."

The breakthrough came thanks to a collaboration with Glasgow University, which had the know-how to combine the scanning potential with, crucially, a high-quality end product. Jenny, originally from Edinburgh, was happy to head back north of the Border, and so a revolutionary Scottish project called Innova was born. However, to set them further apart from those companies that have already tried and failed to use body scanning effectively, they enlisted the services of three leading Scottish designers to create an la carte menu of clothes.

First, they brought in Deryck Walker, who cut his fashion teeth on the Gianni Versace design team in Milan. Now going it alone with a studio – and soon-to-open shop – in Glasgow, he has collaborated in the past with John Smedley, Topman and Asos. Scottish Style Awards designer of the year, he is known for impeccable tailoring with a quirky edge.

Next to come on board was Vidler & Nixon – which has dressed the likes of Sienna Miller and Kiera Knightley, and whose main collection is one of just five key brands in the Harrods concept store – and Niki Taylor of Olanic, hailed as an "up and coming star of style" by Vogue. Her edgy designs have already caught the eye of Lauren Laverne and Katie from the Ting Tings. "They are all talented designers producing very different collections," says Gardner. "So we'll have four collections: the three of theirs and our own, which is more core-wardrobe kind of clothing."

Further research proved they were on to a good thing. "We've been talking to women – more than 1,000 in Glasgow – and almost without exception they have issues about some aspect of their clothes, whether they are too long, too short, too big or too small. We found no two women had the same body shape and they all have particular quirks – bumps in the wrong places and bits that stick out."

From this Friday, clients can go to Innova's sumptuous studio in Glasgow, get their bodies scanned and have their colours done, to determine which shades suit them best, before picking out their custom-made outfits – choosing everything from the colour of a lining and number of buttons on a jacket to the length of trousers, where the zip goes and whether they want belt loops or not.

Which all sounds expensive, right? "I think we'll be significantly cheaper than places like Austin Reed or Jaeger," says Gardner. "A whole outfit will probably be in the high 200s, which I think is pretty good value. You don't have a big stock of clothing, you don't have shops and you reduce the return rate, so there are some major cost savings there."

The actual scanning process – which doesn't cost the customer a thing – takes around a minute, as long as you don't move around too much. Gardner says one happy shopper admitted to having a large glass of wine with lunch before her appointment – "I had to scan her five times because she kept swaying."

It's almost like going into a full-size photo booth – wearing just a vest and shorts (supplied by Innova). A bank of digital cameras takes a series of pictures, which are then transferred to a computer to create a virtual body shape that will be your personal "fingerprint" to buying any future outfits online. "We don't deal in sizes at all," says Patrick. "We deal in shapes, and every woman has her own body shape. We see the whole thing as a fun experience," he adds. "Two or three women might go at the same time. It's a different experience to going shopping but not every woman enjoys getting clothes, taking them into the changing room, trying them on.

"We're saying to the world: here is the first really new way of providing clothing since the invention of sized clothing. Eventually, if this works, the big retailers will be selling Innova clothing alongside sized clothing. We're hoping to use the women of Glasgow to get it right for the women of the world."

Innova, 21 Blytheswood Square, Glasgow (www.innovaclothing.com)

The shape of things to come

DERYCK WALKER

"I love collaborating. It educates me and wakes me up to new ideas. I tailor by fittings, doing it by hand, but this was almost like a vending machine – you walk in and you walk out with a suit. As a fashion designer, I thought this could be really cool."

The Glasgow-based designer taught himself how to make clothes after women kept coming to him complaining that they couldn't find anything that fitted properly. "I learned so much about shape and size because I realised women are so different. It's always, 'I can't get trousers to fit me', 'I can't get a skirt' – they have short legs, long backs... It made me a lot more sympathetic because men are so easy – most guys are dead straight. "This is a great opportunity. And the fact that it's starting in Scotland is brilliant."

He adds, "I don't know who the Innova customer is yet – it could be anybody. I think there's something in there for people aged from about 18, and Mum is going to be one of my models, and she's 60."

Walker has taken Innova's own tailoring and added signature touches from his own collection. "My colour palette was navy with some fluorescent or metallic edges, so it's still very smart but it just has a wee bit of dazzle to it.

"It's very sexy and provocative in structure – throughout the 15-piece collection, piping on the garments has created a framework that enhances some aspects of the body and minimises others. This tailoring aspect has allowed every line to bring out a woman's shape, creating the ideal silhouette every time."

www.deryckwalker.net

KERRY NIXON, VIDLER & NIXON

"To me, this is one of the most exciting developments in fashion in the last 15 – if not 50 – years," says Kerry Nixon, of the Glasgow-based design duo.

"The real reason we got involved was to check out the technology, but the more we looked into it the more we realised it had huge potential.

"It's brilliant to be involved in the project because it's at the forefront of technology and it's high fashion – it ticks all the boxes for us."

The appeal also lay in the fact that, because she and fellow designer Stefan Vidler specialise in tailoring, Innova offered a perfect way to bring their brand to a wider audience. "Who can really afford a Savile Row suit? And to be honest, women don't really have access to custom clothing. Savile Row caters mainly for men, yet women would find it more beneficial. We are the ones with the strange shapes. I find it horrendously difficult – I'm quite little so I find it hard to find trousers to fit."

Vidler and Nixon have taken their inspiration for the Innova collection from 1940s Paris. "We're known for flowing shapes and quite an elegant, sophisticated look so we're using fabrics that are quite vintage-looking: herringbones, some gorgeous toiles.

"We've got a selection of pieces – seven outfits – and they're all separates, so you can mix and match. There are cute little cropped jackets, high-waisted button-up trousers, and we decided to put in a coat and a trench coat as well because they're our signature items.

"Normally you can't get high fashion over a size 14 – sometimes even just a size 12, if they're being really snobbish about it – and the great thing about this is that it's so accessible. It goes up to a size 20. Women, particularly those who are a size 14 or above – are going to love it."

www.vidlerandnixon.com

NIKI TAYLOR, OLANIC

"I'm intrigued with new innovation and technology and am always looking at ways of doing things differently in fashion," says the Edinburgh-born designer. "I like combining old techniques with new technology."

The appeal, then, of working with Innova is obvious. "Anybody would love to have something tailor-made for them," she says. "The amazing thing about this is that it's quite affordable. So you'll be able to have designer details along with something made to measure for your body, but at a reasonable price – it's quite an amazing offer.

"It allows everyone to access a couture service, and it will change the way we buy clothes. It is very exciting for the industry, and I just had to be involved. "

She has taken elements from Olanic's main collection to create her first range for Innova. And it's shiny. "A lot of women are wearing silver, metallics and sequins as daywear now, and I really like that.

"There's always a rock 'n' roll edge to Olanic, so I thought I'd add a bit of a futuristic element to a more traditional trouser suit. I've also concentrated on little details; tried to feminise the suits by adding bows."

There is a blouse and a dress, plus some suits – jackets and trousers – all in a muted palette of black, grey and silver, but with a twist. "I'm also using silks with a polka-dot lining, so when you open up the coat or jacket, there's a cute edge to the garment.

"When people actually see the fit of the garment, the difference a proper fitted suit can make, they'll be convinced," she says. "I think a lot of people don't even realise that the clothes they're wearing could look so much better."

www.olanic.co.uk

This article was first published in Scotland on Sunday on 18 Octoer 2009