N Brown uses 3D scanner to improve the fit of its garments
Manchester-based online clothing and footwear retailer, N Brown, is using digital technology to improve comfort for its customers.
It has teamed up with social enterprise Fashion-Enter to collect customer body scanning data to further improve the fit of its products.
Across its portfolio of brands, which includes JD Williams, Simply Be and Jacamo, N Brown specialises in clothes that fit and flatter in a broad range of sizes.
In 2019, the group invested in 3D body scanning technology to support this aim and further improve the fit of its products. With 20 sensors recording more than 150 body measurements, N Brown’s scanner has enabled its team to analyse body shape and sizing, facilitating 3D product development.
To maintain an up-to-date, accurate representation of customers’ body shapes, N Brown regularly invites members of the public to be scanned.
Next Tuesday and Wednesday (June 27-28), the N Brown 3D scanner will be at the FC Designer Collective shop in Islington, London, a Fashion-Enter programme.
As a supplier to N Brown for the past three years, Fashion-Enter has worked closely with the group on the manufacturing and repurposing of clothes.
The data collected over the two-day event will be used to create master patterns and 3D avatars for product development, providing a more accurate reflection of customers’ body shapes, facilitating further improvements and consistency of fit for N Brown customers.
Use of the technology also supports N Brown’s sustainability goals by helping product teams to be more efficient, reduce the volume of physical samples, lower return rates and increase customer satisfaction.
Jenny Holloway, Fashion-Enter CEO, said: “Working with N Brown over the last three years has been excellent. They were able to support Made in the UK through the worst of the pandemic and now, during this time of economic hardship, they continue to do so by repurposing garments.
“N Brown has also kindly provided garments for recycling classes that will take place over the two-day event. A great opportunity for our customers to create their own designs and receive free garments.”
Angela Gaskell, group sourcing, sustainability, quality and fit director at N Brown, said: “We have a ‘think circular and right first time approach’ to product design. This relies on our customer body scanning data to create our 3D design avatars, so events like this are hugely important to improve product fit further.”
