Every issue, GRAZIA USA highlights Game Changers, who inspire, educate, and celebrate individuality, beauty, and style. Meet Jackie Trebilcock, the New York Fashion Tech Lab managing director pushing the boundaries of fashion, innovation, and entrepreneurship to create new solutions for modern consumers.
I have worked in fashion for the last 20 years in various capacities. In addition, I have been an entrepreneur, founding several small companies in the fashion and digital media space. This experience specifically applies to what I currently do with New York Fashion Tech Lab, which helps to connect leading retailers and brands with early- to growth-stage startups developing solutions for the industry. Understanding how the fashion industry functions—as well as knowing the pain points and challenges of being an entrepreneur—provides a well-rounded perspective.
The companies and women in our program are looking for exposure and connections to key retailers and brands, investors, and industry experts as well as support from a group of peer founders. To date (since 2014), the lab has worked with more than 64 emerging tech companies.
Certainly, 2020 brought a lot of change. For the Lab we shifted our mostly in-person experience, 12-week program, and opening and closing events to digital and virtual. This has its benefits and barriers. Ease of connection is wonderful and can allow for more exposure. The ability to meet and see a demo in person is still valuable, though, and we are working on ways to do that safely.
There has been a spotlight on needed disruption. The last 18 months has accelerated this for all; specifically for fashion — and retail in general. Most of the needs brought to light in the last year or so were already top of mind across the industry. This includes a long list of technology solutions that ultimately take out any friction for the consumer via the retailer and brand, which can include things like fit solutions, visual search, delivery, augmented and virtual reality, customization, personalization, NFTs and so much more. Each of these solutions ultimately helps the consumer have a more personalized experience, which includes reducing any friction via the user experience, and creating an environment and process that is in line with how purchases are made today.
As far as changes to the fashion industry, it is actually happening currently. That is the exciting part! There is no denying that how we engage, consume, and shop has drastically changed and continues to do so. This is not only a 2020 outcome; it was already happening. Those leading the charge at these retailers and brands need to continue to keep their finger on the pulse as to the new and emerging technology solutions that are being created to be forward-thinking and to improve the customer journey.
If I could wave a magic wand and see real progress, aside from health and safety for all, it would be the adoption of more technology solutions for this actual sector. The connection with and to these early innovators is a key way to learn, test, iterate, and potentially adopt solutions that can make a difference. This adoption will allow consumers to make better decisions and choices, and—with many of the technologies we are seeing—also help the planet and our future via solutions we are tracking around sustainability and the circular economy.
