1.26.17
Epson, a leader in global textile printing innovation, today announced it will host its third annual Epson Digital Couture Project event on Feb. 7, 2017, leading up to Fashion Week in New York City. Built around the theme “Textile Stories,” 13 design teams from North and Latin America will leverage Epson’s world-class textile printing solutions in a one-of-a-kind fashion presentation, showcasing the limitless design possibilities fueled with its advanced digital imaging technology.
“In the high-fashion business, nothing stands still. The designer’s vision is constantly advancing, ultimately creating and driving fashion trends that change how we look and feel,” said Keith Kratzberg, president and CEO, Epson America, Inc. “Our goal with the Digital Couture event is to spotlight the power and potential that digital printing technology plays in the apparel industry. From haute couture to sports team apparel, Epson technology gives designers and apparel manufacturers the digital platform necessary to launch the next great design.”
Kicking-off the Technology Showcase portion of the Digital Couture Project, Epson’s global president, Minoru Usui, will outline Epson’s continued vision for the role that digital technology will play in fashion. A panel of fashion and apparel industry experts, moderated by Anthony Cenname, vice president and publisher at WSJ. Magazine, will discuss market trends and technology’s role in fashion.
The 2017 Digital Couture Project event will also serve as the official introduction of the Robustelli-Epson brand to the international fashion community. In June 2016, Epson acquired Italian textile printer manufacturer Robustelli, a renowned textile printer manufacturer and long-time partner, and will showcase for the first time, an array of high-quality Robustelli-Epson textile samples during the event. The entry of Robustelli into the Epson Group allows it to leverage Epson’s manufacturing capability to bring the advantages of its digital inkjet textile printers to more customers around the world.
“New technologies from Epson are allowing designers to push the boundaries of color and quality while simultaneously giving creative teams incredible versatility and productivity. With the market for worldwide digital textile printing expected to grow annually at almost 25 percent1, this is a very exciting opportunity,” Kratzberg added.
At the Digital Couture Project event, each designer or design team will tell a story through their collection via textiles created with Epson dye-sublimation and direct-to-fabric printing technology. These technologies enable limitless design possibilities, and the end result is original prints of the highest quality unique to each designer, on fabrics that convey their signature style. The third annual Epson Digital Couture Project event will showcase the design capabilities through the featured collections of designers from North and Latin America:
1. Argentina – Vanesa Krongold
2. Brazil – Daniel Barreira
3. Canada – Sarah Stevenson
4. Chile – Daniela Hoehmann
5. Colombia – Ricardo Pava
6. Costa Rica – Daniel Del Barco and Sonia Chang
7. Dominican Republic – Carlos de Moya
8. Ecuador – Miguel Moyano, Alex Polo and Maria Susana Rivadeneira Simball
9. Mexico – Leonardo Mena
10. Peru – Susan Wagner
11. United States – Lindsay Degen
12. United States – Sarah Richards
13. United States – Kanbar College of Design Engineering and Commerce, Philadelphia University
“For the third year in a row, the Epson Digital Couture event showcases how digital textile printing helps designers expand their vision for creativity without limits,” said Agustin Chacon, Epson America’s vice president of international marketing. “The future of fashion and technology is in the process of being shaped, and we are excited to be at the forefront of the industry – providing designers with printing solutions that offer a host of new and exciting opportunities.”
More about Epson Digital Textile Printing Solutions
Epson’s dye-sublimation and direct-to-garment printing technologies allow entrepreneurs and established fashion brands to print on a variety of fabrics in real-time, including cotton and synthetic fibers, for a new level of creative freedom.
– The Epson SureColor® F-Series dye-sublimation printing technology provides designers an accessible means to bring their ideas and inspiration to life with unsurpassable quality. The SureColor F-Series leverage Epson UltraChrome® DS ink with an all new high density Black ink to deliver black density with better tonal transitions and grayscale, plus rich colors and smooth gradations onto fabric. Including a Wasatch SoftRIP workflow with specialty features for textile and fashion printing, the SureColor F-Series enables designers to create and print original designs with greater flexibility and control.
– The Epson SureColor F2000 Series direct-to-garment (DTG) ink jet printers deliver industrial-level production, image quality, and reliability. With the ability to print directly onto garments ranging from 100 percent cotton to 50/50 fabric blends, the SureColor F2000 offers fashion entrepreneurs a quality, affordable printing solution. The Epson SureColor F2000 Standard Edition is a high-speed CMYK-only model and the White Edition offers the added benefit of white ink for printing on dark or color fabrics.
– Robustelli, part of the Epson Group, specializes in the development, manufacture, and sale of digital inkjet textile printers, notably the Monna Lisa series, which it began developing with Epson in 2003. This product has established a strong brand image by providing beautiful gradations and color reproduction. Robustelli augments the acquisition of For.Tex, also of Como, Italy – a trusted provider of dyes, thickeners and treatment agents for printing, which joined the Epson Group in 2015. In bringing aboard these companies, Epson has established the Textile Solution Center in Como, Italy, a city that is transforming itself from a traditional silk-making center to one that is leading the charge of state-of-the-art technology in fashion.
