Epson to Host Third Annual Digital Couture Project Fashion + Technology Event

LONG BEACH, Calif., Jan. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- 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.

Fashion designers and professionals interested in learning more about Epson's digital printing technologies can visit www.proimaging.epson.com. For more information about Digital Couture, visit www.epson.com/nyfw.

About Epson
Epson is a global technology leader dedicated to connecting people, things and information with its original efficient, compact and precision technologies. With a lineup that ranges from inkjet printers and digital printing systems to 3LCD projectors, smart glasses, sensing systems and industrial robots, the company is focused on driving innovations and exceeding customer expectations in inkjet, visual communications, wearables and robotics.

Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the Epson Group comprises more than 73,000 employees in 91 companies around the world, and is proud of its contributions to the communities in which it operates and its ongoing efforts to reduce environmental impacts.

Epson America, Inc., based in Long Beach, Calif., is Epson's regional headquarters for the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. To learn more about Epson, please visit: epson.com. You may also connect with Epson America on Facebook (facebook.com/Epson), Twitter (twitter.com/EpsonAmerica), YouTube (youtube.com/EpsonAmerica), and Instagram (instagram.com/EpsonAmerica).

¹ Annual growth rate till 2019 (source WTiN Intelligence)

Note: EPSON, SureColor and UltraChrome are registered trademarks and EPSON Exceed Your Vision is a registered logomark of Seiko Epson Corporation. Monna Lisa is a registered trademark of Robustelli. All other product brand names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Epson disclaims any and all rights in these marks. 

SOURCE Epson America, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.epson.com