Former The North Face and Boardriders Executive Arne Arens joins unspun as CEO to accelerate the shift from offshore overproduction to U.S.-based manufacturing
SAN FRANCISCO, March 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- unspun, a U.S.-founded, B Corp–certified apparel technology company, today announced the appointment of Arne Arens as Chief Executive Officer. Arens brings decades of experience leading global consumer apparel brands and will guide unspun's next phase of growth as it scales automated, localized manufacturing infrastructure for the apparel industry.
Arne spent over a decade at The North Face, where, as Global Brand President, he led the brand through a period of significant global growth, cementing its position as one of the world's leading outdoor companies. He later became CEO of Boardriders, the global action sports and lifestyle company behind Quiksilver, Billabong, and Roxy, leading the business through its acquisition by Authentic Brands Group for approximately $1.25 billion. He brings decades of experience operating and scaling global consumer brands, as well as firsthand knowledge of the inventory and supply chain inefficiencies that cost the industry billions each year.
"I have spent a good part of my career working with some of the world's leading apparel and footwear brands and have seen firsthand the economic and environmental costs of excessively long lead times and chronic overproduction in the traditional supply chain," said Arens. "unspun's manufacturing model fundamentally transforms how and where products are made — unlocking meaningful financial benefits and significantly reducing the industry's carbon footprint. I am honored to lead unspun at this pivotal moment and look forward to scaling our proven model into broad, lasting industry impact."
unspun is rebuilding apparel manufacturing for speed and efficiency — replacing long, offshore production cycles with software and hardware-driven systems that enable garments to be produced closer to demand. Its proprietary 3D weaving technology, Vega™, weaves semi-finished products directly from yarn in minutes, dramatically shortening supply chains and reducing waste.
unspun's technology is already being piloted with global retailers, including Walmart and Decathlon, demonstrating growing demand for localized, low-waste production solutions.
Today, most apparel is produced 6–12 months before it reaches shelves, forcing brands and retailers to guess demand far in advance and absorb the cost of being wrong. The result is chronic overproduction, heavy markdowns, and excess waste. unspun's localized, automated approach turns manufacturing into responsive infrastructure, enabling production closer to when and where demand actually occurs. This speed-based model lowers inventory risk, reduces overproduction and the apparel supply chain's carbon footprint, and can improve gross margins by 400–500 bps through fewer markdowns and write-offs.
"Arne is a proven industry leader who understands both brand building and the structural challenges of apparel supply chains," said Kevin Martin, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of unspun. "His leadership will help us accelerate deployment of our technology and partner with more brands and manufacturers looking for a smarter way to produce."
As the industry navigates increasing volatility, tariffs, and pressure to reduce excess inventory, unspun is positioning manufacturing as modern infrastructure — enabling apparel to be made faster, closer to demand, and with less waste.
About unspun
unspun is a U.S.-founded, B Corp–certified technology company transforming apparel manufacturing through automated 3D weaving. Its Vega™ technology semi-finished products directly from yarn, enabling localized production, shorter supply chains, and significantly reduced waste. unspun partners with global brands and manufacturers to build a more efficient and resilient apparel industry.
Media contact:
Annika Visser
SOURCE unspun
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