Fit That Sells:
The Fit & Size Forum

Fit That Sells: Why Fit Is the Last Competitive Advantage

Fit is no longer just a quality issue — it’s a commercial lever. In a world of rising returns, fragmented sizing systems, and digital acceleration, how can brands align pattern, grading, 3D, and body data into one coherent system? This keynote sets the stage for a new way of thinking about fit — not as a department, but as a business driver.

Speaker:

• Simone Morlock – Division Head, Apparel Fit Solutions, Hohenstein

Balancing Fashion and Efficiency: An IACDE Member Perspective on the Future of Apparel Development

As brands navigate increasing pressure to move faster while maintaining fit integrity, Bonprix shares how it is rethinking digital product creation—turning practical learnings into scalable progress. From 3D adoption to fit skill development, the session reflects how leading organizations are aligning teams, tools, and processes to operate more efficiently without compromising product quality.

Framed within the broader IACDE community, this conversation highlights how global networks are shaping the next generation of capabilities across apparel development—bridging innovation with real-world application.

Speakers:

• Simone Klump – Head of Technical Product Development & Digital Innovation, Bonprix
• Solveigh Friedrichsen – Manager Technical Product Development & Digital Innovation, Bonprix

The Goldmine You're Sitting On: Clean Data in the Age of AI

Product development is arguably the richest source of data a fashion company produces — every block, grading rule, fit decision, and construction choice is decades of know-how encoded in geometry. Yet almost no one collects, cleans, or structures it. The result? AI models trained on inconsistent inputs, comparing pears with apples, producing outputs nobody can trust.

In this session, Sylwia Szymczyk, founder of fashionINSTA, makes the case that clean data — not bigger models — is the real unlock for AI in fashion. She'll show how fashionINSTA has trained AI specifically to clean and normalize brand pattern data so it can actually be ingested for the kind of training that delivers real, usable results — the kind brands have been promised for years and rarely seen.

Speaker:

• Sylwia Szymczyk – Founder and CEO of fashionINSTA

Live Fit in Action: Fit Models, Forms and the Reality of Grading

What can a fit form tell you — and what can only a real person reveal?

This live fitting session will demonstrate the difference between evaluating garments on fit forms versus live fit models. Participants will observe how grading behaves across sizes, from base size to plus size, and how movement, posture, and wear feedback expose issues that static forms cannot.

Drawing on a database of more than 600 fit models, this session offers practical guidance for product teams on how to run more effective fit sessions and align form-based development with real wear performance.

Speakers:

• Patricia Maier – Deputy Team Leader Women & Lingerie, Apparel Fit Solutions, Hohenstein
• Viktoria Idt – Expert Pattern, Apparel Fit Solutions, Hohenstein

2D vs 3D: Can You Actually Read a Garment?

How well do we really understand the tools we use?

In this interactive session, participants analyze the same garment through two lenses: a traditional paper pattern and a 3D simulation. Divided into two groups (paper vs pixel), attendees identify potential fit issues, construction errors, or grading inconsistencies before the Hohenstein team reveals the full diagnosis.

This hands-on comparison challenges assumptions about digital versus physical development and highlights the strengths and blind spots of both approaches. A collaborative, eye-opening workshop designed to sharpen technical judgment across product teams.

Speaker:

• Oliver Kausch – Team Lead 3D | Digital Fitting Lab, Hohenstein

Being in the Loop: Knitwear Fitting in Practice

Knitwear plays by different rules. Without a traditional pattern in the same sense as woven garments, achieving the right fit depends on how material, structure, and body interact.

In this focused live fitting session, Antje Weidner explores a small number of key variables that directly impact knitwear fit. Through real examples on sleeveshape and a casual pant in knit, she will demonstrate:

• How targeted adjustments improve fit in relation to the body
• Different approaches to shaping
• How material choice influences fit outcomes

This session concentrates on practical scenarios, showing how small, informed decisions can significantly improve real wear results.

Speaker:

• Antje Weidner – Product Expert, Hohenstein

Brand Case Study: Swijin – Engineering the Hardest Garment to Fit

In this session, Claudia Glass, Founder of Swijin, will share the story behind building a performance sports bra brand from scratch — combining athlete feedback, material science, product testing, and technical fit development in one of apparel’s most complex categories.

From early prototypes and factory challenges to wear testing, support engineering, and scaling production, the session will explore how fit, function, and innovation intersect in high-performance intimate apparel.

Speakers:

• Claudia Glass – Founder and CEO, Swijin
• Stephanie Koemm – Head of Business Development, Swijin

STRAUSS – Fit for Purpose: Sizing for a Global Workforce

As workwear brands expand globally, sizing and fit challenges become increasingly complex — from safety-critical garments and movement-driven construction to extended size ranges and evolving fit expectations across markets.

In this session, STRAUSS shares its ongoing fit transformation journey, including the modernization of legacy fits, the development of new base patterns, and the use of digital avatars to validate sizing beyond traditional fit model ranges.

Speakers:

• Inga Stihl – Apparel Product Developer, STRAUSS
• Femke Hansen – Apparel Product Developer, STRAUSS
• Carola von Moller – Apparel Product Developer, STRAUSS

Würth MODYF – Mini-Me: The Next Generation of Workwear

In this session, Würth MODYF shares the story behind its expansion into childrenswear through its Wacken Open Air collaboration. From translating adult utility apparel into kids' sizing to navigating fit, grading, safety, and product testing, the session explores the opportunities and challenges of entering a completely new category while remaining true to the brand's identity and functionality.

Speaker:

• Alexander Bendl – Team Leader, Würth MODYF Germany