Brandon Little

From sketching sneakers as a kid to revolutionizing footwear design, Omar Bailey is forging paths and breaking molds with FCTRY LAb. This founder is reshaping the industry from LA, championing diversity and creating opportunities for minority designers. Omar's ethos? Don't wait for permission—create your own opportunities. Check out this article by Essence to get an in-depth look into his world of design and how he’s transforming the future of footwear, one shoe at a time: https://lnkd.in/gYccRXWB 

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Private label footwear is an interesting discussion. I was surprised to hear REI getting out of making their own footwear. It looked good and I think offered a well-branded, unique approach offering some good value and performance (Vibram outsoles, etc.). There seemed to be an authentic story and reason to exist. Often private label is synonymous with cheap. Footwear in particular can be hard to execute well when it's at a very competitive price point, often with a large SKU offering and has the realities of tooling costs and technical development. Most commonly private label footwear is pawned off to a trading company to stick a logo on "knock-off" designs with open tooling produced at a questionable quality and performance standard. But I think private labels can compete. My first experience in footwear was with Power Footwear, possibly the largest global private label - a "house brand" of Bata Group. It showed me it is possible to craft real performance with value in mind and we did so with design as a strength. Original tooling, original technology, original design. Decathlon is also doing it really well. Some of the latest KIPRUN products I think can go head to head with Nike, Adidas, etc. Amazing design and cutting edge performance and sponsored top athletes. They have turned in-house resources and brands into a showcase for products that bring consumers into the stores. The whole point of private label in the first place. What do you think? Can private label footwear exist in today's retail landscape where a brand is more than product and needs to be supported by marketing, social, and the full experience? Do consumers want private labels? Do they know/care they aren't "real" brands? --- I’m the owner of The Directive Collective footwear design consultancy. We make great footwear, not just great sketches. #design #footwear #footweardesign

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Design is not the result. It's the process. Good Design can't happen without a good design process. https://lnkd.in/eyAHSqTf --- I’m the owner of The Directive Collective Collective footwear design consultancy. We make great footwear, not just great sketches. #design #footwear #footweardesign

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Designing footwear isn't just about fitting the foot. It's about fitting the soul. Leading with logic? That's easy. We’ve all been trained to do that. But what if we lead with emotion? Showing emotion in the workplace is controversial. But emotion in design is often the most powerful. Impactful designs come from the heart, not just the head. When we infuse our designs with passion and vulnerability, we create more than product. We craft experiences. We touch lives. P.S. Do you lead design with emotion? #FootwearDesign #EmotionalDesign #DesignInnovation #DesignStrategy

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Is Manual Pattern Drafting Slowing Your Fashion Enterprise Down? Traditional pattern-based libraries require manual drafting, which can be slow and limiting. Six Atomic’s code-based modular design library automates drafting and grading, enabling rapid design creation and iteration. Create billions of unique design combinations from a single code snippet and launch new SKUs 95% faster. Ready to elevate your design process? Book a meeting with our experts here: https://bit.ly/43RxN42 #fashiontech #aisolutions #sixatomic #patterngrading #modularlibrary

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"With onshoring on the brain for many brands and retailers, innovators from across the country are moving quickly to pilot programs to drive domestic textile manufacturing. At the Sewn Products Equipment & Suppliers of the Americas (SPESA) Advancements in Manufacturing Technologies Conference in Downtown, Los Angeles last week, pioneers from Malibu, Calif. and Detroit, Mich. came together to talk about how combining advanced manufacturing with community-based social enterprise can propel the sector into the 21st century. Garrett Gerson, founder and CEO of VARIANT3D, launched his 3D-knitting factory on a sprawling mountain ranch on the California coast eight years ago with the goal of working with brands, suppliers and other players in the space to revolutionize footwear production. Last month, the group debuted a proprietary computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) software designed to be used across the industry at large, fostering innovation in industries like apparel and footwear. ... But adopting cutting-edge innovations like Variant 3D’s can be time- and resource-intensive for manufacturers. Testing for scalability through strategic partnerships is imperative, according to Jennifer Guarino, president and CEO of Detroit’s ISAIC - Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center, a 501c3 non-profit that aims to train and upskill the next generation of garment workers. Launched in 2018, the group’s factory, located above Carhartt’s Detroit flagship store, serves as both a venue for production and education. ... Gerson said that with ISAIC’s help, Variant 3D was able to secure a grant from the Ford Foundation last year, allowing the company to bring its machines and technology to ISAIC and the city of Detroit at large. 'The automotive space is a massive opportunity lots and a lot of people don’t think about; we think about textiles as fashion apparel, footwear,' he said, noting that circular knitted fabrics make up the majority of most shoppers’ wardrobes. 'Being in ISAIC, having the machines there, getting the team familiarized with the machines and training them and creating a training program' has facilitated 'a bunch of incredible opportunities to onshore manufacturing,' Gerson said. ... And now, rather than send the prototype to an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) in Asia for mass production, the auto-maker is exploring ways to bring in more Variant 3D machines to ISAIC and move the project forward domestically. Guarino said ISAIC’s mission is to advance technologies that entrepreneurs like Gerson are developing by giving them a soft place to land—and fertile ground for growth. 'We are there to help advance them in a real usage case facility, while also training people that need opportunities so that we can build prosperity in their lives,' she added." https://lnkd.in/eCQ7QKFB #SPESAdoesCali

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Maybe it’s marking the 17th anniversary of The Directive Collective in May. Maybe it’s realizing that I’ve now been in footwear design for 23 years, exactly half my lifetime. But be it part nostalgia or part maturity, I think I’ve finally found the answer to the question “Is this it?” Read all about it. https://lnkd.in/gCsReBVb --- I’m the owner of The Directive Collective footwear design consultancy. We make great footwear, not just great sketches. #design #footwear #footweardesign

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Longtime friends, David and Grant had often discussed trends in apparel. David, a prominent dentist, had been frustrated by the lack of options in the medical apparel industry. Despite advances in materials and fits, David still found premium options to be lacking true innovation. Premium materials, fashionable silhouettes, and lightweight protection were nonexistent. David was constantly tailoring and modifying existing brands to fit his needs, a pain-point shared by many of his colleagues. Grant, with his 30+ years of global apparel experience leading brands like Nike and Levi’s, saw the opportunity to treat medical professionals like elite athletes. By using superior materials, elevating performance, and using silhouettes borrowed from sportswear, they could cater to the specific needs of medical professionals. Together, Grant and David created Penna: premium, performance, stylish healthwear for the modern medical professional. After incubating the brand alongside industry professionals, Penna is here. - #Penna #Scrubs #Healthcare #Healthwear #Sustainable #Fashion

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Fashion is a dynamic business. Most apparel brands make at least two to four collections per year. While selling current seasonal collections, brands plan for the next ones at least a year in advance, identifying market trends and materials. The selling window is around three months, and unsold inventories represent financial loss. #fashion #ai #tech #business #trends #sociology #textile

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We are on the lookout for experts in jewelry design and engineering, particularly those with a deep understanding of the tools used in the craft. Learn more about this consulting opportunity: https://lnkd.in/eMYCUpzh Not an expert in this field? Know someone who is a right fit? Pass on the message and get a Referral Commission. #jewelry #engineering #loupes #innovation #management #technology #productivity #gettingthingsdone #businessintelligence #managementconsulting #consultants #business #networking #leadership #hiring #job #research #digitaltransformation #marketresearch #qualitativeresearch #microconsulting #MavenResearch

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Using CLO3d software, I can accurately replicate the texture, color, and drape of various fabrics, allowing people to visualize the designs with incredible detail and accuracy. Here we can accurately see how leather is different from the silk/satin fabric and how the overall look will be. Im glad that im making a lot of progress in CLO3d. Bodysuit rendering in CLO3d. INSTAGRAM HANDLE - https://lnkd.in/giy52Wmp

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Recent reports from "Il Corriere Fiorentino" and "La Conceria" have brought to light the troubling layoffs impacting over 4000 employees in the leather goods manufacturing sector in Florence. This downturn reflects a broader slump in the luxury goods market, leading to significant economic pressures and even strikes within the industry​. At Ghisò, we observe these developments with concern but also with a steadfast commitment to our philosophy of 'slow luxury.' Unlike the prevailing trends that often lead to overproduction and economic instability for manufacturers, we prioritize sustainable production practices. We strive to build and maintain long-term relationships with our manufacturers, ensuring that, even in times of reduced sales, we sustain a minimum level of production. This approach not only helps to stabilize our supply chain but also provides our artisans with continued employment and a steady income. Our vision is clear: to support the artisans we work with by avoiding the pitfalls of mass production and instead focusing on quality, sustainability, and resilience. We believe that this model not only benefits our partners but also enhances the overall value of our products, offering our customers a truly ethical luxury experience. #madeinitaly #slowluxury #impact

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【Patent-Acquired Structure & New Material Adoption: The Potential of the "MIZUNO NEO VISTA"】 Members with knowledge of how to make people run faster gathered together for Mizuno'sSMOOTH SPEED PROJECT. The patented SMOOTH SPEED ASSIST was born in the pursuit of smoothness in speed running. Announcing the new model, "MIZUNO NEO VISTA" which features this unique structure and the new material MIZUNO ENERZY NXT, known for its flexibility and resilience. What makes the "Mizuno Neo Vista" so amazing, capable of handling everything from daily jogs to speed training? ...please read the continuation of this article here. Article link 🔗 #Fashiontechnews #MIZUNO #Shoes #Running Mizuno Corporation Mizuno USA Mizuno Corporation EMEA Mizuno France https://lnkd.in/dCssR-sU

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Hoop hurray! Shall we thank them now, or if this ever gets passed and wriitten rightly into law? Enviornmentally speaking, time is ticking. Urgently, and with every passing hour, more obscenely. It is unbelievable to me that we are knocking the 1.5 degree, and STILL have fashion operating freely? Serious obsenity. Legislation is obscenely negligent in protecting as this entitlement of system is not very speedy. In exception of course to the recent EU passing against greenwashing. This law managed to crawl up the mighty hill of unliklliness and passed unusually quickly. Not so for the whole of the fashion industry, All are accountable today for sustainable shifting. With the scientific news of Earths tipping points tipping… every choice after matters intentiy. We know who, and what is accountably harming. We know. Globally we see. Legislation is past due on acting and protecting. Decades have been lost to government foot dragging. To “the business” of running the industry of economy by “collectively” ignoring the science to keep this “growth” business model flowing. Regardless of the harm we are causing. Now the corals are bleaching. The world is watching. Act urgently and accountably. #Planetfirst is everything. 🌍👁

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What makes a good Footwear Design Portfolio? If I had to narrow it down to 1 piece of advice, this is what I would say.: Be real. Crazy concepts could be interesting to include in your portfolio but most likely you will be hired to work on inline, real world product. Not shoes that look like floating spaceships. Keep in mind design for real projects is typically 18-24 months from sketch to shelf so stretch yourself. Showing something that is too close to the market (ie. on trend now) also isn’t very applicable to real world work. Keeping your portfolio and projects grounded to real world constraints of materials, design, brand, cost and performance while executing with a forward-looking design approach is the mark of a good designer. If you are going to use a real brand on a concept think it through. Don’t just stick a swoosh on a concept. Remember that the person interviewing you knows more about footwear than you (the student) does. You can't put a callout with some made up material that doesn't mean anything. If you show some impossible construction you will get asked about it. Fake biomechanics (sketches of feet/bones with arrows) will get you caught. You can't bullshit. Footwear pros, what's the best (or worst) thing you've seen in a portfolio? What do you want to see? #footwear #footweardesign #industrialdesign #designportfolio https://lnkd.in/gwbDV92P

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🔮 Frontier's Top 5 Predictions for Digital Product Creation in Fashion & Textiles 1. Widespread Adoption of 3D Design and Virtual Sampling 3D design tools like CLO3D and Browzwear will become standard, replacing physical samples with virtual prototypes. This shift will cut down time, costs, and environmental impact, accelerating the product development cycle. 2. Integration of AI and Machine Learning AI and machine learning will revolutionize design, trend forecasting, and supply chain management. AI tools will provide trend insights and optimize supply chains by predicting demand, reducing waste, and enhancing inventory management. 3. Personalization and Customization at Scale The rise of personalized fashion will push brands to adopt digital tools for consumer co-creation. Platforms offering 3D customization and virtual try-ons will allow consumers to personalize fabrics and fits, resulting in unique, made-to-order garments. 4. Enhanced VR and AR Experiences VR and AR will transform online shopping with virtual showrooms and fitting rooms, providing immersive experiences that mimic in-store shopping. These technologies will boost customer engagement and reduce the need for physical retail spaces. 5. Blockchain for Transparency and Sustainability Blockchain will ensure transparency and traceability in the fashion supply chain. Consumers will demand verifiable data on product origins and sustainability, with blockchain providing trusted information on materials, production, and environmental impact. Got any more? Add your thoughts below! #FashionTech #3DDesign #AI #Personalization #VR #AR #Blockchain #Sustainability #FashionInnovation #Machinelearning

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