CLO Virtual Fashion Celebrates European 3D Community at Munich Summit, Marking 10 Years of Regional Growth

CLO Virtual Fashion, the global leader in digital garment solutions and developer of CLO and Marvelous Designer, celebrated the 10th anniversary of its Munich office with the most impactful CLO Summit to date. The event brought together the European fashion and 3D community—300 professionals from leading brands including Lacoste, VIVIENNE WESTWOOD, Zalando, s.Oliver, Fjällräven and more, alongside educators, creators, and industry pioneers.

Speed emerged as the defining principle. "This milestone celebrates not just our Munich office, but the entire European 3D community," said Jaden Oh, Founder of CLO Virtual Fashion. "Ten years ago, we started here. Today, we're embedded across the continent because we listen to what the community needs while staying grounded in our own vision of where the industry must evolve. Speed isn't about racing—it's about eliminating the friction in handoffs between design, development, and production. And 3D is what makes that possible: it is the best live data container, letting data build and flow smoothly from the very first step of garment creation to the last. That conviction comes from both listening and leading."

CLO's vision and roadmap presentation reinforced this principle: progress comes from understanding where real friction exists in workflows. CLO's direction is shaped by continuous user feedback across global markets—last year's European audience identified a critical need: advanced 2D CAD solutions that enable faster pattern-making and eliminate bottlenecks between design and production. Rather than pursuing shiny new technology, CLO is focused on what the industry needs: rapid pattern drafting, streamlined workflows, and seamless integration across design, BoM, and tech pack systems that flow directly to manufacturing. This roadmap represents both what the community needs and where CLO believes the industry must evolve.

Lacoste delivered the keynote, sharing their multi-year journey to implement 3D in the organization. "Each edition of the CLO Summit brings together a passionate community where everyone, in their own way, contributes to shaping the future of our industry, united by a shared ambition: to advance practices and push the boundaries of innovation," said Jérôme Triquet, Global Lead for 3D at Lacoste. "It is this collective energy, this contagious enthusiasm, and this determination to build the future together that make this event so inspiring." By strategically integrating 3D into design & development, marketing and B2B divisions, Lacoste built the operational foundation that enables 3D to scale. Their approach mirrors CLO's philosophy: build value iteratively, learn from what works, then scale what creates impact. Lacoste will bring this presentation to CLO's NYC Summit, extending the knowledge-sharing across global markets.

Panel discussions on size and fit addressed a critical retail challenge: static 2D size charts cost brands millions in online returns. Experts from Arts University of Bournemouth, Zalando and Fjällräven explored how 3D body mapping and avatar standardization can solve the industry's fit crisis, turning product accuracy into a driver for margin recovery and customer loyalty. Ben Hanson, Editor-in-Chief of The Interline, provided context from the publication's recently released AI Report.

A pivotal panel on the future of the digital fashion pipeline brought together perspectives across the entire ecosystem. Mihai Ursu from Hypedrop at Bestseller—a fully demand-driven, "born digital" fashion brand—shared how native AI and 3D driven workflows shape decision-making from the ground up. Ben Hanson contextualized industry trends through The Interline's latest research, while Yazan Malkosh from swatchbook by CLO brought the vendor perspective on how assets flow through interconnected systems. The conversation underscored a critical insight: the pipeline is converging. When design, production, and commerce systems operate on shared 3D data, friction disappears and speed compounds.

CLO's exhibition showcased ecosystem interoperability, with EPP partners SHIMA SEIKI and VIZOO demonstrating how smart assets aim to close the design-to-production gap.

The initiative to connect students with industry took center stage through the Rising Talent Award, which demonstrated significant growth this year. Fifty-eight universities across Europe participated, with 100+ students exploring the theme "Mycelium Bytes," investigating the intersection of organic systems and digital innovation. Entries were evaluated by a jury of industry leaders including Alfonso Navarro (Zara), Marthe Hentschel (Vorn), Matteo Mazzani (On), and Yao Yao (VIVIENNE WESTWOOD). Winners gained more than monetary prizes: the winner of the Conceptual Design Award secured access to elite European Master's programs, including an ESMOD Master's degree in the academic program of the winner's choice, plus one-year CLO subscriptions and entry into CLO's New Talent Hub—connecting emerging designers directly with industry's most forward-thinking organizations.

The European 3D community is finding its focus. By extending participation to academia, freelancers, and enterprise clients for the second year, the Summit created a convergence point across the ecosystem. In an industry captivated by AI headlines, CLO remains laser-focused on eliminating the friction that holds designers back and building tools that work for real workflows. CLO's thought leadership is defined by clarity: what the community needs, where the industry must evolve, and how technology serves both.

About CLO Virtual Fashion

Named for the word "clothing," CLO Virtual Fashion exists to empower every step of the garment journey, from concept and design to manufacturing, marketing, fitting, and styling. Built on more than 20 years of R&D in accurate garment simulation, CLO leads the industry through a state-of-the-art 3D cloth simulation algorithm that digitally creates and unifies every aspect of garment creation.

With CLO's products and services, users design garments faster, more easily, and more accurately than ever before, producing hyper-realistic clothing that can move between entertainment, games, and the physical world. As fashion undergoes its digital transformation, CLO is at the center; defining the standards, building the tools, and shaping the future of how garments are designed, made, and experienced. Learn more at clo3d.com.