New York City, October 2025 – The energy inside the cavernous venue was unmistakable: a convergence of visionaries, disruptors, and industry titans, all united by a singular pursuit—the digital evolution of fashion. CLO Virtual Fashion, the world’s leading innovator in 3D garment visualization, staged its largest U.S. event to date with CLO Summit New York 2025, assembling over 300 professionals from more than 100 major apparel brands, influential vendors, educators from renowned fashion institutions, and a thriving community of independent creators. The summit’s theme, “Blueprint for Success,” was more than a slogan; it was a clarion call for transformation, collaboration, and the reimagining of how fashion is conceived, produced, and experienced.
A Gathering of Change-Makers: Who Was in the Room?
The CLO Summit NY 2025 was not your average industry conference. Its attendee roster read like an index of the fashion ecosystem’s most influential players:
- Major Apparel Brands: Gap Inc., L.L. Bean, New Balance, Joe Fresh
- Leading Vendors: AGI Denim, Artistic Milliners, Aquarelle India
- Top Educators: Parsons School of Design, Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)
- Independent Creators and Freelancers: Designers forging new paths with CLO technology
This unprecedented blend of corporate powerhouses, agile suppliers, academic thought-leaders, and creative independents signaled a new era of democratized innovation. The summit’s diversity was its strength, fostering dialogue across the entire garment lifecycle—from concept boards to finished products and digital avatars.
The Blueprint for Success: Setting the Agenda for 3D Adoption
At the heart of the summit was a rigorous exploration of practical strategies for integrating 3D workflows into fashion’s notoriously complex processes. The agenda was a tapestry of presentations, panels, and hands-on workshops, each dissecting the opportunities and challenges of Digital Product Creation (DPC).
Among the most anticipated sessions was Gap Inc.’s unveiling of its onboarding framework, a roadmap designed to help large organizations scale digital workflows beyond traditional silos. Attendees were privy to candid discussions as design leads from Joe Fresh, Spirit Halloween, and New Balance shared the triumphs and pivots of their own 3D implementation journeys. For Paige Regan, 3D CLO Design Manager at Spirit Halloween (Spencer’s Gifts), the value was clear: “It’s just really nice to hear what other companies are using CLO for, where their wins are and where they've pivoted. To hear from people who have been in it for five to seven years, it’s really helpful for our decision-making. I believe in CLO—it’s definitely the future.”
The summit’s panels, featuring experts from Athleta and L.L. Bean, moved beyond optimism to critically examine the obstacles facing widespread DPC adoption. Topics ranged from the intricacies of digital sample creation to the real-world impact on supply chain agility. Vendors and CLO staff joined forces on panels dedicated to strengthening supply chain partnerships—a testament to the software’s ecosystem approach and its potential to break down barriers between design, manufacturing, and retail.
Innovation in Action: Live Demos, Workshops, and New Tools
The summit was not just theoretical—it was unapologetically hands-on. Attendees were treated to live demonstrations of CLO’s latest technology, including the much-anticipated zFab Kit and an upgraded 3D Pen Tool. These showcases illuminated how CLO’s tools are evolving to meet the demands of both industry veterans and creative newcomers.
Workshops offered tangible opportunities for skill-building, guiding users through the integration of new features into daily workflows. The feedback loop between CLO and its user base—underscored by frequent updates stemming directly from user input—was celebrated as a cornerstone of the platform’s enduring success. As Katie Beaton, Senior Manager for Technical Design at Joe Fresh, remarked, “CLO really cares about its users’ opinions and is open to our feedback, and that's what makes this relationship and software so successful. The amount of updates that come through from feedback is amazing.”
Education and Empowerment: Bridging Academia and Industry
One of the summit’s most impactful threads was the ongoing dialogue between educators and practitioners. Academic leaders from Parsons and SCAD discussed how CLO’s technology is transforming curricula, preparing students to enter an industry where digital proficiency is increasingly non-negotiable. The summit highlighted how CLO is not merely a tool, but a platform for career empowerment, creative expansion, and market relevance.
Freelancers and independent designers, often overlooked in traditional industry narratives, were given center stage to share how CLO has expanded their creative and professional horizons. This focus on accessibility and empowerment reflected CLO Virtual Fashion’s commitment to supporting all stakeholders in the garment journey—from aspiring students to established brands.
Community, Connection, and the CLO Ecosystem
The closing hours of CLO Summit NY 2025 were defined by the spirit of community. The Expo and Happy Hour provided a relaxed yet dynamic environment for attendees to connect directly with CLO experts, suppliers, and peers, while exploring the latest tools in real time. Interactive activities, such as the fan-favorite “CLOw Machine”, the competitive “CLOlympics”, and a photo booth that let guests step into the role of a CLO avatar, reinforced the summit’s ethos of collaboration and creative play.
Simon Kim, CEO of CLO Virtual Fashion, articulated the vision behind the event: “We created CLO Summit to be a platform, not for us to talk about us, but for our users to connect, exchange ideas, challenge perspectives, and inspire one another. Together, they’re shaping the future of the apparel industry the right way. By the end of the Summit, it becomes clear: if you’re invested in the future of fashion, this is where you need to be.”
This open, participatory approach is emblematic of CLO’s philosophy, where the software’s evolution is driven by its user community, and the lines between creator, educator, and innovator are intentionally blurred.
CLO Virtual Fashion: Powering the Digital Garment Revolution
At the center of this transformation is CLO Virtual Fashion’s suite of tools. With more than two decades of research and development in garment simulation, CLO’s mission is to empower users at every stage—from initial concept to design, manufacturing to marketing, and fitting to styling. The company’s core products include:
- CLO: The flagship 3D garment design software, trusted by global brands and emerging designers alike
- CLO-SET: A digital asset management and collaboration platform, streamlining workflow for teams large and small
- CONNECT: A digital fashion hub and marketplace, facilitating industry connections and commerce
- Consumer-facing solutions: Including e-commerce virtual fittings, bringing the promise of digital fashion directly to shoppers
This interconnected product ecosystem is increasingly central to how garments are imagined, developed, and sold. The summit proved that CLO’s technology is not simply a matter of efficiency—it is a catalyst for creative reinvention and industry-wide agility.
Why CLO Summit NY 2025 Matters: The Road Ahead
The CLO Summit NY 2025 was more than a milestone; it was a signal of where fashion is heading. As digital workflows continue to redefine every aspect of the apparel industry, CLO’s commitment to user-driven innovation, education, and ecosystem-building is positioning it as the essential platform for the next generation of creators and leaders.
For those charting the course of fashion’s digital transformation, CLO Summit NY 2025 was a blueprint not just for success, but for sustainable, collaborative, and imaginative growth. The future of fashion is being stitched together in digital threads—and the conversation, as CLO has made clear, is just beginning.
Source: PR Newswire
