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Vogue Business exclusive | unspun launches 3D weaving to reduce waste in fashion
Announcing Vega™ with a Vogue Business exclusive
“We want to make an impact. To do that, we need to get our technology product to the brands making the most product and therefore have the most waste,” she says. Much of the industry’s waste, she notes, is a result of brands relying on trend forecasting to plan their inventory buys, as brands have to guess well in advance what items will be trending and place their orders. The machine would make just-in-time manufacturing more accessible, reducing lead times and, at least in theory, eliminating much of the guesswork that has become standard in the industry.
“Vega allows brands to reduce lead times to as little as one week: a 30-fold increase in speed, a new ability to follow (vs predict) cultural trends, and a total elimination of wasted inventory,” says Esponnette. “They aren't placing orders as far ahead and can more accurately react to customer purchasing behaviours and adjust buys accordingly.”
The weaving technology was part of Unspun’s vision from the start, says Esponnette. The idea was to first prove the concept of limited, make-what-you-sell production, and they started with 3D scans for custom-fit manufacturing because of its potential for customer engagement. The longer-term goal, she says, was supply chain adoption at scale in order to bring costs down and generate impact at scale. That’s the idea with Vega, which will debut in Oakland, California, where Unspun is building its first “micro-factory”. It plans to launch consumer products and brand partnerships later this year — and eventually build other micro-factories wherever there's demand, says Esponnette.
Three-dimensional weaving also has the potential to eliminate the wasted fabric scraps generated during the cut-and-sew process, she explains, although that’s a much smaller problem — by volume — than overproduction, she says.
Read the full article by Rachel Cernansky for Vogue Business here.
How can unspun help?
"Key takeaway: unspun has been developing 3D weaving to localize manufacturing since our founding and can produce and scale to 1M+ units within the next 12 months."
Since 2018, unspun has been building proprietary 3D weaving technology and software to make onshore and nearshore apparel production a reality. Our proven system slashes lead times from weeks to minutes, taking pants from yarn to finished garment in a single, seamless process. This process enables labor production time to reduce from 40 minutes to under 15 minutes. It works because it negates the need for many traditionally time-consuming apparel production steps.
With a 3D weaving powered supply chain you can go from yarn to finished garment, all under one roof. Unlock local, efficient and clean production with Vega.
Cost is no longer a barrier: we’re scaling through offtake agreements with major partners like Decathlon and Walmart. We’ve already launched a pilot facility in California and are preparing to open full-scale plants in the US and Europe.
Backed by years of policy work—spanning multiple administrations—we’re on the verge of announcing a US manufacturing consortium alongside leading brands. To power this next phase of growth, we recently closed a $32M funding round, and have committed a significant portion of the funding in helping to onboard brands and manufacturers in the new age of automated apparel manufacturing.
Below is our scheduled capacity:
Come see for yourself!
Experience the future of local and automated apparel production with us. We’re hosting exclusive in-person and virtual demonstrations of our 3D weaving technology. Join us!
🇺🇸 San Francisco
Wednesday, April 23, 2025; 5:30-8:30pm
unspun HQ, 6655 Hollis Street, Emeryville, CA
An evening summit hosted by unspun™ and American Circular Textiles. Join us for networking, panel discussions, and hanging out in the world’s first 3D woven powered-microfactory.
RSVP via this registration link.
🇭🇰 Hong Kong
Friday, May 9, 2025, 9:30 - 11:30am
unspun Studio, Shop B2, G/F, 6-10 Shin Hing Street, Central, Hong Kong
An interactive breakfast experience with a live virtual tour of the world's first 3D weaving-powered micro factory and our technology with unspun’s founders
RSVP via this registration link.
🇪🇺 Europe (Coming Soon)
Summer 2025
Secret location
Experience the entire end-to-end process of localized apparel production with 3D weaving in Europe, and be the first to see Vega in action.
Register here to get on the list.
🔗 Can’t make these dates?
Schedule a time to chat or a virtual demo. We’re happy to discuss our pipeline, share machine performance data, or walk you through our upcoming plans.
