LOS ANGELES — September 26, 2014 — Last evening, Avery Dennison RBIS, a global leader in apparel branding, labeling, packaging, embellishments and RFID solutions, celebrated the opening of its Los Angeles-based Customer Design and Innovation Center (CDIC), a 15,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility in the city’s Arts District at 953 E. 3rd Street.
The LA center will offer a collaborative experience for apparel brands with access to deep consumer insights and the latest trend information from Avery Dennison RBIS. In addition, the CDIC will equip the apparel industry with custom embellishment and analysis tools for intelligent, creative, and sustainable designs that help communicate the power of their brand. “Our goal is to inspire our customers and help them create innovative and unique packaging, labeling, and embellishments that elevate their products and brands,” said Shawn Neville, president, Avery Dennison RBIS. “The CDIC is a place where our customers can integrate art, science, and sustainability through our proprietary trends and creative services, while leveraging our leading edge capabilities including brand protection, RFID, and high-definition digital graphics. We do this through the lens of our Greenprint sustainability tool, which helps customers reduce their environmental impact.”
The LA CDIC is the third of its kind. The first, in Miamisburg, Ohio, which opened in 2010, focuses on information solutions presented by the thriving technology of radio-frequency identification, known as RFID. The second, which opened in Germany just outside Dusseldorf in 2011, offers the full range of RBIS capabilities and is the model for the L.A. facility.
The new CDIC is tailored specifically to the interests of Los Angeles’ internationally regarded design community, focusing on brands in the premium denim and surf and skate markets and partnering with established and emerging designers to create memorable and inspiring designs.
“Our new center in the heart of Los Angeles gives Avery Dennison RBIS a strong platform to partner with the unique California design community and help elevate all aspects of apparel and footwear branding,” said Deon Stander, vice president and general manager, global commercial and innovation, Avery Dennison RBIS.
Customer Insights
In conjunction with the CDIC opening, Avery Dennison RBIS is releasing the findings of its “Power of Branding Solutions” research, a global study to determine the relative value consumers place on the individual label, tag, and packaging when purchasing a garment.
Through this study, Avery Dennison RBIS learned that the ideal mix of on-garment branding through labels, tags, and packaging can help increase consumer purchase intent by an average of 17 percent.
“At the CDIC, customers can learn how to inspire this purchase intent through an optimal combination of branding elements that takes into account the preferences of consumers around the world,” said Stander. “Insights from this study also enable our customers to understand how to establish meaningful consumer connections by communicating the sustainability of a garment.”
Art and Science
Expanding what’s possible on the exterior of the garment, Avery Dennison RBIS’ high-definition graphics transfer process featured at the CDIC produce engaging graphics with exceptional depth, special effects and texture. An example of these solutions is RBIS’ Agility™ Stretchable Blocking Black (AGSBB), a cutting edge, proprietary heat transfer technology specifically formulated to block the transmission of excess dyes from dye sublimated fabrics, preventing discoloration. As a result of this innovative process, there is a reduced risk of heat marks on temperature-sensitive fabrics, while delivering good stretch and recovery of the heat transfer itself. The result is high-definition, four-color, and of photographic quality.
In addition to Agility, RBIS will be featuring its Denim Durable solution at the CDIC. Denim Durable is designed for application to the pocket materials of denim jeans prior to washing and adds an additional placement option for a permanent logo that remains intact throughout the life cycle of the garment, when standard brand tags and labels are typically removed. This product provides a unique opportunity to add creative messaging, graphics and brand identity to denim pockets by allowing the ink to melt directly into the fabric, thereby eliminating the use of adhesive. Through this breakthrough technology, heat transfers can withstand the rigorous finishing processes commonly used to give new denim garments a worn look.
“The latest technological innovations in the field of embellishments enable garments to ‘pop’ and really attract attention. Products like Agility and Denim Durable are just gaining traction in the market and will be real game changers over the next few years,” said Stander.
Sustainable Solutions and Communities
Avery Dennison RBIS provides sustainable solutions that elevate packaging for apparel, footwear and accessories. These sustainable solutions will be showcased at the CDIC, along with Avery Dennison’s Greenprint tool, a way for customers to aid their understanding of the environmental consequences of their branding and packaging materials decision-making.
In addition to Greenprint, plant-derived bioplastic will be represented at the CDIC, an alternative to conventional polyethylene (PE), which is typically derived from fossil raw materials such as oil or natural gas, and is found in everyday product packaging. Plant-derived bioplastic is a sustainable alternative to polyethylene and is made from ethanol from Brazilian sugarcane, a renewable raw material. Because it exhibits the same characteristics as conventional PE in application and performance, it permits brands to reduce their environmental footprint. This is just one of Avery Dennison RBIS’ portfolio of sustainable solutions, including labels made from 100% recycled polyester yarn; Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper for graphic tickets, tags and labels; and recycled plastic fasteners for attaching brand and price tickets.
In establishing the CDIC in LA, Avery Dennison RBIS is recognizing the importance of the local design community to the overall apparel industry, starting with young and emerging designers. As such, the company will be working with the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) with annual programs, starting in January 2015. These programs will be based at the CDIC and will work directly with RBIS’ apparel branding experts.
Posted September 26, 2014
Source: Avery Dennison
