Where is innovation going?
President of fabric solutions provider Concept III, Chris Parkes, argues that clear, common understanding between brands and mills is essential if good ideas are to become successful products.
Concept III has had a hand in bringing a number of performance textile innovations to market. Where do you believe you have had the biggest impact?
We have been in business for more than 40 years and have worked with some of the biggest brands in outdoor and sports apparel. We have collaborated closely with product developers and with mills. We have stuck to our position, which is to be a facilitator between mills and brand. This means making sure mills can meet brands’ expectations and making sure factories have the capabilities that brands are looking for, that they are able to produce what the brands want. Concept III has been influential in bringing mills to brand partners.
What are the key factors that lead to a new idea becoming successful?
Stakeholders, including product development teams, experts in finishing and merchants, all have to be aware of the expectations in terms of quality and price. Everyone must also be aware of what needs to be done from the sustainability point of view. If all parties are on the same page with the same agenda, it increases the probability of success.
What are the most common reasons for a good idea failing to achieve market success?
Good ideas can fail if the things I have raised above are missing. Another observation I would make is that all parties need to be in tune with global issues that could affect pricing, lead-times, yarn supply et cetera. I know these are hard to predict but understanding that things can happen, and communicating through the process, are important. Testing, seasonality and business climate are also reasons for an idea failing to work. You can mitigate this by narrowing the layers of complexity.
What role does sustainability play in driving innovation?
At the end of the day, we are in the business of making a product that looks good and performs in any outdoor environment. A company could develop a 100% recycled fleece, but if that product just duplicates what is already available that’s not innovating.
If you had carte blanche, which are the areas in which you would seek to pursue something new in performance textiles? What is missing in the market?
We would look to bring in more natural textiles, merino wool, organic cotton and others, without fear of the cost. We get so caught up with the bottom line. Coming up with a cool product is fine, but these products take time and money. It can be hard to bring them to market if you don’t know the affect that the innovative ideas will have on price point. But there is an opportunity for ‘what ifs’. We can’t be afraid to try things and maybe more collaboration between mill and brand, financially, will help to support this. We need more thinking outside of the box as an industry so that we can continue to inspire and innovate.
