FAQ - Fashion & Textile
Frequently asked questions for developers building AI/RAG applications on the fashion and textile sector.
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What is the fashion seasonal cycle and how does it affect software development?
Fashion operates on biannual cycles (Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter) with sell-in windows (selling to retailers) and sell-out windows (selling to consumers) offset by 6–9 months. Software systems must manage multiple active seasons simultaneously: one in development, one in production, one on sale. Seasonal dates govern workflows, deadlines, promotions and reporting.
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What is the difference between collection, line and capsule?
A collection is the complete set of garments for a season. A line is a thematic or target subset (e.g. womenswear, sportswear). A capsule is a limited edition, often a collaboration, with a small number of pieces and high media visibility.
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How does the fashion product hierarchy work?
The typical hierarchy is: Brand → Season → Collection → Line → Merchandise Category → Style → Colour Variant → Size (SKU). PLM and ERP systems model this hierarchy to manage catalogue, orders and inventory.
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What is time-to-market and why is it critical?
Time-to-market is the time between the first design sketch and the availability of the garment for sale. In fast fashion: 2–6 weeks. In luxury: 8–12 months. PLM systems and digital workflows are designed to compress this interval by eliminating delays in document management and approvals.
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How is inventory modelled in fashion?
Fashion inventory has three dimensions: style × colour × size. Each combination is a distinct SKU with separate stock. Sell-through (% sold) is monitored per SKU and aggregated by style/colour. Rotation is high: most articles have a commercial life of 4–12 weeks.
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What are the sales channels in fashion and how do they impact systems?
The main channels are: wholesale (selling to retailers), direct retail (own stores), e-commerce (DTC or marketplace), outlet (end of season), duty-free (travel retail). Each channel has distinct pricing, commercial terms and stock management. Omnichannel systems must unify inventory to avoid overselling.
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How is international sizing managed in fashion systems?
Sizing varies by country (IT 38 = FR 38 = DE 36 = UK 10 = US 6) and category (upper body vs lower body vs footwear). Systems must maintain conversion tables and display sizes in the user's local system. Fit is also qualitative: an Italian "medium" does not necessarily correspond to an American "medium".
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What is a buy budget and how is it used in merchandising applications?
The buy budget is the maximum amount allocated for purchases in a season, broken down by category and channel. Merchandising applications allow planning the assortment within budget, simulating scenarios and monitoring sell-through to optimise reorders.
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How does digital sampling work?
Digital sampling reduces or eliminates physical samples using 3D software (CLO3D, Browzwear). 3D files allow virtual visualisation, drape simulation, colourway testing and remote sharing with buyers. Reduces sample production costs by 30–50% and shortens the development calendar.
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What is supply chain traceability and why is it important in fashion systems?
Traceability maps every stage of the production chain from farm to wardrobe: raw material → spinning → weaving → dyeing → cut-and-sew → distribution. Required by regulations such as the EU CSDDD (Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive) and sustainability certifications. Software systems must collect and certify data from each supplier.
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How is returns management implemented in fashion e-commerce?
Fashion returns have specific logic: garment integrity check (tags, wear), check of items excluded from returns (underwear, swimwear), refund vs size exchange, reverse logistics with recovery centre. Returns systems must manage time windows per season and distinguish between defect and "I don't like it".
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What is a PLM system applied to fashion?
A fashion-specific PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) manages: tech packs, BOMs (materials), approval workflows, sample management, supplier communication, design versioning, labelling compliance. Leading vendors include Centric, PTC Flex PLM, Lectra Kubix Link. REST APIs enable integration with ERP and CAD systems.
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How is a recommendation engine built for the fashion sector?
A fashion recommender considers: purchase history (style, brand, sizes), colour preferences, occasion, seasonality, price point, current trends, outfit complementarity (cross-sell). Specific challenges: high catalogue turnover (new items every week), cold start for new products, size variability between brands.
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What are the main available APIs in the fashion sector?
The most common APIs are: Shopify API (retail/e-commerce), Zalando Merchants API (marketplace), ASOS Partner API (marketplace), Stripe (payments), ShipStation/EasyShip (logistics). For trend data: EDITED, WGSN (paid). For certifications: GOTS and Oeko-Tex interfaces do not have standardised public APIs.
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How is the seasonal catalogue managed in fashion e-commerce systems?
The fashion catalogue is volatile: new items each season, frequent delistings, colour/size variants with variable availability. Systems must manage: scheduled activation (go-live date), automatic expiry (end of season), price cascades (full price → promotion → markdown), management of variants nearing depletion.