The company

Fashion Team LT – Competence and software programs in the garment industry 

Fashion Team LT helps Finnish garment industry businesses, pattern makers and designers utilize the best software and the newest technology in the patterning and designing of clothes, as well as in their marketing and online sales. The mission of the company, founded 20 years ago by Liisa Turtiainen, consists of offering the garment industry globally used solutions based on evolving technology.

During the early 1990s, Turtiainen transformed her lifestyle and begun to realize her childhood dream of working with clothing. The career change begun with 5-year studies in the Savonia university of applied sciences, from which she graduated in 1997. When she was creating her thesis, she discovered the Grafis CAD pattern making software, which swept her off her feet. As part of her career, Turtiainen adopted Grafis from the beginning, and she trained Grafis users around Finland while fulfilling custom-made orders. 

“I fell in love with Grafis immediately! It awakened my inner geek and opened an entirely new world back in the days, 20 years ago. My passion for making clothes turned into a desire to help others understand how the newest technology could be utilized in pattern making and design while at the same time being friendly to the environment”, Turtiainen reiterates. 

In early 2000, a big change occurred and Turtiainen became the representative of the Grafis CAD software in Finland and Scandinavia. Turtiainen has been training the teachers and students in the garment industry in various schools, and she has also been training professionals familiar with pattern making in the garment industry in a number of businesses and theatre costume departments in Finland, Scandinavia and Latvia. Since then, the Browzwear 3D VStitcher software has been released to supplement Grafis and two employees passionate about the future of the garment industry and its software have joined her along the way. 

Competent trainers improve themselves and their skills on a constant basis 

The thirst for knowledge grows the more you drink. Turtiainen and her team are always present whenever information about the newest developments in the garment industry is presented. Turtiainen’s own competence and Fashion Team LT’s services have also been improved through a close collaboration with the garment industry actors, the press and the design experts of theatres and operas. 

“Our business is based on the fact that we truly can create patterns, designs and clothes on our own. All of this is possible because we are utilizing the full potential of the software that we are using. This is the only way to make sure that we truly have the ability to train our customers to make full use of Grafis and VStitcher. We offer product support in Finnish and English and we wish to help our customers find the best possible solutions”, Liisa Turtiainen tells. 

In addition to selling software and conducting training, Fashion Team LT offers the garment industry actors a variety of different services. They utilize a variety of software with which they implement services for the needs of the businesses, publishing houses and individual designers who are working in the garment industry and who do not have the opportunity to buy software and train themselves in their use. At the same time, the team ensures that they retain their competence while conducting demanding client work.  

Assistance and improvements from the super geeks of the garment industry

Hanna Toivanen was employed at Fashion Team LT in 2005 through her school’s internship. As part of her studies, she specialized in technical clothing design, which also made Grafis very familiar to her.

“My work consists primarily of using the Grafis software to create and grade patterns for two of the largest handicraft journals in Finland. I have done this work since the beginning. At the moment, I consider the journals as being in a transitional phase, as 3D models are replacing the traditional patterns. I look forward to helping the journals develop their own services using the newest technology”, Toivanen ponders. 

Roosa Kumpulainen, on the other hand, entered the house two years ago, doing so through an internship as well. She learned to use Grafis in the Savonia university of applied sciences, under the guidance of Liisa Turtiainen. She familiarized herself with VStitcher during practical training. Working at Fashion Team LT has further strengthened her know-how.

“In the school, I had the opportunity to familiarize myself with a variety of different software, but out of all the 3D software it was VStitcher that really convinced me. The other software is not nearly as versatile. My work consists of helping Liisa and Hanna in all customer work. My favourite part of the job is the fact that I can enjoy a great viewpoint from which I get to observe the current situation and the future trends of the garment industry, to see everything that can be done in the garment industry right now and in the future. It’s very important to inform Finnish businesses about the new opportunities”, Kumpulainen tells.

Even though the work conducted by Fashion Team LT and its three experts is firmly rooted in practice, deep down they are super geeks of the garment industry. They have been hooked on the world of 3D. At times, the work is seasonal and the roster is strengthened with industry experts and super geeks as needed. They seek learning from around the world, for example, from the Texprocess trade fair in Frankfurt and the industry training courses. Naturally, they are always observing the development of the garment industry software and webstores.

“Europe has fallen behind the rest of the world in the 3D development of the garment industry. It really worries me. I am deeply concerned about the sustainability and profitability of the Finnish garment industry. That is why it is our task to use the learning and tools that we have received from around the world to offer businesses the means to develop the entire process from clothing design to webstores and marketing. At the same time, we wish to affect the environmental responsibility of the industry”, Turtiainen summarises. 

3D modelling revolutionizes the garment industry

3D services intended to make the online customer experience more convenient and to enable the virtual fitting of patterns instead of there being a need for the development of prototype models are under intense development by Fashion Team LT. These days, the sample models can also be replaced with digital means. The future customer will be able to visit the virtual dressing room of the webstore and fit the clothes on an avatar of their own size. The Finnish Sizey Oy is developing a service what works seamlessly with VStitcher, with which their virtual body measurement and size recommendation service is linked. VStitcher functions seamlessly with both the Grafis software and with Adobe software. 

“When these software and Sizey’s services are combined correctly, there will be a revolution in the patterning, design, marketing and sales of clothing. Product design and pattern making can be fully digitalized using the Grafis CAD and 3D VStitcher software. Fitting the patterns virtually in a 3D software on an avatar reduces the manufacturing needs of the prototype models drastically. The sample models of the clothes can also be mostly replaced with 3D images. When this is done, pre-marketing can be done and product catalogues can be created without a single piece of clothing having been made. Clothes will no longer have to be photographed on models and the products can be made available for sale on the webstore quickly. The customer will receive a size recommendation for the piece of clothing and they will also be able to try on a realistic piece of clothing on an avatar in the webstore”, Turtiainen tells.

In the future, avatars tailored to the size of the customer will become increasingly commonplace. All this can already be achieved and large businesses around the world have already implemented the possibilities and new approaches enabled by 3D software. Together with a few Finnish businesses, Fashion Team LT is currently developing and piloting a 3D service package. 

“At the same time, we garment industry geeks are developing our 3D skills through both training and practical work. We are anxious to demonstrate the opportunities that the development work brings for the webstores of businesses”, Turtiainen says.

We offer all garment industry actors access to the world of the new technology

Fashion Team LT wishes to provide solutions and services to the SMEs as well. Our mission is to provide every actor an opportunity to operate on the market on an equal basis. 

“Using the best software and working with them is not just the privilege of the large businesses. Of course, not all the industry actors have the opportunity to buy Grafis or VStitcher. This is why we wish to not only sell software and provide training, but also to offer these ground-breaking 3D services of ours, which we implement using software already on the market”, Turtiainen tells.

The Finnish Fashion Team LT has been authorized to sell and provide training for the Grafis and VStitcher software in Finland and Scandinavia. Over the last few years, the market has expanded to the Baltics, in particular to Latvia. The company also provides support for the users of both software in Finnish and English. 

Liisa Turtiainen is going to infect you with a passion for 3D as well, and she will tell you why your business should take part in the latest developments of the industry. Feel free to contact Liisa and get help in transferring your products on the internet in a customer-friendly and environmentally sustainable way.