Bridging the fashion skills gap

Fashion product development depends on highly specialized expertise. Patternmakers, technical developers, and product experts build years of knowledge around fit, construction methods, grading rules, and brand-specific standards.

Yet as experienced professionals retire and workforce mobility increases, brands face a growing challenge. They must not only ensure that critical know-how is captured and shared before it leaves the organization, but also attract, develop, and retain the next generation of talent needed to replace it.

Successfully addressing this challenge requires more than documenting processes and best practices. Fashion brands and service suppliers must also create an environment where new talent can learn quickly, collaborate effectively, and build the skills needed to carry product development expertise into the future.

Today's digital natives have grown up with intuitive apps, instant access to information, and seamless collaboration tools. As they enter the fashion industry, they expect the same experience from the technology they use at work.

As Giulio Romanelli, Technical Engineering Project Coordinator at Oniverse, explains in Lectra’s latest white paper The challenges of product development in the fashion industry, 

For the new generations that are now coming into our brands, they want to have the technologies that are immediately understandable, easy to use, and accessible from everywhere.”

Yet many product development teams still rely on disconnected systems, manual processes, spreadsheets, and emails that can slow collaboration and create friction. To attract and retain talent, fashion brands need product development solutions that combine powerful capabilities with a modern, intuitive user experience.

Meeting the expectations of younger employees is only part of the equation. Successful digital transformation also requires supporting experienced teams as they adopt new ways of working.

Modern product development solutions should make expertise easier to apply, share, and scale across the organization. By connecting teams, information, and workflows, brands and service suppliers can help both new and experienced employees collaborate more effectively and work with greater confidence.

AI-native product development create opportunities to capture methods, processes, and best practices within everyday workflows. Instead of knowledge remaining with a few individuals, teams can benefit from consistent access to information and proven ways of working.

At the same time, technology can help reduce the burden of repetitive and administrative tasks, allowing teams to focus on higher-value work.

Technology is playing a supportive role in helping us maintain and reinforce our brand DNA by improving efficiency and optimizing internal processes. It allows us to focus on what really makes our brands unique; their identity and creativity.”

 Giulio Romanelli, Technical Engineering Project Coordinator at Oniverse

As AI capabilities continue to evolve, fashion brands have new opportunities to automate routine activities, accelerate onboarding, support knowledge sharing, and help teams spend more time on innovation, craftsmanship, and product excellence.

Addressing the skills gap requires more than replacing retiring experts. Fashion brands need a way to make product development more accessible for new hires while ensuring valuable know-how remains available across teams. Apogy brings people, processes, and product information together in a single environment, making it easier for employees to learn, collaborate, and contribute regardless of their level of experience.

By combining a modern user experience with connected workflows and AI-powered capabilities, Apogy helps organizations reduce the barriers that can slow onboarding and knowledge sharing. Teams gain faster access to the information they need, experienced professionals can more easily pass on their expertise, and product developers can dedicate more time to innovation and creativity. 

The result is a stronger foundation for attracting talent, supporting workforce continuity, and preparing product development teams for the future.

Apogy helps fashion companies make product, process and business knowledge more accessible through AI-powered experiences designed for everyday workflows.