The Interline Podcast

The Legal Frontiers Of AI In Fashion

The Interline — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 08:56:34 GMT

Every industry is wrestling with the same big-ticket AI questions around fair use, labelling, and disclosure. But fashion has a set of AI legal quandaries all of its own.

Today, Ben talks to Anthony "Tony" Lupo, Chairman of legal firm ArentFox Schiff, and US general counsel for a roster of global fashion and retail brands, including Diane von Furstenberg, Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino, Fila, Lacoste, Diesel, and Christian Louboutin.

Tony also runs Fashion Counsel, a pre-eminent legal blog for the fashion industry.

Together, they run through some of our readers' top concerns about the legal ramifications of AI, from likenesses / personas and model releases, to Fair Use, the EU AI Act, the expanding risk surface of brands extending what they know about consumers, and why brands haven't gone after the creators of image generation models that can reproduce their logos, colours, and other elements on command.

Live Shopping, MCP Intelligence, AI Sustainability And Lending Risks, And Mum Fragrances In Fortnite

The Interline — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 22:02:38 GMT

This week, Grace and Ben debate five new fashion technology headlines.

Live shopping platform Whatnot's new $20 billion valuation: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/07/whatnot-live-shopping-valuation-20-billion.html

The ongoing launch of MCP connectors for intelligence and creative platforms: https://edited.com/products/mcp/

A BoF analysis of how AI ranks and enshrines sustainability language: https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/sustainability/can-you-trust-ai-to-tell-you-which-brands-are-sustainable/

New fuel for the argument that AI infrastructure is becoming a precarious financial instrument: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/08/11/ai-lending-rules-loosened-despite-bubble-fears/

A interesting example of a brand targeting a very different demographic through gaming: https://wwd.com/beauty-industry-news/fragrance/jo-malone-london-bergamot-sea-salt-fragrance-fortnite-game-1239097352/

Shopping, Sizing, Social, AI Strategy, And Domestic Shoe Manufacturing

The Interline — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 11:26:22 GMT

This week, with a slight delay, Grace and Ben discuss:

The ongoing tension between retailers and AI agents, and the reversed injunction in the case of Amazon and Perplexity: https://easternherald.com/2026/08/05/perplexity-comet-amazon-ninth-circuit-ruling/
Several surveys, and reporting, on the reasons that brands are not realising value from their AI investments: https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/technology/the-reason-your-ai-investments-arent-paying-off/
Pinterest's expansion into the physical world, and the dominance of shopping in social media: https://www.retail-week.com/stores-and-property/pinterest-invests-in-new-london-office-as-part-of-new-era-of-shopping-vision/7051782.article
New data that suggests people taking GLP-1 class medications are more likely to visit stores, and the implications for sizing and commerce: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/glp-1-users-in-store-clothes-shopping-trip-is-back-2026-08-02/
A feel-good story from New Balance's UK factory, with some slightly more complicated context: https://fashionunited.uk/news/fashion/new-balance-unveils-new-outdoor-space-for-factory-workers/2026080589618

What Business Spend Data Really Says About AI Adoption

The Interline — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 09:28:38 GMT

Fifty-five per cent of American businesses now pay for AI. But what are companies actually buying, and who are they buying it from? And, more specifically, what does fashion need to know about the economics of AI?

To find out, Ben talks to Ara Kharazian, Lead Economist at Ramp, and one of the people behind the widely-cited AI Index.

Useful reading:

Ara's research at Ramp — https://ramp.com/authors/ara-kharazian
Ramp Economics Lab — https://ramp.com/data
Ramp AI Index — https://ramp.com/data/ai-index
Econ Lab newsletter — https://econlab.substack.com/

AI Meets 3D Printing, Composable eCommerce, SHEIN's Valuation, And AI Shopping As A Service

The Interline — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 01:06:41 GMT

This week, Grace and Ben from the usual weekly format slightly and bring on Danit Peleg, fresh off her AI-meets-3D-printing presentation at Figma Config: https://config.figma.com/san-francisco/session/349f94c6-628e-40ff-9f90-119750e60bfa/

Then they pick up three industry headlines to analyse, quickfire style, rather than the usual five.

Salesforce's investment in Callimacus: https://www.theinterline.com/2026/07/29/callimacus-the-platform-reinventing-digital-experiences-for-the-ai-era-enters-into-an-agreement-for-an-investment-from-salesforce/

Investor scrutiny of SHEIN's prospectus, and the challenge of valuing fashion brands like tech companies: https://www.gulf-times.com/article/730046/business/shein-will-struggle-to-justify-up-to-50bn-hong-kong-ipo-valuation

And announcements from Daydream and THG Ingenuity that collectively suggest AI Shopping as a Service is a new growth vertical: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/daydream-launches-ai-powered-search-and-discovery-solution-for-fashion-brands-and-retailers-302837597.html and https://ww.fashionnetwork.com/news/Thg-ingenuity-adds-ai-stylist-to-google-cloud-marketplace-drives-higher-conversion,1856590.html

Why Fashion Still Over-Develops

The Interline — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 09:24:01 GMT

Despite decades’ worth of technology adoption and transformation initiatives, brands, on average, develop far more materials and style than they, or the market, actually need.

Ben talks to Liza Amlani, author of The Material Life and Co-Founder of Retail Strategy Group, to understand where overdevelopment stems from, and what needs to change to help curb it.

Clothing Destruction, Cybersecurity and AI, Affordability, And UK-EU Politics

The Interline — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 08:04:36 GMT

This week, Grace and Ben discuss a diverse mix of fashion technology stories, although AI is still front and centre.

The European Commission's ban on the destruction of unsold clothing: https://environment.ec.europa.eu/news/ban-destruction-unsold-clothes-and-shoes-enters-application-2026-07-17_en

An unprecedented AI cybersecurity moment... or a marketing stunt? https://openai.com/index/hugging-face-model-evaluation-security-incident/

The explosion in maturity of open-weights Chinese models, and the risk they might represent to US businesses: https://www.semafor.com/article/07/17/2026/kimi-k3-threatens-ai-business-models

A suite of stories that suggest more competition in affordable fashion, and premium goods look for even more ways to spread consumer spending: https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/21/apple-teams-up-with-klarna-to-launch-a-lease-to-own-program-for-iphones-ipads-and-macs/ and https://www.theindustry.fashion/zaras-sister-brand-lefties-confirms-late-august-opening-for-first-uk-store/ and https://retailasia.com/e-commerce/news/shein-targets-50b-valuation-in-hong-kong-ipo

And finally the prospect of new leadership in the UK bringing the country closer to Europe again, and what that might mean for selling and buying fashion: https://www.drapersonline.com/news/burberry-boss-calls-for-burnham-to-scrap-tourist-tax

The Case For Creating A New, Digital-Native Luxury Group

The Interline — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 08:56:44 GMT

Groups and conglomerates have dominated luxury for decades, but recent attempts to forge new ones have floundered. A new Irish group, steeped in the country’s heritage, is betting on technology making the difference.

To find out if it will, Ben sits down with Ashley McDonnell, CEO of VYKO Group.

Bespoke Technology, BNPL, Mystery Boxes, AI Advisory, And A Case Study In Bad Fit

The Interline — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 11:01:04 GMT

Grace and Ben debate the top fashion headlines, including...

The push and pull between bespoke and general purpose AI, and off-the-shelf vs. custom technology in general: https://uk.fashionnetwork.com/news/Beauty-pie-replatforms-through-shopify-for-next-growth-phase,1852537.html and https://www.retaildive.com/news/customer-service-third-party-generative-ai-tools-brand-chatbots/825032/ and https://www.retail-week.com/technology/the-very-group-enters-agentic-ai-partnership-for-pricing/7051644.article and https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/15/thinking-machines-amps-up-its-bet-against-one-size-fits-all-ai-with-its-first-open-model-inkling/

New regulations and a new study that capture the tightening net around fintech, especially buy-now-pay-later platforms: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-delivers-fairer-deal-for-shoppers-as-buy-now-pay-later-rules-come-into-force

StockX's launch of mystery boxes, and the data behind the rise of odds-based decision making in retail: https://fashionunited.uk/news/retail/stockx-launches-mystery-boxes-with-verified-inventory/2026071089146

The influence of AI on advisory services in fashion, and vice versa: https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/technology/ai-outside-consultants-advertising/

The internet's talent at making a running joke out of a manifestation of a deeper and less funny fit and field testing gap: https://fashionunited.uk/news/fashion/tiktok-users-call-out-zara-for-its-now-dubbed-deadly-trousers/2026070989112

Can 3D Weaving Make Domestic Production Viable?

The Interline — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 10:47:35 GMT

Arne Arens made the unusual leap from being a brand executive to leading a technology company in fashion’s most unforgiving segment: manufacturing innovation. From creating net-new jobs to translating digital product creation outputs into seamless garments, his big bet is on this particular transformation taking root.

Ben puts the vision to the test.

An AI Likeness Free-For-All, Social Impact, Cataloguing, Sorting, And Persuasion

The Interline — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 11:34:04 GMT

This week, Ben and Grace discuss:

The launch of Meta's Muse image model, with opt-out likeness tagging - and the ongoing battle between human models are the companies they shoot for, who seem willing to misappropriate their likenesses: https://www.theverge.com/tech/962485/meta-muse-image-ai-model-instagram and https://wwd.com/sourcing-journal/industry-news/fashion-model-racial-discrimination-artificial-intelligence-1239051932/

The more tangible social impacts of AI-supporting data centre build-outs in the UK and abroad: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jul/06/scotland-lanarkshire-village-ai-datacentre

The growth of wardrobe-quantifying / cataloguing apps: https://www.just-style.com/news/whering-seed-funding-ai/?cf-view

Some positive uses of AI in sorting and separating textiles and second-hand garments: https://tech.eu/2026/07/08/berlins-reversefashion-bags-seven-figure-funding-to-scale-textile-sorting/ and https://thenextweb.com/news/fleek-25m-series-b-secondhand-fashion-ai

And the launch of ChatGPT Voice, based on the new GPT-Live model, and what it might mean for layering persuasion on top of a novel modality for interaction: https://openai.com/index/introducing-gpt-live/

Finding The Feeling In AI Campaigns

The Interline — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 09:36:00 GMT

Zalando has pushed further than perhaps any other company in embedding generative AI into its content creation - from product page materials to full-blown creative campaigns - and in talking openly about it. But if cost-saving isn’t the primary objective, what is?

Ben talks to Glazione Rocha, Creative Director, to find out how a company at the bleeding edge of deploying AI for consumer-facing content approaches the work, and how they think about the impact of their choices.

Substack, Politics, Surveillance, Scaling Recycling, And Labelling AI

The Interline — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 08:49:37 GMT

For this week's edition of The Edit - the quickfire fashion technology analysis show from The Interline - Ben and Grace talk about...

Fashion's place in Substack sponsorships:https://on.substack.com/p/a-business-model-that-works-for-creators

Domestic manufacturing and tech startups against the backdrop of UK political devolution: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jun/29/what-is-andy-burnhams-economic-and-political-blueprint-for-britain

The surveillance state, and the spying potential of wearables: https://www.vogue.com/article/testing-mias-anti-surveillance-streetwear

A potential new frontier in blended material recycling: https://wwd.com/sourcing-journal/sj-denim/hkrita-jeanologia-looptworks-scale-green-machine-recycling-1239032559/

And incoming legislation and labels for AI content: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jun/24/adidas-uniqlo-calvin-klein-ads-banned-asa-uk-recycled and https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/eu-icons-labelling-ai-generated-content

The High Bar For Disrupting Knitting

The Interline — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 08:25:48 GMT

Outside of software itself, knitting is probably the closest thing fashion has to coding: a verifiable, binary discipline defined by scarce talent, and specialised software and hardware. Upending it might be the industry’s high bar for new technology - but one company is trying anyway.

Ben talks to Garrett Gerson, CEO and Co-Founder of Variant3D.

Social Bans, Smart Glasses, Programmatic AI, And Heat-Tech

The Interline — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 08:11:20 GMT

In this week's quickfire analysis, Social Editor Grace Robinson quizzes Editor-In-Chief Ben Hanson on:

The UK’s under-sixteen social media ban and the race to reach Gen Alpha.
Meta’s Ray-Ban-free smart glasses and Snap’s premium AR specs.
SSENSE replacing its creative teams with AI.
REI’s two-handlebar AI ad and Meta’s auto-enrolled ad tool.
And how a record-breaking European heatwave reminds us that fashion needs to react to a changing world.

The Edit is also available on YouTube.

The Forking Path From Invention To Industrialisation

The Interline — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 09:15:26 GMT

Upstream innovation, in materials, processing, and production, has had a chequered few years. Promising pilots routinely fail to take flight or achieve commercial scale.

Ben talks to Stephen Bates, CEO of RHEON LABS, to assess what success on the journey from lab to big-label deployment might actually look like.

Risk, Reward, And Cultural Pushback on AI In Fashion - And A New Play For the Secondary Market

The Interline — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 10:00:19 GMT

This week on The Edit: five fresh headline stories from across fashion and technology receive the quickfire analysis treatment.

First: Anthropic releases and is then forced to retract its new Fable 5 model - https://www.anthropic.com/news/fable-mythos-access

Second: new data from Adobe suggests that AI interactions can increase retail conversions by 54%, and token budgets per employee appear less out-of-control than analysts suspected - https://business.adobe.com/blog/adobe-report-ai-traffic-travel-sites-surges-200-percent and https://ramp.com/data/ai-index

Third: Epic Games' demonstration of their creative teams' worfklows, which incorporate some AI, ignites debate. At the same time, the company set out its stall for seeing Unreal 6 as the opportunity to massively expand the utility and portability of skins - https://www.ign.com/articles/fortnite-maker-confirms-how-it-uses-generative-ai-to-help-create-concept-art-and-designs-for-new-skins and https://www.theverge.com/games/951785/epic-games-fortnite-unreal-fest-2026-unreal-engine-6-ai-metaverse

Fourth: secondary market giant StockX will be opening its first permanent retail store, as well as allowing for live shopping and direct interactions between sellers and buyers: https://fashionunited.uk/news/retail/stockx-reopens-soho-store-as-its-first-permanent-retail-location-in-the-us/2026061788698 and https://www.businessoffashion.com/briefings/sports/the-kicks-you-wear-why-stockx-is-launching-live-shopping/

Fifth: Charlotte Tillbury makes a renewed case for the "beauty technology" label, and we consider the advantage that beauty has over fashion when it comes to locating innovation closer to the consumer - https://www.fastcompany.com/91556648/why-i-designed-charlotte-tilbury-beauty-as-a-technology-company

The Future Of Fashion’s Thirst For Water

The Interline — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 10:18:08 GMT

Fashion devotes a lot of time to securing its inputs, but the importance of water to the industry’s supply chain goes under-discussed, and water is not quantified and assessed the way carbon is. But as water justice becomes a more acute business continuity risk, the demand to reckon with fashion’s thirst is growing.

Ben talks to Amira Jehia, Founding Executive Director of Drip By Drip, to understand why water impact quantification lags behind carbon footprint assessment, despite representing a more acute risk in the short term.

AI VTO, Automation, Lawsuits, Personalisation, And Live Shopping

The Interline — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 10:15:54 GMT

The first edition of The Edit, a new weekly show where Social Editor Grace interviews Editor-in-Chief Ben about five headline stories from across fashion and technology in less than 25 minutes.

This week the team pick up and analyse:

DRESSX and Depop tackle virtual try-on for the secondary market:
- https://retailtechinnovationhub.com/home/2026/6/7/dressx-teams-with-depop-on-series-of-ai-powered-resale-styling-and-virtual-try-on-activations
Asda and Amazon pursue different slants on warehouse automation:
- https://www.itv.com/news/2026-06-03/asda-set-to-axe-1000-jobs-as-supermarket-expands-use-of-robots-in-warehouses
- https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/operations/amazon-proteus-robot-europe-investment-employee-support
A potential bellwether case in generative AI:
- https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/webcivil/FCASCaseInfo?parm=CaseInfo&index=0ZNmRgvD2qR4l0WOTiUuuQ%3D%3D&county=4C0EZrpMlZxgt4jIwaHpvQ%3D%3D&motion=M&docs=&adate=07/07/2026&civilCaseId=hGKUc3wpVnhmBouCuV5R8w%3D%3D
The darker side of live shopping, and dark patterns in AI chatbot engagement:
- https://www.vogue.com/article/the-darker-side-of-live-shopping
- https://cdt.org/insights/dark-patterns-in-ai-chatbots-a-taxonomy-to-inform-better-design/?ref=404media.co
Product-level personalisation through pairing AI with print-on-demand:
- https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/design-merch-with-ai-alexa-for-shopping
- https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/03/amazon-will-show-ai-product-images-when-you-search-for-some-reason/

Proving Out The Pre-Loved Luxury Model

The Interline — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 09:49:33 GMT

The case is strong for someone to own the secondary market, but whether that winds up being first or third-party ownership will depend as much on platforms and standards as it does on business models and incentives.

This week, Ben talks to Muhammad "Mo" Kharodia, CTO of pre-loved childrenswear platform Designer Kids Club, to examine why a founder sees an opportunity to prove out the technology for the secondary market in a narrow tranche first.

Is Innovation Shaping Storytelling Or Vice Versa?

The Interline — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 08:14:01 GMT

Fashion and beauty are surrounded by digital surfaces and physical spaces, and technology has fast become a fixture of how the higher echelons of both industries tell stories and create experiences. But what does the work really look like? And which force - tech or narrative - is in the driving seat?

To find out, Ben talks to Francesco Bernabei, CEO of creative innovation studio Monogrid.

Earning The Right To Replace Spreadsheets

The Interline — Tue, 26 May 2026 12:28:46 GMT

Fashion professionals, particularly in planning-related disciplines, are tasked with making a lot of decisions. The environment those choices live in is still stubbornly Excel, so what does it take to design software to replace spreadsheets - especially when AI is added to the mix?

To get a perspective, Ben talks to Michaela Wessels, CEO and Co-Founder of Style Arcade.

The Image Trade Is Booming. Can The Trust Economy Keep Up?

The Interline — Tue, 19 May 2026 08:06:18 GMT

The unit economics of replacing product photography with either wholly-generated or AI-edited images are, from a rational perspective, pretty clear-cut. But with consumer animus against AI content peaking, there’s more to generative images than just the bottom line.

Ben talks to Matthieu Rouif, CEO of Photoroom, about how eCommerce companies and marketplaces are thinking about the gap between the picture and the product.

Science, Sustainability, And The Slow March Of Reality

The Interline — Tue, 12 May 2026 07:55:30 GMT

Despite individual brand efforts, fashion’s footprint has continued to grow. The upshot might not be immediately catastrophic, but a slow set of signals are reinforcing the urgency - and the potential benefits - of near-term action.

Ben talks to Gianluca Belotti, Business Leader at Stahl, and Expert Evaluator for the European Commission, about where sustainability efforts are meeting reality.

What’s Really Inside A Forecast?

The Interline — Tue, 05 May 2026 08:19:31 GMT

Every field that deals in data is figuring out where the boundary sits between analytical models and human judgment. When that data pertains to culture and change, that shifting sweet spot is determined as much by time as it is by technology.

To get a better grasp on what actually goes into the art and the science of forecasting, Ben sits down with Carla Buzasi, CEO of "global change authority" WGSN.

Sustainability Through A Different Lens

The Interline — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 08:49:28 GMT

Ben talks to Joe Mountain, Sustainability Manager at N Brown Group, about how a combination of hard-coded values around size and price inclusivity, a willingness to recognise the limits of existing systems, and a commitment to looking at things differently manifest themselves in a unique sustainability strategy.

Will A Drive For Shared Truth Bring Fashion Back Around To Blockchain?

The Interline — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 09:07:52 GMT

Outside of art, fashion has had perhaps the most divisive relationship with blockchain of any sector. But the same principles and the same technology behind the consumer NFT bust are closer than ever to becoming part of the shared infrastructure of international business.

Ben talks to Clare Adelgren, Global Blockchain Leader for EY (one of the "big four," and maybe better known by its old name, Ernst & Young) to find out whether fashion is really ready to revisit blockchain.

What’s The Deal With Design Operations?

The Interline — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 09:34:41 GMT

Repeatedly turning creativity into the right product outcomes can feel like an exercise in luck. Can pairing digital product creation with an operationalised approach to design allow brands to tip the scales in their favour?

Ben talks to Bo Lupo, a former Senior Director for 3D and Immersive Design at Nike, to explore the intent and the practical reality of initiating and sustaining design operations.

Loyalty, Lockers, “Glocal,” And Other Lessons From An International Logistics Hub

The Interline — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 07:53:59 GMT

Ben talks to Oliwia Guziel, to get a snapshot of the automations and integrations behind eCommerce logistics at Decathlon’s Central European operations, and the lessons they might hold for other segments and other geographies.

This show covers how regional cultural expectations, new ways to push the frontiers of fulfilment speed, and carbon optimisation shape decision-making along the route to final destination.

The Push And Pull Of Tooling And Teaching For Design

The Interline — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 08:43:29 GMT

From building repeatable systems to constantly updating their pipelines, seasoned and incoming designers are both working at the bleeding edge. What are they finding there? And what does it mean for the future of hybrid skills, and the balance between 3D and AI?

To answer those questions and more, Ben talks to Andrea Doering.

How Fashion And Beauty Show Up In AI Search

The Interline — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 09:26:00 GMT

From raw query visibility to market sentiment and authority, AI models search for, rank, and surface brands in a way that’s orthogonal to traditional SEO.

Ben talks to Malte Landwehr, Chief Product Officer and Chief Marketing Officer of Peec, about what fashion and beauty need to understand about when, why, and how LLMs go to the web, and how to influence what they bring back with them.

A Case Study In Deeply-Considered AI Development At Brunello Cucinelli

The Interline — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 10:01:16 GMT

Almost as famous for its humanist philosophy as its luxury products, Brunello Cucinelli has also emerged as a lighthouse for AI - not by rushing recklessly forwards, but by undertaking in-house platform work that venerates the human touch at the same time as building composable experiences in real-time.

To debate the frontier between the artificial and the human, and to get into the weeds about a future of composable websites and software, Ben talks to Francesco Bottigliero, Chief of Humanistic Technology at Brunello Cucinelli, & Chief Executive Officer at Solomei AI.

Why Supply Chains Matter More Than Ever

The Interline — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 09:53:31 GMT

Ben talks to Kate Padget-Koh, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Squatwolf, about finding the delicate balance between upstream optimisation and innovation, and defining “future ready” supply chain capabilities.

Can Technology Help New Entrants Break Into The Entrenched Eyewear Market?

The Interline — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 09:38:09 GMT

With a business model dominated by licensing, and a heavily consolidated supply chain, eyewear has long been a hostile market for new designers. Now, additive manufacturing and technology miniaturisation are promising to lower barriers and increase the pace of innovation.

To understand the different futures for eyewear as a category, Ben talks to Sébastien Brusset - Head of Optics and Design - and Marc Zouari - Co-Founder - of Visages.

What Went Wrong With Web3?

The Interline — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 09:37:13 GMT

Ben, a well-documented Web3 skeptic who might still be wrong, is joined by digital fashion educator and entrepreneur Karinna Grant, to revisit the case for decentralised digital ownership, and to ask what lessons the industry should have learned from its last big hype cycle prior to AI.

Digital Maturity In The Extended Supply Chain

The Interline — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 10:54:17 GMT

The success of any comprehensive transformation initiative hinges not just on uptake on the brand side, but on the existence of class-leading capabilities upstream. But what does it look like for a leading supplier to build technology maturity that matches or exceeds the innovation its customers are pursuing?

Ben talks to Steve Dodd, Chief Digital Officer for MAS Holdings, about the evolution of digital expertise in the supply chain.

The Deepening Impact Of Digital Asset Management

The Interline — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 09:13:05 GMT

A fundamental change in the definition of an “asset” - from a fixed form to a living object - and a userbase shift towards product creation teams are combining to make DAM one of the most interesting and under-discussed cogs in the product journey.

Ben talks to Kara Van Malssen, Partner and Managing Director at AVP, about the deepening impact of digital asset management.

The AI Logic And The Business Model Behind Virtual Fit

The Interline — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 09:19:54 GMT

A strategic discussion with Nicola Bond, CEO and Founder of Fittora, about applying AI to one of fashion’s longest-standing technical challenges - and about testing the results through a business model that hits a lot of disruptive beats all at once.

Preparing eCommerce For The Next Citizens Of The Web

The Interline — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 09:54:06 GMT

AI agents, agentic browsers, and language models equipped with tools - a new cohort of artificial shoppers could be on the horizon. But can the technology and the incentives scale fast enough to justify the returns for retailers and brands?

To find out, Ben talks to Jonathan Arena, Co-Founder of New Generation.

Making Sense Of The AI Shopping Journey

The Interline — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 05:01:05 GMT

Consumers are surrounded by chatboxes, all promising proactive, personalised advice on what to buy, and where. But it’s unclear how general purpose AI models really “shop,” how they gather data about products, and how much they really understand user intent. Maria Belousova, CTO at Daydream, joins The Interline Podcast to talk about the technical and cultural components of teaching AI the vocabulary of fashion.

Intelligent Retail

The Interline — Sat, 29 Jan 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Our premiere episode. Ben Hanson, Editor of The Interline, and Dan Leahy, CEO of MakerSights, discuss how the retail recovery will be defined by data.

Listen and subscribe to The Interline Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

Follow The Interline on all social channels @TheInterline.

If you would like to get involved in our podcast, email us at digital@theinterline.com.

Making Climate-Conscious Menswear Work Commercially

The Interline — Fri, 17 Oct 2025 09:45:32 GMT

From transparency and take-back to 3D technology, Nick Reed, Founder of Neem London, talks about the practicalities of building a slow fashion business - and the need for great product to be at the front of it all.

Debating Digital Change And AI Convergence In 2026

The Interline — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 05:00:00 GMT

Our first show of the new year brings together two insiders’ perspectives on emerging technology, education, software uptake, and whether 2026 will be the year we see meaningful convergence of AI across it all.

Matthew Drinkwater, Director, Fashion Innovation Agency at London College of Fashion, joins The Interline Podcast.

The Critical Role Of Repair In The Circular Economy

The Interline — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 10:52:11 GMT

Emma welcomes Emily Rea, the Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Circulo to discuss the importance of repair, and the technology and data around it, in driving the circular fashion economy - and all-round sustainability - forward.

Talking Industry 4.0-Enabled Transformation For Fashion

The Interline — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 11:23:29 GMT

Emma talks to Nicolas Favreau, Product Marketing Director for Lectra, about what Industry 4.0 means for fashion, how the industry can achieve higher levels of traceability and transparency, what role AI will play in extracting insights from unstructured fashion data - and much more.

For more analysis of Lectra's new announcements, look for a full report on The Interline next week.

What’s Changing In Design And Development Innovation?

The Interline — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 07:08:26 GMT

After being dominated by digital product creation strategies, the cutting edge of design and development workflows is feeling the pull of artificial intelligence - and big questions are being asked about where the line gets drawn. Sean Lane, Director of Digital Innovation And AI at Vans joins the show to debate them.

Unpacking Kalypso's 2024 Digital Adoption Research

The Interline — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 12:19:40 GMT

Emma and Ben speak to Kalypso’s Digital Product Creation and Transformation Lead, Sophia Lara, to unpack the findings of this year's digital adoption research and ask whether DPC is ready for the deep end.

Download the full findings from Kalypso: https://kalypso.com/files/docs/2024-Digital-Adoption-Research-3.pdf

Sneakers, Sustainability & The Secondary Market

The Interline — Mon, 20 Mar 2023 15:00:00 GMT

For this episode of The Interline Podcast, Ben talks to Moses Rashid, CEO of The Edit LDN, about resale, the future of brand-consumer relationships, and how technology - including AI and digital collectibles - is fundamental to fashion's future in both predictable and unexpected ways.

This episode is sponsored by SOURCING at MAGIC, the leading North American and international destination event. The Interline will be partnering with SOURCING at MAGIC again this summer, to bring the full spectrum of fashion technology to life - across education sessions, live discussions, exhibitors and demonstrations - all in a dedicated fashion technology community, live in Las Vegas, from 7th to 9th August 2023.

Culture, Identity, Personal Data, And Wearable Devices

The Interline — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 05:00:25 GMT

Dr. Sabine Seymour joins The Interline Podcast to explore where the integration of technology into fashion (and vice versa) is headed, especially in the context of historic land-grabs from big tech and AI labs for people’s personal data.

Talking New, Blockchain-Backed Business Models With Arianee

The Interline — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 13:25:22 GMT

Emma speaks with Pierre-Nicolas Hurstel, CEO and Co-Founder of Arianee, about enterprise-grade digital product passports, and the new digital infrastructure the company believes will be necessary for the business models of the future.

SKIMS: Why Scaling Success Starts With A Solid Technology Foundation

The Interline — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 10:25:20 GMT

Emma speaks to Nina Khoury, VP of Strategic Operations at SKIMS, about her own career path and the popular brand's technology journey.

Championing Change

The Interline — Tue, 10 May 2022 11:00:00 GMT

As the apparel and footwear industries wrestle with the practicalities of turning discrete technology projects into broader transformation, we look at the mechanics of championing change through the lens of digital product creation.

For this episode, Ben is joined by Jared Goldman, VP of Design for footwear giants New Balance, and Sophia Lara, Digital Product Creation & Transformation Lead for Kalypso.

Artwork for this episode is courtesy of New Balance.

Affordability, Domestic Supply Chains, And Sustainability

The Interline — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 05:00:00 GMT

Ben is joined by Simon Platts, industry veteran and consultant, for a sideways look at the foundational pillars of the fashion business model - and why the time might have come to challenge them.

What’s The Actual Opportunity For Fashion In Gaming?

The Interline — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 05:00:23 GMT

We take it as read that fashion and gaming are growing closer together, but what’s the quantifiable value of branded experiences and where do they sit on balance sheets? What’s the outlook for selling cosmetic items? And what does it mean for tightly-controlled brand narratives to live alongside user-generated content?

Marcus Holmström, Group CEO of The Gang joins us.

Managing Metaverse Expectations

The Interline — Wed, 07 Dec 2022 11:00:00 GMT

After undergoing a super-compressed hype cycle, fashion is ending the year with a very complicated mix of optimism and pessimism around the Metaverse. To dissect that, and to look at how digital-for-digital and digital-for-physical workflows and ecosystems interact, Ben talks to Cathy Hackl, Founder and Chief Metaverse Officer for Journey.

This episode of The Interline Podcast is sponsored by Cotton Incorporated. To find out more about how fashion's original fibre is preparing for a digital-native future, and to identify steps you can take today to start designing, developing, and sourcing smartly, digitally, visit www.cottonworks.com

The Foundations Of Metaverse Fashion

The Interline — Thu, 21 Jul 2022 20:00:00 GMT

Ben Hanson talks to Marjorie Hernandez (Founder at LUKSO, and Co-Founder at The Dematerialised) about testing the possibility space of digital fashion, and about the core mechanics of digital ownership and decentralisation.

This episode is sponsored by Informa Markets and SOURCING at MAGIC. Register to attend for the next stage in this discussion, and to see The Interline and the SOURCING at MAGIC teams showcase fashion technology in action in the all-new SOURCE Lounge, August 7th through 10th 2022: https://www.sourcingatmagic.com/en/home.html

Explore our past collaboration with LUKSO: https://www.theinterline.com/11/2020/staking-your-claim-in-the-new-digital-economy/

Where Sustainability Really Stands

The Interline — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 11:00:00 GMT

Where does the fashion industry really stand on sustainability?

To help answer that question, Ben speaks with Ruth MacGilp, Communications Manager for Fashion Revolution – an organisation comprised of representatives from every sector of the fashion business, who have collectively campaigned for a clean, safe, fair, transparent, and accountable fashion industry for more than a decade.

Together they underline the importance of taking rapid action, and explain the role that innovation in software, hardware, and process can play in enabling fashion brands, retailers, and suppliers to make meaningful progress towards essential targets.

Talking Circularity, Innovation, And A Sustainable Vision for Fashion - With Save Your Wardrobe

The Interline — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 12:52:18 GMT

Emma speaks to Hasna Kourda, Founder and CEO of Save Your Wardrobe - a platform and an ecosystem designed to streamline the post-purchase experience, across repair, maintenance, and upcycling.

Together, they discuss the pathway to systemic change, and a vision for sustainable fashion.

Talking Technology's Place At The Heart Of Fashion Events, With Andreu David

The Interline — Wed, 17 Jul 2024 20:00:34 GMT

A unique episode of The Interline Podcast, documenting the way technology is becoming integral to fashion events, and how those major fixtures are changing to keep pace with the industry’s evolution.

Featuring Andreu David, Vice President of SOURCING at MAGIC and Ben Hanson, Editor-in-Chief of The Interline.

This episode is also sponsored by SOURCING at MAGIC. See the show live with SOURCING at MAGIC taking place in Las Vegas from 19th to 21st August, and then in New York from 22nd to 24th September. You can also find out more year-round by visiting www.sourcingatmagic.com.

Agile Supply Chains And AI Insights With Paul Magel of CGS

The Interline — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 14:08:57 GMT

Hosted by the Interline’s Editor-In-Chief, Ben Hanson, this episode features a conversation with Paul Magel, President at Computer Generated Solutions, about the 10th Annual BlueCherry State of Supply Chain & Technology Report. Together, Ben and Paul talk through its findings, in the context of a decade that has seen e-commerce accelerate, disruption become the norm, and AI emerge as a tangible influence. They explore what's changed, what hasn't, and why so much of the future still comes down to the basics: reliable data, strong relationships, and the willingness to adapt.

Why PLM Matters More Than Ever, With Mark Harrop

The Interline — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 10:38:58 GMT

Emma chats to Mark Harrop, Founder and CEO at WhichPLM, who has helped brands, retailers, and manufacturers make intelligent investments in technology and smart choices for process change for over five decades.

Together, they run down the definition of product lifecycle management (PLM), the journey of technology in fashion over Mark's long career, and PLM's place at the centre of both the near-term and the longer-term future of fashion.

The Infrastructure For Traceability, With Avery Dennison

The Interline — Wed, 17 Jul 2024 10:19:29 GMT

The Interline spoke with the Head of Enterprise Sustainability at Avery Dennison about how the company is working to optimise labour and supply chain efficiency, reduce waste, advance sustainability, circularity and transparency, and better connect brands and consumers.

More in our sustainability archives: https://www.theinterline.com/category/fashion-sustainability-articles/

H&M's DPC Journey

The Interline — Wed, 07 May 2025 14:34:05 GMT

Emma speaks to Bhargava Ram Kummamuru, Product Manager leading Digital Product Creation at H&M. Together, they explore where H&M stands on its DPC journey today, the strategic direction that Ram and H&M see DPC taking, as well as how the broader tech ecosystem for fashion is maturing.

Transparency In Action

The Interline — Sun, 02 Oct 2022 17:00:00 GMT

The gap between making a sustainability statement and backing it up can be substantial, but transparency will not remain optional for much longer.

In this episode, Ben talks transparency with Jordi Beneyto Ferre, Senior Manager of Global Materials and Sustainability for Icebreaker - a brand renowned for creating uncompromising performance garments from natural materials, and for its commitment to transparency in its material supply chain.

This episode of The Interline Podcast is sponsored by Coats Digital. As part of a robust, multi-faceted ecosystem of best-in-class technologies, Coats Digital creates solutions that can transform the sustainability equation at both the material and the labour levels.

Discover more about GSDCost and FastReactFabric at www.coatsdigital.com

Forecasting Fashion’s Future Between Now And 2030

The Interline — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 05:00:00 GMT

With new Euromonitor data and insights to work from, we start to close the year by looking forward at what the next four have in store at a global market and technological level, and how fashion brands are likely to respond.

Marguerite Le Rolland, Global Insight Manager – Fashion at Euromonitor International joins The Interline Podcast.

Climate Transformation And The Circular Economy

The Interline — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 21:04:54 GMT

A grounded perspective on environmental tipping points, the reality of recycling, and the gap between fashion’s linear growth economy and the vision for a viable circular alternative.

Talking Carbon-Centric Decision Making With Vaayu

The Interline — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 09:46:53 GMT

Emma sits down with Namrata Sandhu, Co-Founder and CEO of Vaayu to discuss what it was like to build automated software to help the retail ecosystem track and cut environmental impact in real time.

This episode is supported by SOURCING at MAGIC, where The Interline will be returning in August 2024 to host the next series of fashion technology conversations. Find out more at www.sourcingatmagic.com

Powering Resale for Conscious Retailers with Continue

The Interline — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 12:16:11 GMT

Emma hosts Lydia Hartley, the Co-Founder of Continue - a startup enabling fashion brands to adopt circular practices and boost customer retention by powering their own peer-to-peer marketplaces.

What’s The Real Outlook For Digital Fashion?

The Interline — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 03:00:12 GMT

Tackling some of the thorny language, and the open spaces, between the previous vision for digital fashion, and a more practical short-term reality, with the Founder of Digital Fashion Week.

What Will Digital Deliver In 2023?

The Interline — Wed, 22 Feb 2023 12:00:00 GMT

After a year in which broader adoption of digital product creation, and recognition of the use cases for digital assets, fuelled an explosion of creative and commercial possibilities, what does 2023 have in store for 3D, DPC, and wider digital transformation in fashion?

To answer those questions - and more - Ben Hanson speaks to Alison Coddaire, a DPC leader at Kalypso, and one of several experts who’ve helped establish the practice as one of the leading digital product creation consultancies in the retail industry.

This episode is sponsored by Kalypso: In DPC and beyond, Kalypso helps companies to build the end-to-end solutions and connected ecosystems that allow them to digitally create, manufacture, and sell products.

Find out more at: https://kalypso.com/industries/consumer-retail/digital-product-creation

Talking Sustainability, Suits, And Slow Fashion With Batch LDN

The Interline — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 09:38:05 GMT

For her first episode as host, Emma talks to Julian Osborne, co-founder of Batch LDN about redefining suits with their “Batch Model,” the foundations of slow fashion, and how they are working to change consumers' attitudes towards the consumption of fashion.

This episode is supported by our friends at SOURCING at MAGIC.

Talking Innovative Polyester Textile Regeneration with Reju

The Interline — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 11:21:41 GMT

Emma speaks to Patrik Frisk, CEO of Reju, a company working to recycle polyester at unprecedented speed and scale.

Together, they get into what it might take to secure fashion industry buy-in for industrial-scale textile-to-textile recycling - and what the future of the circular economy could look like.

The Tech And The Economics Behind The Rental Business

The Interline — Mon, 24 Jul 2023 20:03:30 GMT

This episode - recorded live - features three members of the senior team behind data-driven clothing rental business Armoire.

Talking to Laura Butler, CTO, Sanober Mukadam, Chief Operating & Merchandising Officer, and Shefali McDermott, Head of Operations, Ben explores the infrastructure, the economics, and the technology that keep a complex business model running.

The Data-Driven Supply Chain

The Interline — Sun, 06 Mar 2022 13:00:00 GMT

Our Editor brings together guests across technology, environment, and ethics to discuss how fashion supply chains can balance risk, responsiveness, and responsibility.

This episode is sponsored by Coats Digital. Find out more at www.coatsdigital.com

Featuring:

Stuart McCready-Stocks
Mark Dodds
Sharon Benning-Prince

Listen and subscribe to The Interline Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Follow The Interline on all social channels @TheInterline.

If you would like to get involved in our podcast, email us at digital@theinterline.com.

Talking Sustainability, Innovation, and Cooperation with Munich Fabric Start

The Interline — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 09:07:06 GMT

For this episode, Emma is joined by two of the team from Munich Fabric Start: Claudia Mynott, Marketing and Communications Director, and Simon Angel, Sustainable Innovations Curator.

Together they talk about:

What the driving principles of the MFS show are today and what is important for live events to offer in the current climate.
Whether the role of technology has changed over the years with the development of digital product creation, AI, and also the tightening regulations around sustainability.
How the sourcing landscape might shift in the near future.

Find out more about the team's next event in Munich on the 21st and 22nd of January 2025 at: https://www.munichfabricstart.com/en/

Bringing Fashion Week Back To Manchester

The Interline — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 10:28:16 GMT

How the complicated industrial legacy and unique culture of The Interline’s home city, combined with a new emphasis on technology, made 2025 the right year to resurrect its fashion week.

Talking AR Virtual Try-On With ZERO10

The Interline — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 11:13:07 GMT

Emma talks to Maxim Raykhrud, Chief Product Officer at ZERO10 about the maturity curve for augmented reality virtual try-on. They discuss the high bars that virtual try-on must meet in believability and accuracy, privacy and data protection, and compliance - as well as the role of AI in future unlocks.

Championing DPC And Digital Education

The Interline — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 12:46:06 GMT

A timely debate with a leading name in the 3D community, covering everything from standardisation as a necessary precondition for automation, to the uncertain disruption that AI is potentially bringing to digital product creation - all through the prism of what one person’s journey can teach fashion professionals in general.