Lectra launched Modaris, its pattern-making software, in 1984. Over the next four decades and several iterations, the company would become the global standard for computer-aided design (CAD), with one-third of the world’s clothing estimated to have been designed with Lectra.
These days, however, are different times. On Wednesday, the Paris-based technology company launched Apogy, an agentic AI-powered solution for fashion product development.
Apogy is a cloud-based solution that can help teams at every step of the development cycle, from ideation to an industrialization-ready prototype. It serves as a shared ecosystem so teams can work simultaneously, while recording every change and who made it. It also streamlines digital prototyping and facilitates approvals through 3D simulations and high-quality photorealistic renderings.
“For fifty years, Lectra has helped transform the fashion industry, particularly by digitizing pattern-making,” said Maximilien Abadie, Lectra’s deputy CEO. “Today, agentic artificial intelligence gives us the opportunity to take a new step forward and reinvent product development as a whole.”
Lectra described Apogy as the next logical step for a company with a history of transforming fashion processes, especially as agentic AI enters the industry amid seismic shifts.
“With Apogy, we are launching the first and only solution designed to bring together all involved parties, data and processes that shape a product. By breaking down silos and streamlining interactions across the entire ecosystem, we enable fashion companies to develop desirable, manufacturable products that meet consumer demand more quickly,” Abadie said.
In a statement from Lectra, early customers highlighted Apogy’s positive impact on their operations.
“For the first time in our history, all our teams are using a single solution,” said David Towell, senior manager at O’Neills, an Irish sportswear brand. “This harmonization eliminates errors linked to data transfers, increases transparency and now enables us to accelerate operations, improve productivity and effectively support our growth.”
Oniverse, an international fashion group with several brands including Calzedonia and Intimissimi, said having the technology helps attract talent. “New generations expect to work with cutting-edge tools. By equipping our teams with Apogy, a solution designed natively for the AI era and featuring advanced capabilities, we are strengthening our ability to attract, develop and retain the next generation of talent in product development roles, particularly in modelling within the Oniverse group,” said Ricardo Romani, operations director at Oniverse.
Lectra said this is not the final form of Apogy. The company said its agentic AI is designed to evolve continuously. Over time, Lectra will expand Apogy’s capabilities, enhancing workflows and automating more tasks.
“Apogy ushers in a new era of product development, where artificial intelligence turns product data into a competitive advantage for fashion players,” Abadie said.
