PI Apparel 2019 | Speakers

Annie Hanlon is a business development executive and executive producer with 20 years of experience covering a wide range of creative projects including AR/ VR, traditional film & tv, digital content, commercials and documentary production. A dealmaker and relationship manager with a passion for content creation and cutting-edge technology, she has a track record of strategy, media, vision and impact for leading companies in Hollywood and Silicon Valley.

Barry is the Group Vice President of the newly formed Innovation Next division of PVH; his team serves the innovation needs of all brands at PVH, one of the worlds largest importers of apparel, who’s brands include Calvin Klein, Tommy Hifiger, Izod, and Speedo. Barry's experience as the VP of Hardgoods Speedo, where he used his knowledge working with outdoor athletes to help train Olympians by advancing ideation in the hydrodynamic space using physics, engineered innovation and biomimicry to create cutting edge technical swimming gear, made him a perfect candidate to lead the wider Innovation Next division.

David Macy is Chief Product Officer for Software at Gerber Technology, where he is focused on technology that drives the fashion an apparel industry - from product design and development all the way through production and retail or omni-channel experiences. Gerber’s software solutions of YuniquePLM and AccuMark are in use by brands and manufacturers throughout the world. Prior to serving as CPO at Gerber, David has over 25 years of experience leading product development at Silicon Valley based tech companies. He was VP of Product at Avametric, focused on 3D apparel visualization, and spent 10 years prior at Adobe where he managed many of the world’s most popular creative tools, including the venerable Adobe Illustrator. David trained as a visual artist, he studied illustration at the Academy of Art in San Francisco and enjoys painting portraits of musicians whose messages inspire him.

Ellery Connell has over 20 years of experience in the VFX and Digital Product Creation industries. A master of creating and refining complex procedural modelling workflows, Connell joined Foundry in 2017 from his position as professor of VFX and animation. In 2019, Connell is most interested in talking about Holographic design workflows and how to introduce emerging technologies like haptic feedback into the studio environment.

Co-Founder and Managing Director at INSPECTORIO, a retail industry's supply chain performance operating system. The platform has pioneered mobile technologies that streamline the quality inspection & compliance monitoring auditing process, increasing the accountability of vendors & factories and other ecosystem members of the production chain.

Endeavor Entrepreneur Outlier, Techstars Retail Alumni. Serial Entrepreneur.

Commercial Engineer from the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Fernando has a Diploma in Marketing and Strategy from the University of California at Berkeley. Executive MBA from IDE Business School. He has done the Entrepreneurship Development Program at MIT and the Executive Program of Singularity University in Silicon Valley. Fernando is currently studying at Harvard Business School, Owners & Presidents Management Program (OPM).

As a co-founder, president of Ministry of Supply, Gihan Amarasiriwardena shapes the company’s products and product marketing, bringing his background in science and technology to create high-performance products for the modern professional. After earning his S.B. in chemical and biological engineering from MIT and conducting research at the Sports Technology Institute in the UK and product design at IDEO, Gihan co-founded Ministry of Supply to bring a high-tech vision for apparel to life. He held the Guinness World Record for Fastest Half-Marathon Run in a Suit, has biked across the US in a Ministry of Supply Apollo Polo and was named as one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30.

In the late spring of 2015, Greg Alterman found himself at home for six months, convalescing after a brain hemorrhage. The hemorrhage made Greg highly sensitive to visual noise—vibrant colors, branding on products, and clutter. He realized that in order to support his healing, he needed to bring a sense of calm to his environment. He carefully decluttered the house he shares with his wife and four children, reducing all that was visible down to beloved essentials that contributed a feeling of calm. Suddenly, a sense of serenity had finally arrived. Out of this great peace, Greg began to experience a desire to create a company founded on the principles that he had applied to his home: an emphasis on owning just a handful of valued things—items that earn their place in our lives, have incredible craftsmanship, exceptional performance, calming design, and the ability to service all. Clothes built to last and crafted from the softest materials on earth. Daily essential items that live with us so quietly and so comfortably that they disappear. Allowing the eye to focus on family, on nature and sharpening an awareness of the present moment to step forward.

Lisa Gerber has been at the frontlines of entertainment since her start as a child actor and subsequent work in TV and feature casting. As an advisor for top tier technology and entertainment companies, Lisa led the Strategic Partnership
team at The Advanced Imaging Society and shaped and executed some of the immersive industry’s premiere events as well as creating educational and innovative platforms and programs. Lisa has curated and moderated dozens of panels comprised of thought leaders focusing on everything from content to big data.

Matthew Drinkwater is a world-renowned expert in emerging technologies and their application to the creative industries, and leads London College of Fashion’s Innovation Agency. Working with leading fashion brands and technology companies, his work sits at the intersection of digital product creation, immersive media (XR/AR/VR), and AI-enabled creation. His current focus is on how 3D, generative tools and VFX-style pipelines converge into new creative systems, redefining how designers ideate, iterate and build in a digital-first world.

Natacha Alpert is the Founder of MIRAS3D, where she advises brands and innovators on Industry 5.0 product creation — spanning digital transformation, 3D and digital twin workflows, immersive AR/VR/XR experiences, and advanced manufacturing. Across consulting and leadership roles, she has worked with global footwear, fashion, and consumer-product teams to integrate emerging technologies without losing craft, creativity, or brand identity.

Alongside her consultancy work, Natacha is deeply involved in education. She is an adjunct and capstone instructor at Washington University’s McKelvey School of Engineering and a Guest Lecturer at Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) in Italy, helping students and professionals translate disruptive technologies into practical, human-centred design and business frameworks.

She is also the Founder of NATUREVERSE, an immersive STEM and storytelling platform using VR, AR, and XR to explore nature, science, and sustainability through experiential learning.

Sean Lane is the founder of A42 innovations. His recent endeavors included consulting for the largest eTail company in Europe, delivering a foundation for digital product creation (DPC) and a roadmap for the future. Before consulting, Sean was the Head of Product Technologies & Digital Innovation at Columbia Sportswear, where he was responsible for the technologies that supported Product Creation from design through development, sourcing, costing, and quality. Prior to Columbia Sportswear, Sean was with Nike for 15 years where he held several leadership roles in operations and technology, including Director of Product Creation Technology, focused on merchandising and analytics.

Shaul Cohen was raised in Israel, served in the IDF, graduated from Hebrew University, and obtained his MBA at Tel Aviv University. He was a journalist, construction project management executive and corporate finance executive at IDB before joining the apparel industry more than 20 years ago. Shaul was the general manager for Jordache in Hong Kong, and is now an EVP in the Company’s New York HQ. Keen on technology for continuous improvement, Shaul has successfully rolled out multiple technologies, the most recent being 3D technology.  

Tom Astrella has worked in the Sports/Fashion Footwear Industry for over 15 years. Tom is a Co-Founder and Owner of The Footsoldiers Design Consultancy Ltd. one of the largest independent Footwear Design Consultancies Globally. Together with his business partner Hector Rubio, they have built a formidable team, able to tackle every aspect of Footwear Design. Celebrating their 10 year anniversary in 2019, The Footsoldiers have spent the last decade integrating themselves into the teams of some of the biggest names in the Sports/Fashion industry, providing Design, Consultation and Trend forecasting services.

Passion for materials? Check. Design product development? Check. Visualization production for 15 years? Double check. Yazan Malkosh currently leads the team at swatchbook in creating a cloud platform meant to revolutionize the exploration, visualization and sharing of materials. His previous experience includes architecting product design tools for some of the worlds largest design brands in apparel, footwear and the automotive industries.

Apparel Product Development Global Leader. Passionate about great design, sustainably developed. Establish and activate strategic direction aligned to business growth. Inspire expert teams to deliver customer value by balancing quality, cost and speed. Drive simplicity through strategic process innovation, advancing technology and effective change management.

Professor of fashion design and technology.

David Grant is a technology and business leader in the retail and apparel industry with 20+ years Developer, Project Manager, process flow, change management and Director-level experience. During this time David has implemented several award winning PLM solutions from both the consulting and internal project management sides. Other systems experience includes: ERP, PLM, Assortment Planning, Ecommerce, Workflow, Corporate Blogging, Pricing and Promotion, Social Media, Business Intelligence, Planograms, 3D/CAD.

Erin Sudeck is the Manager of 3D Design within Apparel Development at Under Armour, overseeing the 3D Design Team. Erin is leading the virtual prototyping process for product development by developing 3D strategies and roadmaps for the department, as well as implementing streamlined processes that integrate 3D technology.

Idy Lee is Senior Vice President of the Digital Product Development Centre of Excellence and is responsible for leading and driving all operations for servicing the digital supply chain services in Product Development. Idy joined the Fung Group in 2004 as part of the Management Trainee Program and spent her first year rotating through various business units in both merchandising and operations roles and working closely with business leaders, merchandising teams, and customer teams on the Supply Chain & logistics landscape.

Drawing upon 28 years in the fashion industry, Michael Rabin’s experience covers all facets of product development and production. Using design, merchandising, production and management best practices, Rabin has in depth knowledge of all phase from its’ initial concept to sourcing production through a global sourcing networks using a variety of software tools and applications to deliver to retailers and wholesalers worldwide. Today, Michael Rabin is President of Morgan Tecnica America Inc., a technology/product solution company for fashion and manufacturing companies worldwide, featuring the most innovative tools for 3D,CAD, PLM/PDM, Cut Order Planning software and integrated machinery for all area’s of material handling, spreading and cutting.

Mitch has been an expert in 3D footwear for more than a decade. In his current role as 3D Innovation Manager at Deckers Brands, he is implementing a holistic approach to automatically generate patterns, costing and bill of materials using virtual prototypes at the very beginning stages of the design process. He has collaborated with numerous software companies to develop footwear specific tools to streamline the digital creation process.

Noe Rix is VP Global Footwear and Apparel Product Development at Deckers Brands and in this capacity, is interested in all forms of the Product process, from Concept to Delivery. Prior to Deckers Brands, he worked at Sperry Top Sider (Division of WWW, Inc.), Wolverine World Wide Inc. (striderite children's group), Flat Fitty/Lavish Headwear, Coach, The Timberland Company, Puma, and Nike. Noel's specialties include Pursuing and integrating Innovation with time to market reduction and is able to speak Japanese. Noel has worked at Deckers Brands for 2 years. Currently, he is responsible for PD, Costing, Materials, Product Integrity and Asia Dev/Comm. Noel studied Anthropology at Oregon State University and studied in Human Resources Management at George Fox University.

Roz McNulty is the CEO of the Fashion Innovation Centre (FIC), a leader in merging technology with the apparel industry. With a background in design, small manufacturing, and a touch of the film industry, Roz is passionate about using immersive technologies to drive sustainability and efficiency in fashion.

Under Roz’s leadership and with her business partner Ian Lochhead, FIC has created groundbreaking Virtual Showrooms for the apparel industry, including an immersive VR Fashion Museum. FIC’s work spans across web-based and VR/AR headsets, with a recent highlight being the Apple Vision Pro Apparel Review Showroom prototype. One of their current projects is an immersive VR experience featuring a 3D runway simulation and interactive displays designed to showcase emerging designers.

Roz is an active member of Vancouver’s tech community, participating in groups such as Vancouver AI and Vancouver Spatial Developers. She also collaborates with 3D historical apparel experts, working to preserve and showcase fashion history in innovative virtual formats.

A passionate creative who sits at the intersection of design, technology and education, Safir Bellali's 25-year experience leading design and digital innovation initiatives spans across multiple brands and industries.

Safir was an early adopter of digital creation technology and carried his experience from the automotive world into the fashion and footwear industry. As Head of Innovation for the industry's leading Action Sports brand, Vans, he oversaw a number of initiatives that spanned across product and experiences, from highly technical footwear and equipment for action sports to the revolutionary Vans Customs platform. In his last corporate role, leading Digital Innovation for VF Corporation's Apparel, Footwear, and Accessories brands (Vans, Timberland, The North Face and Dickies) he explored opportunities offered by digital tools and workflows and helped imagine the future of Product Creation and Brand Experiences. He now leads the Digital Innovation practice at Moonflare, consults for LVMH, and sits on the board of directors of several startups and non-profits .

He is an Aspen Institute First Mover's fellow, chairs the 3D Retail Coalition's Education Committee, and teaches Design and Innovation at Art Center College of Design as well as at USC's Iovine and Young Academy. An advocate of purposeful and responsible design, Safir believes that our society has an incredible opportunity to harness its collective creativity and today's technological affordances to tackle the world's social and humanitarian challenges.

He is the founder of Aliph, a non-profit educational program in responsible design and purpose-led innovation to match talent with opportunity on the African continent. 

Sandy is the Sr. Director, 3D Digital Product Creation at Target. Her role in Product Design and Development focuses on the application of 3D software and other emerging technologies to drive apparel development forward. She has over 20 years of experience leading apparel teams in technical design, product development, and sourcing. She is one of the founders of the 3D.RC, (3D Retail Coalition) a collaborative, industry wide group focused on providing direction, resources and networking opportunities to members to unlock and accelerate the value of 3D transformation.

Victor Chao is an entrepreneur and a leading professional in the textile sector. His industry insight and vision transformed Esmetex into a global innovator and a digital solution provider. Esmetex is creating a global fabric data marketplace for vendors, brands and retailers. Recognizing the bottlenecks, Esmetex creates solution for workflow improvement and process upgrading to the old-fashioned industry. Victor aims to bring up-to-date technology applications into the industry and would like to share his results with industry peers. Victor holds a B.S. from University of Rochester in Mechanical Engineering. He enjoys horse riding and skiing when he is on vacation.

Alisa has 15 years of experience in the fashion and apparel industry. She has extensive knowledge of the apparel product development process from beginning to end with expertise in pre-production, product sampling, fitting and costing. An expert in PLM, Alisa works closely with fashion companies and apparel manufacturers in customizing and implementing PLM systems.

Part seasoned global executive, part “ideas guy,” Mike is the driving force behind Avery Dennison RBIS’ culture of innovation. Under his leadership, the organization has adopted a strategic view, prioritizing solutions that shape the industry’s future while meeting rigorous compliance standards. Mike was instrumental in developing Avery Dennison’s 2025 sustainability goals and the RBIS Global Experience Centers, which will launch in Italy, Norway, and Taiwan. During his tenure at Avery Dennison, Mike has held leadership positions in innovation, operations and global supply chain management. As a senior executive in the company’s $1.2B RBIS division, he leads a global technical innovation team whose products deliver double-digit revenue and enhance performance. Mike joined Avery Dennison in 2013 after holding numerous manufacturing and engineering positions in the U.S. and China.

For 20+ years Tracy has led teams in apparel retail, design, engineering, and sourcing. At Alvanon, she works with global clients to improve the fit of apparel and improve efficiencies and profitability in product development. Tracy held a variety of management positions at Target Corporation; in Fabric Engineering, Technical Design, Global Fit Standards, and Product Development Her early career was in fashion design and on-shore manufacturing in Los Angeles. She is a passionate innovator, committed to sustainability initiatives to reduce water, energy, and chemicals in retail and manufacturing.

Tracy Rickert holds a BFA in Fashion Design from Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, Calif.

As a Director of Innovation at DECKERS Brands, Chris Hillyer contributes to the evolution of the product development process as well as leading other innovation projects. Chris got his start designing climbing equipment but quickly fell in love with the dynamic pace of footwear design as well as the wide array of materials and processes available. His passion for innovation has allowed him to participate in the design of shoes for Olympic athletes, Mountain Bikers and even a penguin. With the exciting new tools available to designers, developers and throughout the supply chain, Chris has become focused on re-envisioning the entire product creation process.

Giulio Bonazzi is the chairman and CEO of Aquafil SpA and passionate about bringing the circular economy into the mainstream. An innovator and disruptor, Bonazzi is transforming his family-run manufacturing business into a sustainable global enterprise by turning trash from landfill and the oceans into high-quality, beautiful fibers. Today, Aquafil is recognized as a leading sustainability company: an example of the circular economy and an innovator within the synthetic textile industry, with 16 plants in eight countries, across three continents.

Julian Mussi is VP, Business Solutions for Discover e-Solutions Ltd. (DeSL), a global company delivering integrated web-based solutions for the Fashion, Apparel, Textile and Footwear sectors. Based out of DeSL’s San Francisco Bay Area office, Julian is product manager for DeSL’s range of color solutions as well as responsible for general business development. He has had the pleasure of working closely with leading organizations such as Target, Kohl's, Abercrombie & Fitch, Macy's, Nike, Pixar, Under Armour and Gap on software adoption and business process improvements.

Luis is the Director of Business Consultancy for DeSL in North America. He has worked in the industry for over 20 years in roles ranging from the retail floor, to factories around the world, to leading product development and even technology teams. Today, Luis leads client engagements for DeSL, educating brands on what is possible when technology is fully integrated into modernized product development processes. In addition to his role, he also oversees local implementation and support teams. Luis’ comprehensive industry knowledge provides guidance for the future of the DeSL product.

Nicole Flood started her company Flood Clothing, 14 years ago in Portland, Oregon. Utilizing second hand clothing, she creates new, wearable art pieces. Nicole is inspired to create things that are completely unique and stand apart from mainstream fashion trends. Her main source of inspiration is finding new and innovative ways to maximize the re-use of preexisting garments so that little to nothing goes to waste. For her, an additional element of sustainability in fashion is how and where garments are produced and the implications on the environment. Nicole has everything produced by local women, thus helping to sustain the economy in Portland and minimizing the usage of fossil fuels to transport materials. Each piece created by Flood Clothing is hand crafted one at a time and is one of a kind.