Faculty
FIT:MATCH Visits Pattern & Fit Analysis Class
Last week, students in the Pattern & Fit Analysis class (MPDV 3200), taught by FIDM Instructor Joy Somerville, were treated to guest speakers from FIT:MATCH, an augmented reality-tech startup that launched in 2018 to help shoppers find apparel that mirrors their precise body shape without having to try on a single item. Head of Operations and Brand Integration Kerri O’Neill and Head of Marketing Hillary Littleton joined the class via Zoom to share insights into their company, technology, and the importance of technical design.
FIT:MATCH is a B2B technology platform that enables apparel brands to match their customers with the best-fitting products in hard-to-fit categories. Their patented algorithms start by delivering a shopper’s 3D body shape using AR and LiDAR technology. They utilize a digital twin database of real body scans to make personalized product recommendations. Designed to respect the data of their customers, their technology is built off using the customer's device without capturing photos or images. All data processed remains on the device and is not sent to the Cloud.
Now a multimillion-dollar business, FIT:MATCH secured a major investment from Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty brand in January of 2022, where Merchandising & Marketing grad Natalie Guzman is the Co-President & CMO. Athleisure disruptor Fabletics has also invested in the company.
Kerri works closely with the technical team at FIT:MATCH to test and refine the technology while considering the fabrication, style lines, and fit of each garment. She partners with the clients’ technical design teams to understand the fit intent of every style.
Leading all marketing and growth efforts for the company, Hillary Littleton has revolutionized FIT:MATCH’s brand identity through an omni-channel B2B2C lens. She is responsible for all content development and execution in marketing, advertising, and web development and holds a close relationship with both front-end (sales) and back-end (tech) to drive winning go-to-market strategies and launches.
The FIT:MATCH guest speakers explained technical terms including:
Digital Twin: a shopper’s avatar that is formed in point cloud measurements encompassing a unique body shape based on the FIT:MATCH 3D methodology
Point Cloud: the types of points on an avatar that appear in circles and form a cloud like figure of a customer’s body.
Augmented Reality (AR): a technology that superimposes a computer-generated image on a user’s view of the real world, thus providing a composite view.
LiDar: the same tech used in self-driving cars to detect depth, LiDar stands for light detection and ranging. It uses lasers to ping off objects and return to the source of the laser, measuring distance by timing the travel, or flight, of the light pulse.
A member of the FIDM faculty since 2005 and a Los Angeles native, Instructor Joy Somerville is a highly sought after brand developer, technical designer, and pattern maker in the fashion industry, and works with brands including Jordache, Frame Denim, Hudson Jeans, and Good American. Playing a critical role in the product development process, Joy brings a designer’s sketch to life. An expert in Gerber CAD with 30 years of experience in knits, wovens, and denim, Joy teaches Technical Design and Pre-Production for Apparel in the Merchandise Product Development Program, and Gerber classes—Pattern Making and Production Pattern Making—in the Bachelor’s of Apparel Technical Design Program.
The Pattern & Fit Analysis course (MPDV 3200) focuses on the development of first patterns for both woven and knit fabrics from technical specification sketches. Throughout the quarter, students analyze the effect of draping, body measurements, pattern shapes, and production construction techniques on garment fit, quality, and performance.
Categories: Apparel Technical Design Merchandise Product Development Faculty Industry Partnerships Student
