When Covid-19 began spreading in China last winter, the global apparel supply chain was thrown into disarray and overseas production in the category ground to a halt. That’s when Marta Miller—owner of Lefty Production Co., a Los Angeles–based company that manufactures clothing for clients—began seeing a surge in inquiries from apparel brands looking to ramp up production in the U.S.
To keep up with customer demand, Miller turned to Tukatech, a maker of software that generates digital garment mockups. The tool reduces the manufacturer’s reliance on creating physical samples—a tedious process that involves constant recutting and sewing—to finalize how garments will look when produced in bulk. Simulating how fabrics will behave in real life by showing them on the bodies of virtual avatars, Tukatech’s software speeds up the production process by ensuring precise fits before garments are sewn.
