PARIS, Jan. 28, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lectra, the world leader in integrated technology solutions dedicated to industries using soft materials-fabrics, leather, technical textiles and composite materials-is pleased to announce that ELLASSAY has chosen Lectra Fashion PLM to support its brand management and global business strategy.

A top womenswear brand in China, ELLASSAY creates elegant, haute couture level fashion, developed using sophisticated fabric and apparel technologies. The company insists on a very high level of product quality therefore it invests heavily in technology as well as in international design talent.

ELLASSAY's goal is to grow into a Chinese fashion brand that influences both the domestic and international stage. They are the first Chinese haute couture brand to participate in New York Fashion week, presenting at the event's main venue.

The motivation to adopt Lectra Fashion PLM came from the need for the company to optimize its management process and support growth. "With our overseas activities, we needed a unique collection development management solution," says Xia Guoxin, ELLASSAY Chairman. "We chose Lectra Fashion PLM because of Lectra's unique and global project implementation approach, as it takes into account the challenges we face and is supported by 40 years of fashion expertise. We speak the same fashion language," he explains.

Lectra Fashion PLM also convinced the R&D Director Fu Gang. "We believe Lectra Fashion PLM can help us improve R&D collaboration and better control our process, increasing speed while also bringing high quality products to market," he adds.

Lectra Fashion PLM enhances collection planning and enables early decision making

ELLASSAY designs and develops 80% of products in-house and manufactures their entire range themselves. Lectra Fashion PLM will help ELLASSAY improve collaboration between its design, development and production teams. With Lectra's Fashion Platform, each department will be able to work with the same information in real-time. Xia Guoxin is directly in charge of planning, design and development so having a consolidated view is particularly important, especially for early decision-making.

Lectra Fashion PLM will also help the company better control workflow and collection planning. As the company goes global, producing more styles while mastering margins is a critical issue. By allowing ELLASSAY to manage the entire fashion development process with a comprehensive solution, Lectra Fashion PLM will help the company optimize costs. "60% of our fabric is imported from European countries. To remain competitive we need to better anticipate any issues within our development process. I am confident that Lectra Fashion PLM will support our global strategy while also ensuring cost control," continues Fu Gang.

"We really believe Lectra is the best partner to help us preserve our brand DNA while continuing to innovate and stay a step ahead of our competitors," adds Xia Guoxin.

In the future, ELLASSAY plans to extend the footprint of their Lectra Fashion PLM project by deeply integrating design, product development and production to reinforce their international business development.

About ELLASSAY

Founded in 1996, ELLASSAY is a leading Chinese fashion brand, owned by Shenzhen ELLASSAY Fashion. With design as the cornerstone of the brand's fashion and elegance, they have rolled out nearly 400 stores throughout China, mainly in major cities. ELLASSAY targets for a higher-income 25-40 year old urban woman, who is independent, self-confident and stylish; a woman who embodies an elegant balance of traditional and modern style.

ELLASSAY continues to focus on women's wear. Jean-Paul Knott, former director of product development at Yves Saint Laurent was appointed brand design consultant in 2004 bringing a personal and international wealth of fashion design knowledge. In 2009 the brand was boosted by a 150 million Yuan investment, resulting from a strategic alliance established with The Carlyle Group, a private global equity firm. With the objective of becoming "a worldwide leading Chinese fashion brand", ELLASSAY strives to expand its influence on both the international and domestic markets. Combining the best of both worlds, ELLASSAY brings international fashion to China and Chinese fashion to the world.

For more information, please visit www.ellassay.com/en/main.htm

About Lectra

Lectra is the world leader in integrated technology solutions that automate, streamline and accelerate product design, development and manufacturing processes for industries using soft materials. Lectra develops the most advanced specialized software and cutting systems and provides associated services to a broad array of markets including fashion (apparel, accessories, footwear), automotive (car seats and interiors, airbags), furniture, as well as a wide variety of other market sectors, such as aeronautical and marine industries, wind power, and personal protective equipment. Lectra serves 23,000 customers in more than 100 countries with 1,350 employees and $256 million in 2012 revenues. The company is listed on NYSE Euronext.

For more information, please visit www.lectra.com

Contact - Lectra Headquarters / Press Dept.: Nathalie Fournier-Christol
E-mail: n.fournier-christol@lectra.com Tel.: +33 (0)1 53 64 42 37 - Fax: +33 (0)1 53 64 43 40

Lectra_ELLASSAY_press release http://hugin.info/143494/R/1757609/594109.pdf

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